Controversial ROTC programs returns To Ivy League Universities

[Agorism]

Controversial ROTC programs returns To Ivy League Universities

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/23/rotc-ivy-league_n_1027157.html



Four decades after Vietnam War protesters cheered the departure of ROTC programs from some Ivy League universities, their return is bringing little more than a symbolic change to campuses where a new generation of students is neither organizing against them nor lining up to enlist.

Yale, Harvard and Columbia all signed agreements this year to bring back ROTC. The antagonism with elite universities faded with the end of the draft, and much of the lingering opposition to the military dissolved with last year's repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the policy that banned gays from serving openly in the armed services. The universities said the policy violated non-discrimination rules for campus organizations.

[oyarde]

I never understood what was controversial about it . It is voluntary . These institutions probably recieve tax money....

[BattleFlag1776]

I never understood what was controversial about it . It is voluntary . These institutions probably recieve tax money....

They banned ROTC as a protest to the draft during the Vietnam..."campaign." We ran a conscripted army back then.

[oyarde]

They banned ROTC as a protest to the draft during the Vietnam..."campaign." We ran a conscripted army back then. Yeah , but that has been over since the 70's ...

[eduardo89]

Yeah , but that has been over since the 70's ...

But selective service hasn't.

[oyarde]

But selective service hasn't. That is true. I got a crappy notice from the govt at about age 18 1/2 for not filing . I joined when I was seventeen , so , I never did ...

[cindy25]

ROTC was mandatory at Land Grant colleges even when there was no draft. Today, voluntary ROTC is not an issue, but JROTC in high schools is becoming mandatory in some districts.

[Agorism]

I never understood what was controversial about it . It is voluntary . These institutions probably recieve tax money....

Harvard has huge surpluses. Same with Yale.

They definitely don't need tax money to survive although whether they get it or not is another issue.

[Philhelm]

Harvard has huge surpluses. Same with Yale.

They definitely don't need tax money to survive although whether they get it or not is another issue.

Maybe we should have Harvard run our nation's spending...lol

[Zachary]

Why should libertarians love ROTC?militarism is militarism and inculcates values destructive of liberty.

[Invi]

ROTC was mandatory at Land Grant colleges even when there was no draft. Today, voluntary ROTC is not an issue, but JROTC in high schools is becoming mandatory in some districts.
Seriously? That's messed up. I took Navy JROTC my freshman year of high school, voluntarily. I actually rather liked it. I'm not sure why. But jeez, I would never force anyone into it. That's stupid.

[oyarde]

Why should libertarians love ROTC?militarism is militarism and inculcates values destructive of liberty. I figure Libertarians need not be concerned with anything voluntary and nobody should support mandatory training in the US .

[eduardo89]

Maybe we should have Harvard run our nation's spending...lol

Harvard's endowment actually lost billions during the crash. Larry Summers was in charge of it...

[Pericles]

Most people with military experience are convinced of the following: Great individual warriors will be utterly destroyed by mediocre warriors with good teamwork.

ROTC and military training teach that teamwork that even libertarians will need to keep their posessions from those who would steal them.

[heavenlyboy34]

Most people with military experience are convinced of the following: Great individual warriors will be utterly destroyed by mediocre warriors with good teamwork.

ROTC and military training teach that teamwork that even libertarians will need to keep their posessions from those who would steal them.Couldn't one just as easily learn this in a militia or sports team or something? I learned teamwork in jazz band and at work. My sis was in high school ROTC, and later got fired from numerous jobs because she was poor at dealing with people. (she also dropped out of high school, but that's another story)

[erowe1]

The only thing I find odd is that they didn't welcome the ROTC back on the day of Obama's inauguration. They must have been backlogged on stuff to do.

[Pericles]

Couldn't one just as easily learn this in a militia or sports team or something? I learned teamwork in jazz band and at work. My sis was in high school ROTC, and later got fired from numerous jobs because she was poor at dealing with people. (she also dropped out of high school, but that's another story)

It works best when the people conducting the training know WTF they are doing. That comes from real operational experience, not from YouTube videos, or some book written by a guy who never did any of that for real.

And even operational experience can have a limited shelf life. Night vision and thermal imagery equipment at the crew or individual level, make much of the Vietnam experience invalid in the context of modern warfare. nothing like having A Vietnam vet militia guy sneaking up on you under cover of darkness while you have the whole use an hour to move 5 feet in your night vision device.

[Agorism]

The only thing I find odd is that they didn't welcome the ROTC back on the day of Obama's inauguration. They must have been backlogged on stuff to do.

They allowed them back bc of DADT repeal.

[oyarde]

They allowed them back bc of DADT repeal. But continued to accept tax payer money all the rest of the time ??

[Agorism]

But continued to accept tax payer money all the rest of the time ??

You mean the government kept sending them money? Why is it their fault if they accept the money. If the government doesn't want to give them money then that would be another issue, but Harvard is so rich\well-endowed that it really wouldn't matter one or the other in their case.

[oyarde]

You mean the government kept sending them money? Why is it their fault if they accept the money. If the government doesn't want to give them money then that would be another issue, but Harvard is so rich\well-endowed that it really wouldn't matter one or the other in their case. I see your point , I am however willing to accept the refund .

[Agorism]

I see your point , I am however willing to accept the refund .

Or the government could just honor the terms of the conditions that they used to give them the grant, which probably did not include having to have an ROTC program.

Since ROTC programs have been banned on Ivy league campuses for 40 years, I'm pretty sure the government knew exactly the conditions involved in such a grant (grants that you're nonspecifically talking about.)