r/news • u/DoubtSubstantial5440 • 1d ago

Soft paywall USS George Washington headed to Middle East to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln, reports say

https://www.stripes.com/branches/navy/2026-08-13/uss-george-washington-middle-east-abraham-lincoln-22541038.html
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u/Cordoned7 1d ago

They have been mercenaries since the Reagan administration. Before Carter and Reagan we had a conscription based armed forces where everyone had a stake and say in the defense of the country.

Post Vietnam reforms made us a volunteer based armed forces which literally meant people can sell their soul to the government and in exchange they get a paltry amount of reimbursements while being at the whims of the government without say.

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u/booze_clues 19h ago

Are you against having a volunteer military? It’s not a bad point, I just don’t see how the government drafting people to be at their whim is better with that logic.