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Comment by dfee | Hacker News Reader

This article has a strong slant. If we can look past that, we should consider the claim: everyone having skin in the game is more democratic and leads to a better aligned government.

Perhaps this would lead to more peace.

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But everyone won’t have skin in the game. We’ve played this game before. The uber wealthy and politically connected kids will either get outright deferments, or cushy positions that never have them sniffing any danger beyond carpal tunnel.

It’s no different than the republicans that are violently against abortion and then you find out they’ve funded multiple for their mistresses. They’re perfectly fine with a law banning it because they know it will never apply to them.

They certainly don't have skin in the game now, either!

Right, in the minds of millions right now there's literally no reason to fight for this country. This country certainly ignores their existence and refuses to honor most forms of basic rights as health, education, and shelter. It really only cares if you mess up your tax return.

"Perhaps" you say even though humanity hasn't had a long history of conscription and it has never created peace.

Bone spurs

Agree - the key is that everyone MUST include people in power.

It's not how conscription is ever implemented in practice.

Of course it's not. Once upon a time quite long ago kings and generals got on the field. But as we industrialized leadership moved to "the back."

See concepts like Auftragstaktik, command intent, mission command.

Not even that long ago, nobility died at higher rates than normal people in ww1 and ww2. Many lines were killed during them. I still know of nobles in my own country in the army. Generals died in WW2 at a decent rate as well.

Nobility lost most relevance now so I'm sure it's different now, owning a castle or a weird last name doesn't make you rich or powerful.

But it’s how it will be sold to us. It’s sure a lot warmer in the abbatoir for some reason. And they give some of us cigarettes. Bill says they even feed him.

But they never do

"When the rich wage war it's the poor who die"

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