[savethehumans]

Me, too, sventvkg.

And I have two nephews, currently 17 and 15....

Wonder if there's any chance of conscientious objector status...if they could stay in the States, part of an Americorps thing, or something, I'd feel a LOT better!

[Coolman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')n alternative to college is doing a professional Gardener's course at your local botanical garden.
That's what I'm doing BTW

[Coolman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') agree with Navada G also.
I can give you some idea of what a college degree will be worth in a few yrs. I live in the Former Soviet Union now and I daily meet college grads here working at outdoor markets and just getting by on 50-100 USD a month. Its not uncommon. Thats what happens when a nation goes into a depression like the FSU did in 1998. Now throw in peak oil to this.....I feel college may be OK, but debt sure is not. Also if one goes to college go to learn not to find a good paying job.....for many jobs in the future will not be around. The college degree during the industrial age offered a easy job with good money, sorry but the industrial age is soon to be over.
So that my 2c if you were a soldier and can go free to college because of the GI bill...may not be bad...or if you can avoid debt...may not be bad....If you want to earn mega bucks in the future....I can say forget that. I feel many many MANY people in Western nation will find out a hard lesson about their years of working for a retirement check was in vain and that their college degree are near worthless...Going to be alot of upset people in the Western world in a couple years. Here is an interesting article just of the state of the US affairs....He doesnt mention Peak Oil so add that...He talks about by 2008 the DOW to under 5,000. Oil to 112 bbl and many job losses "that without world production peak decline"
Leaf

[bentstrider]

Well sventvkg, if a draft did occur, thats when the shit does hit the fan.
Yeah, people will be joining the military, but not the main one.
People will care less about fueling their vehicles, people will be wanting to stay alive.
As far as how many soldiers they try to conscript, I bet you anything the conscripts will mutiny in the case of fighting for the last oil reserves.
And the UCMJ will be powerless at that point.
I'm just saying though. With a good generation of people not used to mandatory combat, that could happen.
Especially if the conscripts have other ideas for energy in mind.

[sventvkg]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bentstrider', 'W')ell sventvkg, if a draft did occur, thats when the shit does hit the fan.
Yeah, people will be joining the military, but not the main one.
People will care less about fueling their vehicles, people will be wanting to stay alive.
As far as how many soldiers they try to conscript, I bet you anything the conscripts will mutiny in the case of fighting for the last oil reserves.
And the UCMJ will be powerless at that point.
I'm just saying though. With a good generation of people not used to mandatory combat, that could happen.
Especially if the conscripts have other ideas for energy in mind.

[savethehumans]

You're not a paranoid fool.

My older nephew started school a year late, so he won't finish high school till June, 2006. This thought gives me much comfort. He has time to build up a Conscientious Objector status, which could find him staying in the States, maybe working an Americorps project or something. Maybe even a project that could teach him a barterable skill! At least, that is my hope. Small hope, but something....

[seahorse]

Maybe avoiding a draft or the military is the wrong idea. If you are assuming peak oil means the destruction of society, with lack of food, roving bands of criminals, joblessness, then maybe the military is the safest place to be. At least you get armed, trained, fed, and a sleeping bag, and you have a bunch of trained guys around you. Maybe you get real lucky and get assigned as a cook, all the food you can eat. I've been in the military, and its not that bad, and if things get as bad as you all think they are going to get, the military would be the safest place to be. Why do you think 3rd world countries can field armies? Because its a good job for so many poor and hungry.

[Freud]

The military gets called upon to do unfathomable things to other people and themselves.

All the food and warm sleeping places doesn't amount to much if you're being poisoned by the environment you're in, or commanded to fulfill unethical orders upon your countrymen.

I'd go bush, and not the w kind.....

millions would do the same... the chances of getting caught or thrown in jail would be pretty slim.

[savethehumans]

Thank you, Freud.

In WWII, Stalin sent out some 20 million soldiers as "cannon fodder." Compared to what's coming, that's an appetizer....

[counterpunch]

Also, a lot of those third world armies are little more than loosely-knit bands of mercenaries and barbarians. Hardly the Army of One on the commercials, and they are compensated by pillaging from whomever is the "enemy". That's why they have a lot of military coups.

[Zeiter]

I'm a soon-to-be college student, and I'm still not sure what I should do. As of now, I'm just planning on continuing on the "normal" track of college education. I figure that it wouldn't hurt to know as much as I can about the world. I actually enjoy school, and, who knows, maybe I could be a teacher post-peak or something, or at least do that on the side to augment my probably meager farming income.

As far as the draft goes, if I sense that there's widespread opposition to it (as there would be, except in the case of another 9/11) then I'll help to rally as many people into opposing it as possible, and get a strong anti-draft movement going in my school, and eventually in my town. However, if it seems that everyone's ardently supporting the draft, then I'll probably quietly sneak away to Quebec, or France would be even better, as I speak French (thanks to my education. Studying foreign language could be another useful thing that I could do in college.) And the French would be less likely to rat me out and send me back, I would think.

[sventvkg]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zeiter', 'I')'m a soon-to-be college student, and I'm still not sure what I should do. As of now, I'm just planning on continuing on the "normal" track of college education. I figure that it wouldn't hurt to know as much as I can about the world. I actually enjoy school, and, who knows, maybe I could be a teacher post-peak or something, or at least do that on the side to augment my probably meager farming income.

As far as the draft goes, if I sense that there's widespread opposition to it (as there would be, except in the case of another 9/11) then I'll help to rally as many people into opposing it as possible, and get a strong anti-draft movement going in my school, and eventually in my town. However, if it seems that everyone's ardently supporting the draft, then I'll probably quietly sneak away to Quebec, or France would be even better, as I speak French (thanks to my education. Studying foreign language could be another useful thing that I could do in college.) And the French would be less likely to rat me out and send me back, I would think.

[savethehumans]

This is good advice. Heed it!