Re: [Marxism] Black Army Recruits Down 41% since 2000

["Carlos A. Rivera" <cerejota@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Sologdin@xxxxxxx>


> "as its product offering"
>
> the military's product offering?  wtf?
>
> is it just me, or is the world both upside-down and backward?

Actually, "product offering" is a technical term in marketing/business
admin/hr, with a slightly different meaning than the layman term.

It is much like say "value" is Marxism, which is different from what lay
people understand as "value". It might sound funny, but it isn't, and it is
actually a sign that the armed forces in the USA are adopting scientific
methods in approaching its recruitment efforts, instead of the usual
gung-hoism and "free money for college" approach.

"Product Offering" in this case reffers to all things than make someone
decide to join the us armed forces.

The us armed forces have invested heavily in marketing/hr/media since the
draft was substitued with the selective service, and in some cases, it is in
the vanguard in developemnt in this field.

For example, the "America's Army" videogame is one of the first major
marketing campaings that combines quantitative and qualitative focus
grouping, brand recognition, merchandising, and the internet.

It would be similar to McDonald's giving away Big Macs for free between to
young people between 10 and 18 years, and then telling them that if they
want to continue to recieve them after 18, they must buy only from
McDonald's and sign a contract that establishes that if they don't eat at
McDonalds at least 3/4 of a year, tehn they would have to pay back the free
Big Macs they got as young people.

Devious, but extremely smart.

In the us (and most modern) armed forces have long called weapons, "weapons
systems", this is because when they buy, say, a rifle, they just don't buy
the rifle but the whole logistical effort that surrounds a rifle, from
training manuals to cleaning kits. Hence weapons systems require and
incredibly complex R&D process, coupled with as complex deployment methods.

Recruitment was never given such a systematic approach, considered by many
to be a "punishment" assignment.

Today it is one of the major weapon systems in their arsenal, and it is
given careful, systematic attention.

sks


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