Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, would like to bring back the draft . I can understand a vet suggesting it but the fact that he is a democrat is a little surprising.
Anyway, real simple questions here:
Should they bring back the draft? Why or why not.
If the draft is brought back and you or your child was of eligible age would you (or your child) serve if called or leave the country? Why or why not.
If the draft provided an option to serve in a non-military role (airport or shipping security, teaching, medical), would you (or your child) choose that option instead of military service? Why or why not.
Personally, I have already served in the Army but my son is now 14 so he could soon be eligible. His 13 year old friend asked me about the military. I told her the truth about my service (some good times, some bad times, boredom and excitement). I told her that although it helped me mature, it is not for everyone.
I don’t think that it is necessary to bring back the draft and hope they don’t. I would rather have people joining who want to be there instead of people being forced to do it.
If my son had to register, I would never tell him to skip the country and break the law. As a citizen of this country you need to follow the current laws.
I would prefer if he did a non-military tour of duty because I would never want to see him in harms way but if he chose a military role, I would proudly support him. He will have my support no matte what he chooses.
IMHO, no. We should turn to that only as a last resort.
One of my sons is already in the Marine Corps and will ship out to Iraq in January. The other turned 18 in July and recieved his registration card already. Should the draft be reinstated he would go ahead and enlist. He said that’s because he would be able to choose his MO.
Its is very likely that both sons would rather take this option. Like you said, we all would prefer that they be out of harm’s way.
I honestly think this may be why teachers tend to be liberal. I teach high school, and that means I know lots of teenage boys, and I love quite a few of them. If I had ten or twenty or a hundred of “my kids” over seas . . . I’d be a mess. I can’t even begin to be rational about this.
Sheeit. This is not good news. I’m pretty much a prime candidate for the draft, being male, 18, and in good health on average. I could maybe get “Conscientious objector” status, but the local draft board might not look kindly on an atheist claiming that. If I had to, I wouldn’t break the law, but I really don’t think that starting the draft after the war’s begun will achieve Rangel’s goal. After it’s over, maybe, but I don’t think it’ll fly anyway.
The flip side of a draft is that if most or all young adults are subject to military service, they’re going to want a say in just what military actions our country commits to. In a sense, bringing back the draft would be a great way to NOT fight wars. That’s the whole point of having a democracy based on citizen-soldiers: that you aren’t going to have a large army at the government’s beck and call unless there is broad public support for going to war.
The public tolerated the draft during the 50s when it largely meant garrison duty overseas during the Cold War (and the Korean War got old very fast; people were grumbling, loudly, after only two years.) Vietnam showed that you can have a draft, or a commitment to an endless undeclared war, but not both. If anyone in Washington imagines that they could bring back the draft and still have a quasi-imperial policy of undeclared unpopular wars, they’re trippin’. I can just hear the protesters’ chant now: “We Won’t Die for Bush’s Lie!”
Not necessarily. Republicans like Cheney and Rumsfeld wanted to go back to a pre-Vietnam mindset whereby they can pull any kind of shit militarily anywhere they want to in the world.
This is only possible if the US military is made up of volunteers from the lower economic classes, those who have joined up in order to gain an education and/or vocational training. If the military is full of draftees from across the socio-economic board, there would be a strong anti-war backlash from Americans in general.
The bushviks wouldn’t be able to move their pawns into action if The Base saw their sins and daughter in jeopardy.
Hate the war. Do I hate the idea of a draft (I’m not eligible)? Well…sorta, kinda.
However…
Voting amongst the draft-eligible youth is much lower than other age groups. They just don’t give a shit. Why should they? Maybe if they could get drafted, though, they would start to care.
No. This is not the time nor the place. I would like Rep. Charles Rangel to join the military if he supports the current wars so much.
No. You can draft me when I actually have to defend the country from an actual, vicious, invasive threat. Being a dog of unpredictable and often unprincipled warmongering politicians is not my aim.
Yes. In all honesty I would be pretty f-in useless in a tense situation.
Ike, I think this is wishful thinking, or rather, I don’t believe it. If bushviks or future-any-viks want to commit troops, I think they’ll do it, regardless of backlash, rallies on the mall or the where the troops come from.
Rangel has done this before. It’s grandstanding, but I’m still fuming. The bill wouldn’t pass Congress, and the military has said it does not want a draft. It’s hard to believe (to put it mildly) that a draft would be instituted over the wishes of the people who would have to train the troops.
I think this quote is the key to Rangel’s sentiments:
Because that really stopped us from getting into Vietnam. :rolleyes:
Rangel has said before that the service is full of poor people and minorities, basically, and that this is unfair. Note that Graham says the opposite later in the article.
I have a younger brother and I’d tell him to get out pronto. I’d probably leave even if it didn’t affect me. I think that conscription is inherently undemocratic, and that would be a sign the US government has lost it.
It’s horrible that people might care a little more about our country’s policies if we had a draft. I’d like to think we wouldn’t have to go to such an extreme just to shake people out of their apathy, but sadly I think that’s what it would take.
If we had a draft, I think it would only be fair for women to be drafted too. And if I got drafted, I don’t know what I would do. I’m too opinionated and stiff-necked to fight a war I’m ideologically opposed to. But I don’t know if I would be coward enough to run away. I’d go to prison or register as a conscientious objector before I’d do that (unless the whole country had gone to shit, and then I’d emigrant to whatever country would have me).
While waiting for my number to come up, I’d protest my ass off and smoke all kinds of reefer and cocaine. And wear flowers in my hair.
But if it was a war that I felt was noble and worthy? Yes, I would do my duty, since I’m not a pacificist. I’d hope they wouldn’t put me in the frontlines with a weapon, but I figure I can do it if need be.
I hope Rangle’s plan doesn’t backfire on him and the rest of the Democrats.
I would not like to see the draft reinstated, but I do think that there would be a positive reaction amongst my peers in the form of protest. We (young adults) do not care about politics. We know what is going on, but we actively choose not to vote or do anything about it. A draft would change our ambivalent attitude very quickly.
If they reinstate the draft, I will join the Navy. Count me in with NinetyWt’s son. I would like to choice the branch that I will be serving in.
Given the option to serve in a non-military role, I would jump at it.
The draft should only be instituted in case of dire national need. You can usually tell when we’re in dire national need: the recruiting offices have mile long lines. A draft would be needed to organize and funnel the intake.
I missed the Vietnam draft by that>||<much. (The draft, and registration, was ended just before I turned 18.) I gave great thought to it. I would have served.
Non-combat roles should be available to all objectors. I don’t know if I would have chosen that; though I was against war, I was also a testosterone-flooded teenager. Who knows?
I would hope it was also because teachers are a lot better than drill sergeants in developing kids into well rounded, fully functional adult citizens – although DSs have the edge in turning them into efficient carriers-out of national policy.
It appears that Rangel’s draft would include men and women. Last time he proposed the bill the age range was 18-42. I’m female, well within the age range, but I’m almost positive my health problems would disqualify me. I’m not going to ask until I have to.
-Lil