mean-spirited "Stay in school" ads on radio

[Cocoa]

Has anyone heard these? I've always hated them, they ridicule high-school dropouts pretty mercilessly. The goal of promoting kids to stay in school is a good one, but I can't help thinking of the people who have already dropped out.

Now for the first time I noticed that the ad is paid for by the U.S. Army and wonder what's going on. Could this ad really be aimed at dropouts, with the goal of making them feel unsatisfied with their lives?

Serious tinfoil hat time...

[wuushew]

1. Speaking of the U.S. Army anybody else getting tired of the Russian guy?

He moved from the former Soviet Union where conscription was mandatory to Amerika where he is doing the same damn thing only that he is freely choosing to spread Amerikan Imperialism. Why do the adds lie, people come here for economic reasons not some righteous moral crusade.

[tyme]

4. the big picture you aren't seeing

okay, lets start at the top...bush needs more people in the militar so he doesn't have to start a draft so the military budget is increased. the officers whom want rank advancement into generals need to make some political schmuck happy so they do their best job making it seem as patriotic, nondangerous and rewarding as possible. They then findd some troop with any nonordinary story and offer them to be a PR rep instead of sitting on the front lines and being shot at or blown up. To any troop, this sounds like a good idea. Add some hollywood guy to dress it up and you have your answer. trying to rationalize this as coming dirrectly from the troops is the main flaw in your argument...troops just don't want to be there.

tyme
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
-benjamin franklin
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security
-benjamin franklin
Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man.
-thomas jefferson

[izzie]

2. There was some story a few months ago about how the Brits.....

got young men to go in to the army. Sounded like their was some 'to do' on it as most were the young that had dropped out and were on the street. I got out of high school in '53 and to tell you the truth almost all the boys in my class went in to the service , even our drop outs. We had the draft but they could have sat back to be called but it really was a good way to have a job and training for young men that did not have money to go to college.Some wished to just get it out of the way.It was not a poor town but the big place to work was the Govt Navy yard and running a summer business.Few people who went to Boston to work daily.Most people did not have money to go to college. This was sort of the riches part of Maine so I am sure it was the same all over the state.As I got out of high school in '53 I went in in '49 so you can see how young people would feel. We were the ones that saw the end of WW2 and the start of Korea. Going into service would have seemed noble etc. My husband went in with Korea and came out with Vietnam. Things were not the same when he came out believe me.I had never heard of people going to Canada so they would not have to go into service until the 60's.Need to get them in now some how.

[alcuno]

3. It's interesting. Saw them a lot in Florida but rarely in Illinois.

They must be targeting states with high drop out rates. I'm sorry if they hurt the feelings of older high school drop outs, but that's just the kind of ad that would impact kids.