Re: Draft..
 

I for one, would welcome the draft. And thats coming from a 19 year old male, soon to be 20.

My reasoning is this: I am very much against the current actions of the military. Both moraly and pragmaticly. Unfortuntly, enough of the US is willing to at least give a tacit aproval for these wars, and thats all it takes.

The draft takes away the luxury this country has of treating the militray as just another paid service. If we pay them enough, they'll do our bidding and we reap the benifits. When you, or a loved one, is drafted and forced to fight, I think it will cause a real introspective look by Americans at what we deem worth fighting for. I suspect that whatever reasons Bush is now preaching as the real reason we invaded Iraq won't be on the short list of things American parents are willing to send their sons off to die for.

Also, I don't view the prospects of the draft being reinstated as low as some others. There was a time when no one thought the US would invade Iraq, because even Powell was telling Bush it was a bad idea. But, warmongering is a paticular trait that this adminstration has shown its self to be very good at. I won't be to surprised if I get called up for the draft.

-Andy A.

Re: Draft..
 

That is a really really interesting thought Andy A. Just to ask, do you think there is an effective way beyond the draft to achieve that kind of effect, or are we in such a military position that only the extreme is possible now?

Re: Draft..
 

Andy brings up a good point, and it makes me wonder. What if the US had a mandatory service policy like many other countries have? This would not require all 18-24 (or whatever) year-olds to enlist in the military, but it could make them (or positively reward them) to enlist in some sort of governmental service. If a person did not want to go into the military, they could choose to register for park service, highway service, or education service. (edit - this would be for a 1 or 2 year service)

This would require a broader scope of America to be involved with "doing time" for the government.

I am not sure what I think about this, as I tend to think that less government is better (the partial-Libertarian in me). I am just thinking out loud and wondering if this "alternative" sort of draft would be better to have as a continual thing.

Stirring the pot,
Andy B.

Re: Draft..
 

Forced work for the government starts to go more socialist than what even a liberal like me would want.

Re: Draft..
 

Reminds me of some of Heinlein's books. Serve 2 years for the government, and you get to be a "citizen" (which is sort of like a noble class) and get to vote. Granted, this is going back a little too close to the old fuedal systems. Then again, I'm also one who thinks socialism/communism is good. Well, at least on paper.

Re: Draft..
 

Aside from kicking Rumsfeld and all his cold war croonies out of the Pentagon?

I don't know, honestly. While I like to think that a democraticly held goverment would result in fewer wars (and it probably would) I can't imagine that the US would really assume the role that it should.

Things in the US have to change. It's a cultural thing, not a policy thing. So that means that its not a matter of voting for one canidate or the other. They are all basicly the same on the issues that matter (to me, at least). I wish I knew how to effect this kind of change with out having to get shipped over seas, really.

But then, I've never been much of an activist. To cynical to be taken seriously.

-Andy A.

Re: Draft..
 

Whatever happened to the bilateral military programs that the United States has? Why can't those be used? I know that the Philippines has the Balikbatan effort with America, in which its objectives are to encourage improvement, readiness, and interoperability in the military forces of both nations: http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...balikbatan.htm

I think the situation we are in certainly calls for the use of such forces. Even though I am against the war, I support our troops, be they purely American, or in conjunction with other nations.

Re: Draft..
 

Also, does anyone find it odd that not a single news organization has pounced on this. The liberal ones would be all over this if it was true. Also did anyone actually read the bill. Probably not. It says you don't have to join the military.
There!!!! Im tired of people instantly forming opinions without doing research. It took me five mintues to find both bills. Though according to those bills even becoming a conscienscoius objector wont even save you. They'll find something for you to do.
How are they going to do that when they can't even stop the soilders all ready in the army from fleeing to Canada?

Re: Draft..
 

To the first part of your post, yes I realize that it doesn't say you have to join the military (coast guard, etc. are options), however I am not sure as to whether the draft would allow you to pick for yourself.

As to last part, that's my post you're referencing, and what I mean is that security measures as signed by the Canadian Foreign Minister(?) and Homeland Secretary Tom Ridge would go into effect to have a GREATER effort to stop draftees from fleeing to Canada. Of course, there are always ways around it, as the US should have learned by now from some of the successful illegal immigration that does go on in this country.

Re: Draft..
 

Well according to the bill it does. It says either join the military or do something as a civilian. Also I think these bills are dead.

Re: Draft..
 

Just to back this up...

Re: Draft..
 

It's interesting how a lot of those "alternate professions", not just the ones listed like healthcare, but also engineering in the army would be used more than likely by draftees to gain work experience. Would it be a choice? For example, would clearing landmines with autonomous mode robots be a replacement for military service? It saves our soldiers lives, at least.

Re: Draft..
 

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:HR00163:
I'd just like to point this out though. These bills haven't even made it past their commitees. According to these websites the last major thing to happen to them happened over a year ago.

Re: Draft..
 

If America is looking for peacekeeping forces, the United Nations has resources for those. If it is looking for translators/nurses/doctors as well, the UN Development Programme and the World Health Organization can provide. It is just a question of whether or not we choose to take hold of what resources are provided - after all, our involvement in the UN is about working multilaterally.

Personally, I believe that we have the capability to do somewhat of a better job working multilaterally. Don't get me wrong, I love our nation :). But I feel that the resources ARE out there (take the Balikbatan forces I mentioned earlier) to provide an alternative to the draft, a concept which many Americans in fact do not agree with.

Re: Draft..
 

It's that joyous cliche time: "Two heads are better than one"