James Baker Backs Reinstating the Draft

US News and World Report ^ | 5-3-09 | Paul Bedard

[truthandlife]

Rep. Charlie Rangel, Congress's lone champion of reinstating the military draft, can count on another Korean War-era vet for support: Republican James Baker, a soldier in the Reagan and Bush administrations. Baker, secretary of state during the first Gulf War, visited a private girls' school in Virginia, where he was asked how to attract kids into some kind of service that gives them a stake in the country's future. "This is a very unpopular thing that I am about to say," he warned. "But one thing that makes it harder to go to war is to have a draft, because when you have a draft, then everybody's got a stake in it, and the costs of war are brought home much more vividly and vigorously to the American people. I think national service is a wonderful idea." But unlikely, he conceded: "You get killed if you support a draft, politically, but it sure would raise the stakes. Everybody would understand a lot better what we have at stake when we go to war."

[servantboy777]

At first glance, it seems very unappealing, however if one passes the initial first reaction it could be a very good thing.

Think about all the gang thugs in L.A. We could pull them off the streets and put them in a place that would either make...or break them.

Each person would have the opportunity to train in a trade, save for college.

Illegal aliens would be on the radar screen for non compliance.

The opportunity to teach these young folks what it means to be an American, teach them the constitution and what it stands for.

Most likely the draft would produce better American citizens.

It would bolster our military defense of this nation (provided we stop playing world cop).

Demand a percentage of our newly found force...be stationed along the border.

Could reduce unemployment in a couple of ways. Manufacture materials to support the ramp up needs of the military and reduce the amount of people on the street...just hangin out and havin fun.

I dunno, but I've always been in favor of the draft because it gives many vision, direction, self control,discipline and a future.

[Theophilus]

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

[Nonstatist]

Yea, he’s a real winner. He gave us Bush, for example. (Is your Dad the famous painter?)

[Myrddin]

The original text of the GIVE act mentions mandatory service. It speaks of "camps"...later edited to "campuses" to be less inflammatory. It speaks of a permanent "cadre"...as if plucked from the works of Marx himself. The term "service learning" is used. The original act includes funding to explore the feasibility of making the "service learning" mandatory. The Senate version is the SERVE Act. I haven't seen the final "reconciled". It was bad enough in the final form that my rep Mike Simpson voted against it on the final reconciliation. He had voted for original GIVE Act.

[dragnet2]

the “dushbag” quote was NOT from any of my posts. Don’t twist MY words.

I didn't suggest it was, and I didn't twist your words.

Since you seem to easily miss the point, and can't grasp the focus of my posts, stay the hell out of my exchanges in the future.

[montyspython]

They want to reinstate the draft so they can build up the domestic Obam brown shirt movement.

[Mr. Silverback]

I invite James Baker to cram this idea in whatever orifice his species traditionally crams things in.

[a fool in paradise]

Proper nettiquite would have you do something to distinguish between one writer’s text and another’s.

Learn to play nice with others.

[dfwgator]

What, so we can fight the Israelis? Of course the Jew-Hater Baker would love that.

[Ann Archy]

After Obama lets the GAYS serve OPENLY, there will HAVE to be a DRAFT!!! When that time comes....GIRLS TOO!

[guitarplayer1953]

If you saw my other post I did not intend to lump all draftees into on pile and I apologized for that, the statement should of said that some of the draftees were dushbags who did not do what was right and give their all. I did not mean to say that all draftees were d-bags.

[Mr. Silverback]

Let me add that it is truly insulting that this creature of the Beltway thinks we have no idea what the real stakes of war are. Could he just pull a Specter and leve decent folks alone?

[Mr. Silverback]

Though you raise a good point, it’s folly to ignore the immense discipline prblems related to the draft in Vietnam and the years after. It was a disaster.

[Mr. Silverback]

Speaking as a veteran, I say there’s nothing worse than sending we volunteers a bunch of namby-pambies who don’t want to be there. You want to draft them so they learn service, draft them onto a road crew or something.

[Mr. Silverback]

The fact that we do not now have the system the Founders wanted does not warrant doing something to that system which has been proved to cost lives and harm domestic tranquility in the past.

[Mr. Silverback]

Slept through the early Seventies, did we?

[katiekins1]

Obama in basic training olive drab, and eating at the mess hall at 6 30 AM, and lying in his bunk staring at a picture of Michelle.

LOL!

[PzLdr]

Nope. Got out of the Army in ‘72. However, I believe one of the things most strongly missing in this society is a sense of civic responsibility. Too many Americans enjoy the benefits of this society, and not enough ‘pay’ for them.

[Patriotic1]

I don’t have kids, but I don’t want our kids drafted to serve under ANY president.

[Mr. Silverback]

You not only make a good point, but let me add this: The sorts of wars we’re fighting right now don’t require a draft to channel masses of manpower, so there’s the possibility that we wouldn’t draft people at all or draft just enough to make anti-war protests stronger.