Topic Tuesday #67 2013/10/29 - "When The Boys Came Home"

Topic Tuesday #67 2013/10/29 - "When The Boys Came Home"

Beginning after VJ-Day in 1945, millions of soldiers were out of a job, Veterans from the largest conflict the world had ever seen. What the hell did they do next?
Why do I ask?
Glad you asked, and I will answer with another question. What will happen when the U.S.A. has to reduce the defense budget by double digit percentages, in 2014 with the next round of sequestration cuts? A lot of men and women will be looking for something to do. Something to feed their families.
What will they do? I thought it appropriate to look at history for an indicator of what we are about to repeat.
Brief review of WWII:

Obviously there was much more that happened, but those are some highlights. Now with all that, the troops, the men, the soldiers, the veterans and survivors came home.
Thanks to the 1944  Servicemen's readjustment Act, returning heroes could get low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business, cash payments of tuition and living expenses to attend college, high school or vocational education, as well as one year of unemployment compensation. 8.8 million veterans had taken advantage of the program before it ended in 1956. Thanks to the forethought of the FDR administration and veterans affairs lobbyists, the G.I. Bill set the groundwork for a successful reintegration of disciplined and skilled Americans. Education (51% of returning WWII Vets took advantage of the tuition program) allowed them to get jobs, or if there wasn't one to be had, they could get low interest small business loans. 
We respectfully took care of those that had served. What will we do when the Cold War ends? 
It ended? You say... 
When? I ask. 1991 says the web... 
Then Why do we still spend so much on the military?  When did we stop? 
We never did. We have a juggernaut war machine in place, that just keeps eating our resources. 
As we continue to talk about exit strategies... Has anyone heard of any reintegration plans for those that will be exiting the services? I have not. I also have not seen us exit any conflict.
The economists are looking at the bottom line. They know as well as you or I, that the war machine needs a diet. We spend as much as our allies combined on "defense". Why? Don't answer, it doesn't matter.
What matters is that it needs to stop, and we need an exit strategy and a reintegration plan. We don't need more fear.
So... As the next round of sequester cuts steadily marches towards us, and the government pulls the belt in another notch, what will those that have lost their jobs do?
Will they be able to get a small business loan? Will they be able to get an affordable education if they go back to school? Are there enough vocational schools out there to fill the need? Are there enough homeless shelters to house what we have now, much less an influx of displaced humans?
No. For the most part the answer to all these questions is no.
Why?
What can we do?
I'm going to write a letter to my representatives to find out what the plan is. To see if they have thought this out. I'll let you know, please do the same.