The Draft

[misterx]

On NPR this morning, they had a story about how the military is spread too thin, and how even retaining reservists won't be enough. They speculated at length about "where oh where" will the manpower come from, but never actually suggested the draft. They finished the story with a general saying "yes we're spread too thin, but we're fine, thank you. we'll just pull some troops out of korea."

Then our local news station had a segment about "Will there be a draft", and ended with senator (I think) declaring that there was no need for a draft.

I'm telling you. They're starting the PR campaign to get us used to the idea. It's coming.

Comments

[yertelsbitch.livejournal.com]

I heard rumor that they will include women in the draft this time around. I don't know how true that is... but eep

[misterx.livejournal.com]

No rumor. See my earlier post:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/misterx/200348.html

The Universal National Service Act of 2003 *specifically* includes women.

[eunoterpsiast.livejournal.com]

I believe this is a Democrat-sponsored idea, because that's who I hear offering it up as a solution to our current "problem"... funny how - back in the day - they were fighting against a draft, but now they want one, innit?

I believe their reasoning is that if they employ a draft (particularly one which includes women as well as men), we will all be so polarized against the war that G.W. (and future Republicans) will lose the election.

[misterx.livejournal.com]

Correct. Charles Rangle from NY is sponsoring the house version, and Ernest Hollings from SC is sponsoring the senate verison. And yes, that is the reason several Dems have given. If we know we will be sending our children, we will be more against the war.

[eunoterpsiast.livejournal.com]

The scary thing, though, is that I have heard Democrat-leaning regular folks suggest this in all seriousness as a real solution... and not because they think it's a way to convince the rest of us to be against the war. They just think it's more "fair" than having an all-volunteer military. (After all, according to Michael Moore, it's poor black men who are becoming soldiers - even though the reality is that it's mainly middle-class white boys who make up the majority of our troops, since they, unlike all other groups, do not qualify for financial aid when it comes time to attend college. They're too rich for that, and too poor to afford to pay for college themselves, which means they enlist so that they can get the money from Uncle Sam...)

And you do realize that, while the politicos will say all our children will be eligible, somehow the rich and the political class (in spite of that they're claiming) will be exempt. So, even though they talk about the Bush daughters being drafted, you can bet Chelsea would somehow be overlooked...

Uh... I think you can discern my political bent from this, can't you? :-)

[misterx.livejournal.com]

I read the text of S.89 and it looks like the "rich kid bypass" is already installed.

(b) FORM OF NATIONAL SERVICE- National service under this Act shall be performed either--

(1) as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; or

(2) in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and homeland security.

------------------

(d) SELECTION FOR MILITARY SERVICE- Based upon the needs of the uniformed services, the President shall--

(1) determine the number of persons covered by subsection (a) whose service is to be performed as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; and

(2) select the individuals among those persons who are to be inducted for military service under this Act.

(e) CIVILIAN SERVICE- Persons covered by subsection (a) who are not selected for military service under subsection (d) shall perform their national service obligation under this Act in a civilian capacity pursuant to subsection (b)(2).

[eunoterpsiast.livejournal.com]

Oh, nice! So it'll be the same old, same old. *chuckle* Well, we really couldn't expect the children of important people to be included, could we? *rolls eyes*

I don't think these Dems are looking at the big picture here... It won't cause people to suddenly be anti-war. Installing a draft would cause people to be anti-politician - particularly anti-Democrat, if they're the ones who support this...

But then, I fear most Dems don't really base their arguments and policies on logic, but rather on playing to emotion. Which is why they do so well with those whose opinions are easily swayed...

[lilith17.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I don't think that America needs the threat of a draft to turn them against going to war. A big reason that Americans have supported wars in the past is that they help the economy, and this one didn't. The media involvment reported the dead and the prison abuse, and for a lot of people it was the first time they'd had a realistic view of war. Even among the members of the military that I know here (or at least their wives) there isn't a lot of support for getting involved anywhere else. The consensus is that we finish what we started and then bring everybody home.

Contradictions....

[lilith17.livejournal.com]

Joseph has planned for a long time that when he got out of the Navy, he would remain in the Navy reserves. He's automatically able to be called back to active service for 10 years after he gets out, anyway, and staying in the reserves would allow us to keep the benefits of being in the military without the daily commitment. And the Navy reserves don't go fight wars the way that Army and Marine reservists do. It's just logistics...reservists and ready reserves would have to be retrained more extensively than active duty Navy.

Anyway...the point. There's some question now about whether they will allow him to go to the reserves because the Navy is so drastically over-manned. When we put in for the job that Joseph will take this fall, there were only about 20 jobs to choose from, and only five of those in Norfolk. Zero in Virginia Beach. The same time last year when we were looking at jobs just to see, there were over 100 available positions, most of which were in Norfolk. Two years ago, they were crying about how low officer retention was in the Navy.

I'm sure it has something to do with the Navy being "safer" than the rest of the armed service branches. Very little chance that you'll end up in a foreign country with a gun in your hand and someone shooting at you.