do military acadenies just benefit the elite and perpetuate inequity?

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/lets-abolish-west-point-military-academies-serve-no-one-squander-millions-tax

Let’s Abolish West Point: Military Academies Serve No One, Squander Millions of Tax Dollars

The service academies once had a purpose: when they were founded in the 19th century (the Air Force split off from Army after World War II), college was classics and religion for gentlemen, so it made sense to have technical training institutes for people who would be in charge of increasingly technical warfare. All the service academies have now to justify their cost and their pretensions, it seems, is their once-illustrious history, and the club of “tradition,” which they wield mercilessly against students who dare question why things are as they are.

Who benefits from these strange historical holdovers? Not the taxpayers who fund them. The service academies are the vanity projects of the brass who went there. Their interest is in looking good (it’s good for their careers) and in keeping the tax dollars flowing. All official information taxpayers get about the service academies comes from the brass who run them and who use them as their private country clubs — at taxpayer expense. Military subordinates (which includes the students) are legally unable to offer conflicting views. The result is that the service academies are feel-good hype factories that operate with virtually no accountability and little oversight, the very definition of government bloat on autopilot.

Oh, yes—there’s one more group of people who defend these places to the death: the parents of the young military members who attend them. Why wouldn’t they? Having their children admitted is a government-sponsored guarantee of a golden ticket to life: college at taxpayer expense with no student debts, the highest salary of any set of graduates, and guaranteed employment and (no-Obamacare-necessary) health benefits for at least five years, frequently well beyond. And no, most people in the military aren’t remotely likely to be shot at.

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[MohRokTah]

1. I cannot believe ANYBODY would have floated the moronic idea that the service academies should be...

shut down.

I seriously can have no political commonality with anybody who would support this.

[yeoman6987]

2. I agree. It is sickening.

For one thing they bring in a lot of minorities that go on to head commands and other leadership positions. These schools do a great job in admissions and their drop out rate is really low. I guess they would rather they graduate sigh a 250 thousand debt. Some days........

[Liberal_in_LA]

9. this article is from ultra liberal Alternet

[NewDeal_Dem]

11. ultra liberal? ha-ha alternet is a wing of the democratic party

[MohRokTah]

13. Yes, the ultra left wing of the Democratic Party. eom

[NewDeal_Dem]

15. The party has an ultraleft wing? Please tell me who's in it. Alternet doesn't run ultraleft

writing and it's not ultraleft.

AlterNet is funded through leftists like the Ford Foundation and the Packard Foundation, & run by Don Hazen, a democratic operative.

[MohRokTah]

16. Alternet is also ultra left.

Suggesting tht we should close the service academies can only be described as ultra left.

[NewDeal_Dem]

18. well, i guess *you* outed yourself.

[MohRokTah]

21. I'm considered far left by nearly everybody I know.

I guess *you* outed yourself.

[flying rabbit]

28. Ultra liberal?

How so?

[Brother Buzz]

3. Why single out the academies, go for the war colleges, too

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. what are "war colleges"?

[bluedigger]

12. Graduate level training for the military.

I think every branch has one and there is also a national one for combined services.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_War_College

[Recursion]

24. Postgraduate institutions. Once you get to colonel you're expected to get a Master's degree

PhD's are relatively rare among "line" officers, but specialists/techs and educators in the military often get them too.

The war college campus is one of the most beautiful places in DC

[Historic NY]

4. Living near West Point the academy gives back to the community at large..

from thousands of jobs and they participate in various community minded projects and organizations. Its not uncommon to seeing cadets interacting from the Special Olympics to Habitat. I've always been able to count on them.

[hrmjustin]

5. Agreed! West Point is an important part of the Hudson Valley region.

[Historic NY]

6. Since 1802 as an academ.y

[840high]

23. ...

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. that's good to hear

[Recursion]

26. After Hurricane Isabel flooded Annapolis, midshipmen rescued dozens of people

And did a lot of restoration work. Annapolis definitely benefits from having Navy there.

[saltpepperdoor]

10. and this is one reason why

The democratic party isn't unified. Some support tax payer funded higher education, some do not (reference the thread on the president announcing he wants 2 years of full ride to community college, and this OP).

[MohRokTah]

14. I think all higher level education should be tax payer funded.

Regardless, all educatino should be free to all citizens.

There is no single investment that would have a higher ROI for the nation as a whole than funding all levels of education.

The key to getting into that Masters and Doctorate program, though, is being accepted through the rigorous requirements. That cannot go away. But ending the cycle of student loans is necessary.

Here's an example. I work in high tech. I have for thirty-five years. I have no degrees, but I command a high salary due to my experience. I could not afford the formal education, so I taught myself informally.

[cloudbase]

17. I'm one of those academy guys.

It was the best path for this son of immigrants to get a college education which would have otherwise been unaffordable.

While there were a few people who were legacy admissions, most of us were just children of working class parents. As a whole, there was nothing exceptional about us, except perhaps for having the motivation to put up with the rather involved application process and taking on the regimental burden along with the academics.

[elias49]

20. Sounds just like my family. My brother went to the Air Force Acad

in the 70s. Five kids in the family of a working-class man. No way my dad could afford to help my brother get a college education...until he qualified for the AF Acad.
Got his degree and a job. Didn't hurt him (too much).
I was 5 years younger and a 'hippy'.

[MohRokTah]

22. Bravo!

You have my respect for not only being accepted, but being capable of graduating.

You are one of the best of the best, IMO.

[cloudbase]

29. Thank you for those kind words. n/t

[aikoaiko]

19. Thats a big bunch of crap -- but its on par for alternet.

There is no guarantee of finishing an academy or a job for life. You must still perform.

They are accredited institutions just like any other accredited college with general education requirements (not just technical training).

They can and are permitted to debate topics.

[Recursion]

25. At least at Navy, many of the people actually attending classes are not Midshipmen

(At least, that was true a couple of decades ago; I don't know if 9/11-era security changed that.)

Townies and children of faculty/staff attend classes. Children of sailors killed or wounded in action can attend classes, and children of any Medal of Honor recipients can receive a full degree there for free. I assume the other service academies are like that.

Furthermore, all the service academies are active research institutions.

[marlakay]

27. Son n law officer at Air Force academy

He counsels a bunch of cadets and even though a bunch of other officers put through all of their people no matter grades and offenses, he felt bad but has failed a few he warned, tried to help but wouldn't change.

These are future officers and he knows what they need morally. I like the fact he is a secret atheist so I know his values are from doing just what is fair and right.

After having listened to my daughter the last 3 years, (they are leaving in June) I have a pretty good idea of how it works.

Some things like not failing people that should are wrong but others are good. I have visited there and saw great respect in the kids. I saw kids really trying to live up to the standards.

I am a total peacenik that thinks our military is too big and no wars would work for me, so if I say something positive about it it's true! Lol