Marketing War to Children
How would you like to receive over $60,000 in financial benefits — including money for college, a steady paycheck and a signing bonus of up to $20,000?
Our teenage daughter, fifteen years old, received an enlistment package from the National Guard this week. "This is not a credit card," the front page assured, "This is MONEY IN THE BANK."
The letter went on to extol the many benefits that awaited her, "including desirable career skills and powerful life experiences as a Citizen-Soldier in the Guard."
It promised that she could choose from hundreds of career opportunities, including: "Accounting, Air Traffic Control, Civil Engineering, Law Enforcement, Aviation, Special Forces and Telecommunications."
Nice of them to include "law enforcement" and "special forces" in their list, giving at least a hint of what a career in the Guard might actually involve. But no mention anywhere in the letter of going to war, either in the abstract — "We will train you to kill people and blow things up" — or the immediately concrete — "We'll be sending you to this powerful life experience called Iraq."
But the letter's main thrust was financial. Qualifying enlistees could receive, in addition to the $20,000 enlistment bonus, "up to $10,368 for books and fees, as much as $12,600 to cover additional college costs, and $4,500 in tuition assistance benefits."
This is not about war. This is not about state-sponsored violence and the deaths of innocents. This is money in the bank.
The letter included a credit-card-like "Guard card" which prospective enlistees could start using immediately to earn "Hooah Points" as a "way to get all kinds of cool stuff." Just by going to the website and answering some multiple choice questions, they could redeem Hooah Points for "things like free music downloads, t-shirts, hats, DVDs and more."
This is not about friendly fire and collateral damages. This is a way to get all kinds of cool stuff.
Though we no longer have a draft to rein in fresh recruits, now we have something even better: an economy that has left millions of American families without savings, without health care, and with little prospect of affording college tuitions. No surprise that for many teenagers the Guard's offer seems like the ultimate good deal.
(Just don't think about Iraq or the fact that you're placing your life in George W. Bush's hands.)
This is not about invading foreign lands and wreaking havoc. This is a way to get all kinds of cool stuff. This is money in the bank.
All in all, a great way to develop another generation of war-addicted Americans who know more about killing than making peace and who are financially chained to the military-industrial-complex.