Draft Reinstatement Is a Bad Idea

FOXNews.com ^ | Monday, May 03, 2004 | James Jay Carafano

[AF_Blue]

Bad ideas flourish in tough times. Calls to reinstate the draft offer a case in point.

Americans today rely on the service and sacrifice of our military. The global war on terrorism has put our soldiers, sailors, marines, Air Force and Coast Guard into harm's way in numbers unprecedented since the Vietnam War. National Guard and reserve troops have been posted overseas at record levels.

All the men and women of today's military volunteered to serve. They swore an oath to put aside their personal aspirations and obligations for the service of all Americans. But some politicians argue that these volunteers are victims, and legislation has been introduced in both houses of Congress that would resume military conscription for the first time since the Vietnam era.

[AF_Blue]

There was a related article in the WP in January of 2003 about Reps. Rangel and Conyers wanting to reinstate the draft because "political leaders would be more wary of sending troops to Iraq if their children were going to help do the fighting." I do not agree with a draft, and it's not a subject I can discuss dispassionately for any length of time. Suffice to say I agree with this commentary. The original commentary at the Heritage Foundation won't post until after midnight.

Cpl. Pat Tillman is a hero, not for sacrificing a lucrative career, but for making the ultimate sacrifice.

[Starve The Beast]

Nobody really wants to reinstate the draft. A handful of loony lib congressmen have just brought the subject up as a way of fanning the class-envy flame. As long as class-envy thrives, people like Charles Rangle have cushy jobs. Nothing to get alarmed about.

[Shamrock-DW]

As a member of the military when draftees were still serving I can personally say I wouldn't want ANYONE protecting my flanks that didn't want to be there. I saw too many dope-smoking, non-caring, dapping, white-trash useless ingrates from a permissive society that either ended up thrown out of the military or dead; simply because they either didn't have the intelligence or inclination to learn enough to stay alive.

[wimpycat]

This is a lot of nothing. There won't be any draft, at least, not for this war. If there was another more traditional style conflict on the scale of WWI or WWII, I could see it happening, but not this time around.

This is a false issue that politicians are bandying about for their own purposes. The branches of the military are meeting their enlistment requirements during war time, when people are getting killed on a regular basis, and everyone who signs up knows there's more to the military than money for college. We don't need a draft, and there won't be a draft.

[taxcontrol]

Hey guys how about taking money AWAY from the student loan program and increase the funding to ROTC?

I would want the ROTC graduates to complete basic and AIT, then be promoted to E4 or E5, serve 1 year, then be able to apply for an officer position on a merit basis.

[cynicom]

Please do not paint all with your broad brush. Shame on you for saying such a thing. You are here because MILLIONS of men were drafted, served and many died, so that you would have a country to serve. I depise your attitude.

[Eccl 10:2]

I think one reason that Rangel and Conyers want Bush to reinstate the draft is that the Democrats want to then turn around and point at Bush and call him a bloodthirsty warmonger.

They are using Rangel and Conyers because they are from election-proof districts. Never mind that they brought it up. Truth and history mean absolutely nothing to the Left.

[DHerion]

I agree. During the Reagan years we had 18 Army Divisions. We are down to 10 now. I recently heard Rumsfeld state we are going to add 10 more brigades - probably should have done that right after 9/11. Short of WMD strike on the U.S. I don't see a return to the draft any time soon.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Nobody really wants to reinstate the draft. A handful of loony lib congressmen have just brought the subject up as a way of fanning the class-envy flame.

Exactly.

The truly ironic thing of course is that many of the same people who play the class-envy card are the ones who are, now, ridiculing Pat Tillman for giving up millions of dollars to volunteer.

Apparently they want upper-class people in the military but only if it's against their will ;-)

[ex-snook]

Ya mean our volunteer army and extended reservists will have to last to fight the neo-con axis of evil and all of Islamofascists? We still have to take out and occupy Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Eqypt and have something left over for the Orient, North Korea, Formosa and the Phillipines. Anything up in Africa or South America?

[cynicom]

Lets see now, if the lower class stops "volunteering" would it then be acceptable to institute a draft of the lower class only?

[Dr. Frank fan]

Ya mean our volunteer army and extended reservists will have to last to fight the neo-con axis of evil and all of Islamofascists?

Yes, of course.

If you think that's a problem, wake me when we actually fall short of a recruiting goal. So far we have not.

Also, if you really think we need a larger army, write your Congressman. They're the ones who are keeping the army small (by not mandating an expansion and funding that mandate). Congress could make the army larger any time they wanted to. The fact that a few are disingenuously suggesting a draft, instead of just enlarging the army with funding (as is entirely in their power to do), just proves they are not serious about this issue yet. Wake me when they start getting serious and then maybe I'll think that this is a serious problem.

[USNBandit]

We already have problems with a lot of the people that volunteer to serve. Approximately 20% of the first term enlistees don't make it through their first enlistment. I can't imagine how bad it would be if we threw draftees in there. There is no longer a stigma attached to getting kicked out of the military. Most unwilling draftees would probably light up a joint while standing in line at the induction center.

[ex-snook]

"If you think that's a problem, wake me when we actually fall short of a recruiting goal."

Nah no problem, we should have enough military after all the neo-cons sign up. I sure don't want a draft. I think our younger neo-con college generation is really enthusiastic about a military career.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Nah no problem, we should have enough military after all the neo-cons sign up.

A non-serious non-answer which just shows how serious you are about this issue - namely, not any more serious than these jokers Rangel and Hagel.

Literally nobody raising this "draft" talk is at all serious about what they are saying.

Again, if you really think the size of our military is cause for concern, tell your Congressman to increase the size of the military. This "draft" talk is bogus, disingenuous grandstanding at its worst.

I think our younger neo-con college generation is really enthusiastic about a military career.

Again, wake me when recruiting targets aren't met. And leave the silly "neo-con" nonsense out of it.

[ex-snook]

Stay asleep.

[Volunteer]

I think I may have misread your post.
I volunteered for the Army after 4 years of college. I did not do ROTC & I did not join up to pay back some college loans. I joined to serve in the first Gulf War.
My father, before me, volunteered to serve in Vietnam.
My grandfather, before him, volunteered to serve in WW 2
If you choose to label me poor white-trash who had no option but joining up, then that is your right. I believe in free speech. I served in an Army that protects that right.
But, you should understand this right now: there is NOTHING low, or unworthy in serving our nation as a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or a Marine. Feel free to label the men & women who serve as being part of the great unwashed. I assure you, your gratitude is not why they chose to serve.

[gogipper]

We need to start a draft immediately to address our nation's second most important national security crisis.... our abysmal educational system.

If we drafted a wide cross section of americans, and put them in classrooms, we would lower the student-teacher ratio and raise the average IQ of the teachers.

Interesting point, a military draft would degrade an unarguably excellent institution, an educational draft would improve a barely functional one.

[cynicom]

My post was to Shamrock...

He was decrying "draftees"..

I lost a brother that was a "draftee". I volunteered and got back with my hide in one piece.