I sometimes wonder if a mandatory national military draft would help with alleviating poverty. Getting these people from poor backgrounds mixed in with kids from middle and upper class backgrounds and uniting them for a greater cause could have huge benefits for all involved. And then giving them all a G.I. Bill they could use for college, technical or trade school training. I know the military (volunteer) was the first stepping stone to the fantastic, rich life I live now. Without it, I don't know where I would have ended up. It helped discipline my ass and lifted me from a lower middle class upbringing to an upper class professional close to retiring early. Not saying it's a perfect solution, but maybe a good first step.
I would love to hear your story in more depth and detail. Have you ever written about it on this forum?
Not really, no. Basic outline is this: dad was a menial laborer, mom a high school dropout who had me at 18 (and two other brothers subsequent); dad cheated on mom and left her for another woman when I was @12; so now single mom, no H.S. diploma, 3 kids (boys) aged 12, 10 and 7, grinds it out and makes due (with help from her rock star mom, my grandmother, a Depression-era survivor who was a legit badass); the stress of the divorce causes me to go from straight-A's to barely getting D's, and I take my first bong hit at age 12, though because of a strong mother I don't fall completely into the abyss; mom re-marries when I'm almost 16; stepdad is a union carpenter, works 6-9 months a year with the usual layoffs, and they somehow house, feed and clothe 3 kids (until they add a 4th when I turned 18), while he also provides child support for the two kids from his previous marriage; nevertheless, I continue with shitty school performance (though I excel on the gridiron) and get myself arrested three times before my 18th birthday (assault, breach of peace, petty larceny); upon graduation, I have few choices beyond manning a shovel somewhere, so I join the Navy; recruiter literally has to go to court to re-open one of my cases and get it nole-pros'ed so I can enlist. The Navy changes EVERYTHING for me. The discipline and challenge motivates me, I go on to excel in all my classes (placing first in pretty much every one) and I go on to make E-6 in 5 years. I get out shortly before the first Gulf War kicks off, attend college, earn a full ride in the Honors Program after a stellar first year (and having exhausted my money, it was a godsend I've written about elsewhere), graduate magna cum laude, and go on to attend a top-tier law school. A fine 21-year career later, I'm less than 8 months from retiring with a pension and a fat investment account.
The military more or less saved my life. It provided the direction and purpose I needed to break bad behaviors and see the possibilities life has to offer those poised to take advantage of them. And it changed my perspective on a lot of other things as well (having visited some poor areas of the world like the Philippines and Thailand, and having served with people from all socio-economic, national and racial backgrounds).
I'm not saying it would work as well for everyone, but I damn sure think it could work for many.