tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665280159887667854.post3782500989214849279..comments2023-11-03T08:36:57.066-04:00Comments on D.C. Exile: Military Age vs. Drinking Age: Flipping the SwitchUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665280159887667854.post-41058629206966005342010-09-29T17:08:54.565-04:002010-09-29T17:08:54.565-04:00The post wasn't about intelligence, and I thin...The post wasn't about intelligence, and I think someone 18 years old is smart enough to decide to have a drink, vote, and contribute to the military. My contention is about emotional readiness to deal with the consequences of combat.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04621444962752348431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665280159887667854.post-82162836880184923452010-09-29T17:04:46.635-04:002010-09-29T17:04:46.635-04:00Well, if someone's intelligence is insufficien...Well, if someone's intelligence is insufficient to serve in the military at age 18 (and I believe it is, as 18 year olds take orders rather than give them) then we should probably also reconsider the voting age. If someone is too dumb to serve in the military then they probably aren't smart enough to be making decisions about the future of our country either.Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03573575140584770666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665280159887667854.post-49851914186692222372010-09-29T16:26:43.307-04:002010-09-29T16:26:43.307-04:00I agree (and so does the author of the DIA post) t...I agree (and so does the author of the DIA post) that we should consider lowering the drinking age.<br /><br />My post does not suggest the drinking age of 21 is appropriate, but rather the military service eligibility age of 18 could be inappropriate.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04621444962752348431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7665280159887667854.post-12008655455655244942010-09-29T13:45:03.240-04:002010-09-29T13:45:03.240-04:00The author goes on to cite studies that would sugg...<i>The author goes on to cite studies that would suggest the mind isn't fully developed until someone reaches there 20s. To be honest, I have never considered this idea before, but I think it has a lot of merit.</i><br /><br />I've heard this trotted out before and there is <a href="http://reason.com/archives/2007/04/12/back-to-18" rel="nofollow">considerable reason for skepticism</a> regarding such claims:<br /><br /><i>Alcohol expert Dr. David Hanson of the State University of New York at Potsdam argues such<br />assertions reek of junk science. They're extrapolated from a study on lab mice, he explains, as well as from a small sample of actual humans already dependent on alcohol or drugs.</i><br /><br />Further, as the article notes, all European countries have lower drinking ages (my first beer outside the house was served to me by a bartender in the Netherlands at age 15) and yet I think you'd be hard pressed to make the case they are any less intelligent than their American counterparts.Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03573575140584770666noreply@blogger.com