Replies

The draft is constitutional in that the our constitution gives the Congress authority to call out the “militia.” At such a time, the president is the Cdr in Chief of all forces, to include the militia.

As many of us gun advocates have painstakingly pointed out over the years, the militia is NOT the organized military of the US, whether active or reserve. It is “every able-bodied citizen.”

The purpose of such a call by Congress would be in response to all-out war declared by Congress. It would be a dire circumstance.

The trouble, imho, with this war is that it is not prosecuted as vigorously as it should be, certainly not as single-mindedly as we prosecuted WWII. In WWII we mobilized the nation. If you weren’t in the military, then you were part of the war effort.

The goals of WWII were clear, the nation was 100% focused on them, and this nation fought a 2 theater war and brought two of the world’s major powers to their knees inside of 4 years. It was a phenomenal accomplishment.

Aided by the draft (calling forth of the militia), our military subjugated our enemies. Any serious state must reserve the power to defend itself in extraordinary ways in extraordinary times.

Is this an extraordinary time?

If you believe that the Islamic goal is an Islamic Caliphate stretching from Algeria to Indonesia and thence to world domination, then it is such a time.

Our government, on the other hand, is not prepared to execute such a clearly focused war. In the same way they were not prepared to allow Patton to attack the Soviets. Patton was correct in his assessment of communism. They were not prepared to allow MacArthur to attack the Chinese. MacArthur was correct in his assessment of Chinese communism.

We are not prepared to take down Iran, Saudia Arabia, Pakistan, and Islamic Africa. Therefore, we have no need of a draft.

We are not prepared to take down Iran, Saudia Arabia, Pakistan, and Islamic Africa. Therefore, we have no need of a draft.

And, when the time comes to in fact take them down, we will not be able to do so withOUT a draft.

The struggle we are beginning to become involved in (and I chose those words carefully) is of such magnitude that it cannot be won with the handful of conscripts that we call a military today.

To eventually defeat and remove Islam from the earth will take an effort no less than the equal of, a commitment that involves sacrifices no less than that of World War II. Probably moreso.

Lots of erstwhile tough talkers about the war and about Islam on this forum. But whisper "D-R-A-F-T" and you see those of draft age grow defensive VERY quickly. Young conservative males run from such notions only a tad more slowly than do young liberal males (laughs).

Disclaimer: I myself was drafted - not once, but indeed TWICE. First time in October 1969, second time in May of 1970. I didn't like it then, but it probably sowed the seeds of my later "conservative conversion".

No draft until we need one. Agreed.

But sooner or later in this conflict, we WILL need one.

- John

As many of us gun advocates have painstakingly pointed out over the years, the militia is NOT the organized military of the US, whether active or reserve. It is “every able-bodied citizen.”

Precisely. Of course, the Founders saw the militia (call it National Guard if you must) as the primary defender of the Union of states. They wrote about the dangers of standing federal armies at some length. Prior to the end of WW II, our country soundly followed that advice. Since WW II, our standing army has been used in a series of undeclared wars, few of which have been resolved victoriously.

The purpose of such a call by Congress would be in response to all-out war declared by Congress. It would be a dire circumstance.

Not to get all RP'd about it but this is why Ron Paul advocated declaring war formally when the vote for Iraq came. Afghanistan fell more under the heading of banditry, like the old Barbary pirates. The point is well-taken whether you like or hate Ron Paul. The citizenry would take it more seriously, you wouldn't have the I-was-for-it-before-I-was-against-it nonsense from the Dims, you could focus national purpose on a true war effort. In addition, some of the troubling things that have occurred with noncombatants and with the Patriot Act could have been resolved more properly under a formal state of war.

We are not prepared to take down Iran, Saudia Arabia, Pakistan, and Islamic Africa. Therefore, we have no need of a draft.

We have no need of a draft unless we're prepared to succeed not only in Iraq but in Iran, Pakistan, and perhaps Saudi Arabia. And that would require garrisoning those countries for decades. No tidy Shock And Awe air campaigns but a ruthless leveling of some of their major cities and dealing harshly with their clerics.