So I was perusing the latest in what my Republican relatives consider leftwing propaganda.You know, the kind that deceived us into believing that Iraq had no WMDs, there was no evidence that Saddam was involved in 9/11, Bush lied, Rove leaked, Bush lied, lied, lied, and THIS popped up on my screen. I hate pop-up ads, but this one has to be the worst I've seen yet:
So I clicked on the ad, and I was transferred to
usmilitary.com
Fill out the form for "FREE information."
Frankly, this doesn't appear to be an official government website. However, it does reek of the same kind of deceit used by our government to recruit our youth. You've all have seen the TV ads...the military will pay your tuition, you'll get the best training, shorter contracts, etc. And in this particular ad, it's selling "FUN" and fame.
How is facing death in a foreign land "fun"? As for your name in the "headlines"...Maybe you may find yourself unlucky enough to have your name printed on the front page of your local newspaper like these individuals, I'm sure.
This is simply a product of desperation.
From the Daily Review:
The Army -- with the National Guard and Reserves -- had the hardest time boosting new enlistments and retaining those already serving. It was 7,000 short of its 2005 target of 80,000 new enlistments.
The Army Guard fell short of its recruiting goal of 44,989 by 23 percent; the Army Reserve missed its target of 19,753 by 21 percent, according to figures from the prepared statement of Thomas Hall, assistant secretary of defense for Reserve affairs.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, enlistment by women was down, as was enrollment by African Americans and Hispanics, who the Army was trying to reach through advertising campaigns, using radio, popular publications and events like Cinco de Mayo, according to Lt. Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck, the Army's personnel chief.
Minorities are "a critical piece of the overall recruiting mission," he said.
The hearing Tuesday came a day after the National Governors Association told heads of the Department of Homeland Security, the National Guard Bureau and veterans affairs that they were worried the reliance on Reserves and National Guard troops, whose tours were being extended for longer periods, was leaving states unprotected against natural disasters and making retention more difficult.
But IMHO, it's pretty sick.
UPDATE: Out of curiosity, I filled out the SHORT form to get my FREE information, and SURPRISE! It took me to a not so short form that requires the following information in order for me to receive the FREE information:
The form was not submitted for the following reasons:
Missing: Address
Missing: City
Missing: State
Missing: Zip Code
Missing: PGM CODE
Missing: Marital Status
Missing: Number of Dependents
Missing: Area of Interest
Missing: Citizenship
Missing: Area Code
Missing: Phone1
Missing: Phone2
Missing: Gender
Missing: Citizenship
Missing: Enrolled in School
Missing: Last Grade Completed
Missing: Asthma
Missing: Ethnic Background
Missing: Likelihood of Enlistment
Please use your browser's back button to return to the form and try again.