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I have always believed in the draft. One thing sadly missing in this country is a sense of civic duty. the draft provided that. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Not that we lack civic duty, but that a draft provides it. Coercing people to serve only instills resentment. If people had a sense of civic duty, no draft would be required except in the most exigent circumstances, as late in the Civil War.

Rather than support conscription, I would support a system where service was voluntary, but a prerequisite to holding civic office and voting.

Government, by its nature, coerces people into doing things for the good of society as a whole. School taxes are an example. Most other taxes are another. Try speed limits, building codes, etc.

I really don't care if our younger citizens develop "resentment" because they're coerced into military service. I'm quite sure there was resentment to the draft on the part of some in WWI and WWII. I know one of my cousin's wasn't happy when he got a second helping in Korea, AFTER he served in WWII. That's why it's called civic DUTY.

The draft was highly successful at fielding large enough armies to meet the needs of the United States for over sixty years. It wasn't stopped because it was a failure. It died because of a lack of political will on the part of the government, fueled by a canard that only poor whites and blacks were drafted [apparently middle class, non Ivy League college students and high school grads didn't count].

I got out of the military 35 years ago. Until a second cousin enlisted in the Air Force a couple of months back, NO male in my family [and there's a bunch] has deigned to serve. That's wrong.

There is a growing disconnect between the military culture, and the societal culture -and it's widening. It's been discussed on other threads. Compound that with the fact that fewer and fewer of our elected representatives have either military experience, nor at best, any comprehension of how the services work, or what they need, or at worst the contempt of Kerry, or the loathing of Clinton, and you have a potential long term recipe for disaster. Within one generation of Rome doing away with conscription, and Marius' professionalization of the Legions; Rome itself was invaded twice by its own army [ Sulla and Caesar].

As for your suggestion, Heinlein "Starship Troopers", although he limited the franchise and office to military veterans.