Issue #147 help

[Machine Gun Diplomacy]

#147: Military Budgets Up For Approval [Greater philadelphia; ed:Sirocco]

The Issue

The various branches of @@NAME@@'s military brought their budget petitions to your attention and, as usual, they are all asking for widespread increases over the rest of the military departments.

The Debate
1. "Clearly the army requires the greatest increase in funds this year," says Field Marshal @@RANDOMNAME@@. "After all, wars were never won by air or sea and in this dangerous world we must be able to protect the interests of @@NAME@@. Currently our men get hand-me-down weapons, rations I wouldn't feed a pig - the army is increasingly looking like a bad career option and we can't have that. If we're going to get recruits, we need more funding to support our brave lads in their duty."

2. "Hah! It's the Navy who needs the money, mate," says Grand Admiral @@RANDOMNAME@@. "The army and the police forces can protect us domestically, but can they protect us from having our foreign trade cut off? Can they protect us from terrorists and pirates? How are the soldiers going to get to the enemy's borders? Swim? I think not. Fund us, the Navy, the true protectors of @@NAME@@!"

3. "Despite the statements of my colleagues," says @@RANDOMNAME@@, Marshal of the Air Force. "The Air Force requires more money than these men playing around with boats. We are increasingly seeing terrorists taking to the air, and more ships or guns are not going to stop that. Our people will only be safe when the Air Force has the power it needs to defend us - and for that we need more funding and more government support for industries geared towards the development of new aircraft."

4. "You're all thinking too small!" exclaims @@RANDOMNAME@@, an avid Star Wars fan. "What we need is more research into the possibilities of space weapons! Big laser cannon and satellites with complete annihilation power! And cool spaceships! Boom! Rat-a-tata! Bang! Bang! It'll be expensive, sure, but think of the power! THE POWER!"

5. "It's simply not good enough!" wails @@RANDOMNAME@@, the Minister of Defence. "It's not about the money - it's the manpower. Not enough people by far are signing up! All we seem to be getting nowadays are drunks and people who volunteered for a dare. The current conscription laws need to be either more strictly enforced or drastically rewritten. What I propose is a universal draft: everyone capable of pulling a trigger should become a part of the Army, Navy or Air Force. Only in this way can we ensure the dominance of @@NAME@@ in the region."

6. "The military is a stain on the peace-loving nature of our nation!" cries @@RANDOMNAME@@, while sporting a Rastifarian hat. "People should be allowed to choose what they do for a living! Conscription is wrong and I don't see why our tax @@CURRENCY@@s should go to such a despicable cause! The money should be going to more important places - like our pockets!"

Tough question:

I'm tempted to select option 5 simply because I want my nation to be considered well armed and to bolster its Arms Manufacturing sector, but I do not want military service to be compulsory in the long run. So, am I better off just choosing a particular branch to fund or going with option 5 and later repealing the conscription when a similar issue comes around? In other words, would option 5 give my military a bigger boost than the others, and would this boost last even if I were to later call off the draft?

[Maroza]

You can do that. There is an issue that will allow you to get rid of mandatory military service.