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To: Cvengr
He said having a draft would not necessarily mean everyone called to duty would have to serve. Instead, "young people (would) commit themselves to a couple of years in service to this great republic, whether it's our seaports, our airports, in schools, in hospitals," with a promise of educational benefits at the end of service.

Isn't it just like a Democrat, to take something like National Security, realize we may need a Draft and then turn it into some type of social/public service organization.\?

19 posted on 11/19/2006 10:40:20 AM PST by scannell
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To: scannell
Isn't it just like a Democrat, to take something like National Security, realize we may need a Draft and then turn it into some type of social/public service organization.\?

No different than certain Republicans (not you, but you know who I mean) agitating to bring back the draft as some kind of social experiment. "We need to get the kids away from their PlayStations and Nintendos and teach them how hard it was in 1943! That'll straighten them out! Never mind family structures, media influences, or public morality, the draft is good for what ails ya!"

The draft, as a descendant of the militia and the fyrd, exists to levy troops for military purposes only. It's not there to provide jobs to youths, to instill values, to beautify the environment, or to increase social cohesion. It exists -- when it does -- to provide a surge of man-power for the enterprise of breaking things and killing people.

Other societies do have a perpetual draft, and that works for them, but that doesn't mean it will work in the highly-individualistic American culture. The draft denies individuals a great deal of their freedom, sometimes their lives; infringing on liberty to this degree requires a great deal of justification. No draft supporter from either side has justified the idea to my satisfaction.

IMHO, YMMV.

268 posted on 11/19/2006 1:20:23 PM PST by Caesar Soze
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To: scannell

Funny. Several Navy ships, such as USNS Mercy, have been dragooned into doing idiotic "Meals On Wheels" operations for foreign nations. The Bush Administration is just as guilty when it comes to misusing military forces for publicity and "social work."


300 posted on 11/19/2006 2:30:03 PM PST by KantianBurke
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