(12-13-2017 10:13 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(12-06-2017 10:16 PM)baker-13 Wrote:  This could also tie in to another idea I've been mulling over, that I first heard from Rep. Seth Moulton (D, MA-6; also, B.S., MBA, MPP Harvard). One of the things he's noticed, as part of the first generation of Congressfolk who are veterans of Iraq/Afghanistan, is that there's a relative dearth of people who have served in his generation, compared to previous ones (the cadre of Vietnam vets, before them the cadres of WWII and Korea vets). He's talked a little bit about extending the ideas of the GI Bill to other areas of service to the country, too, as a way to incentivize people actually serving their country in not-necessarily-military ways they find fulfilling (e.g. teaching in under-served communities, working on combating the opioid epidemic, etc), without reinstituting the draft.
It seems to me that helping fill an invaluable hole in the workforce would tie into that nicely.

I think it is worth exploring the idea that everyone should give some time to the country in some form--military, Peace Corps, other areas. I think one reason we have become so fractured and polarized is that so many of our young people have no experience doing things in a group of dissimilar people. Soldiers learn to do it in a hurry, or they die. We could all stand to do more.

Is there any evidence to suggest that it is the youth (Millenials and Gen X) that are driving the polarization?

I agree that required service would be good, not arguing that, just trying to understand why it's the youth, as opposed to another portion of the population, that is to blame. We seem to be the scapegoat for everything, even though we aren't in a position of power or influence yet.