Do you think that the active duty pay structure is modeled after a form of socialism?

SSgt Christopher Meeks — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 09:56:45 -0400

I am not into socialism, but I was wondering people's opinion on whether the active duty pay system is modeled after a form of socialism? If so, could this be sustained countrywide?

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 29 at 2015 10:00 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:00:12 -0400

People can claim that anything in a pay system with a hierarchy is socialism, or anything with a hierarchy smacks of socialism--yet they will still always have someone in charge in a hierarchy of their own!

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Jun 29 at 2015 10:10 AM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:10:32 -0400

Imagine the chaos if individual commands to set pay rates!
Talk about a Free Market Military!

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Jun 29 at 2015 10:12 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:12:00 -0400

I fail to see how the military pay systems could be construed as socialism any more than pay in any other profession.

The pay system is based on rank and time in service, with exceptions for certain specialties/skills that get extra pay (medical, pilots, etc.). While some may question the fairness of the system, it is a similar set-up as that in the civilian world with workers, managers, executives, bonuses, etc.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Jun 29 at 2015 12:03 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 12:03:35 -0400

It's not socialistic, it's hierarchy based, though I could see how the confusion might come into play, as it it definitely not "free market" based.

In a Free Market system, you have competing forces determining your value, or wage.

In the government or enclosed system, there is no competition for wage. Wage is a predetermined factor. X billet pays Y wage. There are minor variations (like time in Service, or GS step, etc), but for the most part a Sgt makes the same as every other Sgt, and has the same responsibility "level" as every other Sgt. They are interchangeable cogs in the machine.

But because this is the opposite of (Free Market) Capitalism does NOT make it Socialism. It's just a different model.

Capitalism relies on perceived value. Government pay scale relies on "billeted" value, which is similar but controlled by a bureaucratic force.

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Jun 29 at 2015 5:48 PM

SSG Gerhard S. — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 17:48:25 -0400

Socialism has NEVER been sustainable. It has never worked on a social, economic, or creative level, and it never will. It is a concept that has as it's goals, concepts that are antithetical to human nature.

People in the Military, though honorable, produce nothing of economic value, meaning the larger the scale of such a pay scheme, the more economically unstable the model becomes.

Response by Maj John Bell made Apr 7 at 2016 3:27 AM

Maj John Bell — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 03:27:21 -0400

Socialism -- a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

I don't think the question makes sense.

Response by MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect made Apr 7 at 2016 8:09 AM

MAJ Patrick Hairston CISSP, AWS Certified Cloud Architect — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 08:09:06 -0400

I'm tired of liberals always trying to compare the military pay system to socialism. When a welfare receiver gets a W-2 for getting welfare, then it might be a case to be made. When we go into the military, the govt is hiring us to do a JOB. What job does a welfare person do again?