Save America: Restore the draft

The Washington Post ^ | November 29, 2013 | Dana Milbank

[2ndDivisionVet]

At this time of Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for the U.S. military — not just for the usual reason that it protects us from our foes but also because it has the potential to save us from ourselves.

As I make my rounds each day in the capital, chronicling our leaders’ plentiful foibles, failings, screw-ups, inanities, outrages and overall dysfunction, I’m often asked if there’s anything that could clean up the mess.

My usual answer is a shrug and an admission that there’s no silver bullet. There are many possibilities — campaign spending limits, term limits, nonpartisan primaries, nonpartisan redistricting, a third party — but most aren’t politically or legally feasible, might not make much of a difference or, as with Harry Reid’s rewriting of Senate rules, have the potential to make things even worse.

But one change, over time, could reverse the problems that have built up over the past few decades: We should mandate military service for all Americans, men and women alike, when they turn 18. The idea is radical, unlikely and impractical — but it just might work.

There is no better explanation for what has gone wrong in Washington in recent years than the tabulation done every two years of how many members of Congress served in the military....

[chesley]

Now THAT’S a plan

[Bratch]

The worst argument in favor of the draft ever

posted at 2:01 pm on December 1, 2013 by Jazz Shaw

For some reason, whenever you find yourself needing a “worst example of…” something to point to in the press, you won’t have to look much further than Dana Milbank and his ongoing series of opinion pieces at the Washington Post. In an apparent effort to never disappoint us, particularly in this holiday season, we find yet another sterling demonstration of this trend with his recent article on why we should bring back the draft. While I know, as a veteran, that the volunteer nature of our force has resulted in a vast improvement in our military readiness and capabilities, not to mention the overall quality of our forces, I have had times when I’ve felt an emotional reaction which made me feel sympathetic toward those who would see the draft restored and a couple of the reasons they cite. Milbank’s argument, however, does not fall into this category.

There is no better explanation for what has gone wrong in Washington in recent years than the tabulation done every two years of how many members of Congress served in the military.

A Congressional Quarterly count of the current Congress finds that just 86 of the 435 members of the House are veterans, as are only 17 of 100 senators, which puts the overall rate at 19 percent. This is the lowest percentage of veterans in Congress since World War II, down from a high of 77 percent in 1977-78, according to the American Legion…

Because so few serving in politics have worn their country’s uniform, they have collectively forgotten how to put country before party and self-interest. They have forgotten a “cause greater than self,” and they have lost the knowledge of how to make compromises for the good of the country. Without a history of sacrifice and service, they’ve turned politics into war.

I first noticed this article because it had been covered by Dr. James Joyner, who was no more impressed with Milbank than I.

That few in Congress have served in the military is lamentable for many reasons, the most obvious of which is that it not only makes them less intimately familiar with the demands of combat but also tends to undermine civil-military relations by making our civilian leaders afraid to challenge our military brass. But the notion that having worn a military uniform somehow makes one immune from partisanship and foolishness is absurd.

Milbank provides no evidence for this assertion, by the way, other than the fact that Congress seems to be more dysfunctional that it used to be.

Personally, I find military service to be a significant plus on the resume of any candidate for elected office, but it won’t be my only consideration. The willingness to actually serve your nation, even at the cost of placing your own life in peril, speaks volumes about the person’s character when they come along later asking to serve in a different, less physically dangerous capacity. But I’m equally positive that prior service not only doesn’t need to be a requirement, but that it shouldn’t be. We keep the leadership of the civilian and military worlds separate for a reason, and we keep a very close eye on the one place where they overlap. (That being the dual nature of the President of the United States also being the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.)

Instituting the draft would still only affect a tiny portion of the civilian population under the most optimistic of Milbank’s envisioned circumstances. The odds that any significantly larger portion of the electoral candidate pool would wind up being veterans are too low to calculate. The only way that formula would change is if military service became mandatory for every adult in the nation, and I don’t think anyone is seriously discussing that. This is a foolish premise and shouldn’t be taken seriously by anyone.

[RKV]

“Mandatory servitude to master government should be a big NO”

When the country was founded militia service WAS mandatory for all free able-bodied white males ages 18 to 45. Please learn some American history. See the Militia Act of 1792 for starters.

[GeronL]

That was not servitude though. We are all still part of the militia to this day aren’t we?

[ansel12]

You will find out if you are part of a militia, if you get forced to put on a uniform and serve.

“”President Washington, under the auspices of the Militia Act, assembled 15,000 men from the surrounding states and eastern Pennsylvania as a federal militia commanded by Virginia’s Henry Lee to march upon the Pittsburgh encampment.””

[GeronL]

When they were needed. Not in peacetime.

Plus Washington was wrong on the “Whiskey Rebellion”

[ansel12]

According to you being drafted is servitude, unless President Washington does it, evidently.

As far as only being drafted when needed, I’m not aware of any draft when men were not needed, and Washington called them up during peacetime.

We have a shrinking, weakening military, headed to 50% female members, while China is slowly preparing for a global push, as a militia member, are you ready to parachute in to fight the Chinese Marines?

[GeronL]

Draft is servitude, State slavery, whatever you want to call it.

The idea that I owe some of my life to service of the almighty state is ridiculous. They might as well announce that every first born child is state property.

[GeronL]

We should mandate military service for all Americans, men and women alike, when they turn 18. The idea is radical, unlikely and impractical — but it just might work.

I would have no qualms about taking up arms and go to war against that kind of tyranny.

[trisham]

I’m strongly against this.

[RKV]

Absolutely it was servitude. You were a private, you obeyed orders. If you didn’t show up with all the right gear you could be fined or worse. I know enough of my own family history to figure this - I’ve read their Revolutionary War pension records. A militia is not a bunch of drunks with guns.

[ansel12]

We should mandate military service for all Americans, men and women alike, when they turn 18. The idea is radical, unlikely and impractical — but it just might work.

I would also fight such an idea, that isn't a draft, and doesn't even resemble a draft, it isn't realistic in any sense, it is pure nonsense, more gibberish from the left.

It also has nothing to do with "restoring" any draft, but the left is destroying our military and our ability to defend and protect our nation.

[ansel12]

Well, you sound like a man ready to serve and fight, I bet you beat a quick path to the enlistment office, perhaps like many of us, you even tried to reenlist after 9/11, hoping to get age waivers.

[GeronL]

I am so sure they needed a half-blind, clumsy idiot getting in their way.

[ansel12]

"I would have no qualms about taking up arms and go to war against that kind of tyranny."

Sorry, I must have misread that post.

[Yosemitest]

The "Idiots" are the believers and supporters of the ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF.
That sinking Muslim is CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER to our Constitution, our Country's sovereignty, and our way of life!
After we try and find him guilty of TREASON, he should receive the maximum sentence with extreme prejudice !!!

The ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF is a Muslim plant himself, and IS "Collapsing the System".
His intentions, we've know from the start, were VILE !

Read INS DOC FOUND: U.S. CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO ONE EAST AFRICAN-BORN CHILD OF U.S. CITIZEN IN 1961!
The documents provided in that article are very damaging to Obama, and well worth your time.

Most of these early "supporters" of the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN CHIEF were party to the Communists "spooks".
There's a great volume of history you have to go through to understand this, and it goes back to about 1850.

Read these three articles on one of my earlier post:

Obama, the African Colonial
By L.E. Ikenga

PRAVDA: "THE AMERICAN DESCENT INTO MARXISM IS HAPPENING WITH BREATH TAKING SPEED"

Soviet Subversion of the Free Press (Ideological subversion, Destabilization, CRISIS - and the KGB)

Now go back and read The Communist Takeover Of America - 45 Declared Goals.

Are you getting the depth of this Fabian Society takeover?

Watch "Fabian Society" 1, then watch "Fabian Society" 2, and then watch "Fabian Society" 3.

It's deep, it's ugly, and most people WILL NOT ... CAN NOT ... accept the truth.

You've got to watch this 9 minute 38 second video.

History Of Christianity In The Middle East - TheBlazeTV - The Glenn Beck Program - 2013.08.19

The ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF, HUSSEIN OF AMERICA, is doing this exact plan to US right now.

For a better understanding of the issue, read HISTORY of Mohammed ( spelled variously; Mahomet, Muhammed, Mehmet, etc. ).

The Arab-Kenyan Barack Hussein Obama II, (a.k.a. Barry Soetoro), ( the one guilty of TREASON ! ) has NO legitimate Social Security Number.
His father was NOT an immigrant to the United States. Barack Obama Sr. was a "Transient Alien" because he did NOT intend on residing in the United States permanently.
Barack Obama Sr. was a dual citizen of Great Britain and Kenya, and NEVER a United States Citizen.

Read British National Archives Show Son Born To Obama Sr. In 1961 In Kenya!

His mother could NOT impart U.S. citizen to her son, Barack Obama II, because she did NOT meet the legal requirements to do so, at the time her son was born IN the Coast Provincial General Hospital, MOMBASA, KENYA at 7:21 pm on August 4, 1961.
Democrats knew this and tried to eliminate the "Natural Born Citizen" requirement at least 8 times BEFORE Obama won his election in 2008.

Obama is NOT a United States Citizen, and is NOT a LEGAL IMMIGRANT.
He has no VISA allowing him into this country.
Barack Hussein Obama II ~ IS ~ ILLEGAL !

If our Senate was respectable and did their sworn duty, and seriously tried him, they would find him guilty, if the House IMPEACHED him.

[Yosemitest]

Also, if the Senate DID FIND HIM GUILTY,

then everything the ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF has ever signed as pResident, would become NULL AND VOID.

But they don't DARE TOUCH this political sh_t storm.

It's all a distraction anyway, just to run out the clock for this Fascists Takeover of our country.

Justice delayed ~ is ~ justice denied !
God help us all.

[EricT.]

That is ridiculous, the draft was never about seeking unemployed men, it was probably more of a way to avoid the hard core unemployed.

I was referring to the practice of conscription and subsequent warfare to kill off excess unemployed young men. It has been used throughout human history and it works. One need only to look at the Crusades. We may be winding down a war right now, but coming up with another one won't be too difficult in today's world.

For one thing, chronic or long term unemployed, would probably rarely qualify to be accepted into the military.

Standards can be adjusted rather easily. For instance, integration of women into traditionally male roles in the military. All kinds of standards were "adjusted" to push them in.

[ansel12]

You are getting more ridiculous, why not just use the centuries of American history, since that is the subject.

[dragnet2]

No draft until the government secures and protects our borders from millions entering illegally.

Since tens of millions of illegals have no fear of serving or dying for this country, yet reap all the benefits and freedoms.

Only then will we allow our kids to serve...

Until then, the U.S. Government can F off and fend for themselves.