# what would actually happen if there were a new draft? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 17, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172 "2005-01-17T09:19:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/1 "2005-01-17T09:19:42Z")
We’ve been hearing the rumblings about it for a while, but what would actually happen if there were another draft? How would people react? I honestly think that we’d see unprecedented protests - riots, even. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some serious, borderline civil war type behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/2 "2005-01-17T09:59:16Z")
Of course there is no way to know. Still, the scenario you paint seems quite extreme. Compare what you posit to what happened last time the US had conscription. Some civil disobedience, lots of passive resistance. Not a hint of violence. The thing about conscription (using the 1950s-60s model) was its low level and randomness. Most people assumed (rightly) they would be passed over. Hard to work up a good revolution over that. Further, it is easy to talk big, quite another to take up arms and fight. Most people are unwilling to throw away their lives, livelihoods, family and friends in order to head to the hills and plink at policemen. Ted Kaczynski did it, and we all think he was nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/3 "2005-01-17T10:30:45Z")
I think most people would find a way to justify it and the riots or protests would never really materialize. For quite some time I have felt that we as a nation have become very fat, lazy and content. As long as we all have our cable, playstations and junk food we will let anything happen that past generations would never tolerate. You wanna see a riot, tell people they can’t watch “The O.C.”, use their cell phones or eat fast food. THEN you would have an uprising. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/4 "2005-01-17T10:36:23Z")
Sorry if this is off-topic, but I had been wondering about this recently. If they do begin a draft, where do they get the list of people? If they use the voter registry, then it seems like an incentive NOT to register to vote. I am trying to decide whether or not to register to vote, myself. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/5 "2005-01-17T10:47:54Z")
> [@The Controvert](#): > > Sorry if this is off-topic, but I had been wondering about this recently. If they do begin a draft, where do they get the list of people? > > If they use the voter registry, then it seems like an incentive NOT to register to vote. > > I am trying to decide whether or not to register to vote, myself. Males are supposed to register with Selective Service at 18. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/6 "2005-01-17T10:55:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I honestly think that we’d see unprecedented protests - riots, even. Not unprecedented; during the Civil War, when the Union instituted a draft, several northern cities, notably New York, were severely damaged by the subsequent riots. ---
**Author:** ![rorty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@rorty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rorty)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/7 "2005-01-17T11:09:51Z")
> [@Kolak of Twilo](#): > > I think most people would find a way to justify it and the riots or protests would never really materialize. For quite some time I have felt that we as a nation have become very fat, lazy and content. As long as we all have our cable, playstations and junk food we will let anything happen that past generations would never tolerate. You wanna see a riot, tell people they can’t watch “The O.C.”, use their cell phones or eat fast food. THEN you would have an uprising. I agree that American society has more or less become fat, lazy, and content with life in general. However, unless I’m misreading your post, I think that a draft would inspire a great deal of protest. You can’t watch **The O.C.** , eat fast food, or chat with Sally on your cell phone when you’re being shipped off to the front lines. It’s all fine and dandy when someone else is fighting the war for you, but most Americans, I think, would be very alarmed to have the status quo challenged by a draft. Rocking the boat with something like a draft would dissolve the apathy of the general populace pretty quick, I’d wager. I have to say, though, that acceptance of a draft would be in large part based on the “worthiness” of the cause. If we’re being sucked into World War III and the situation is do or die, I think America in general could handle a draft. If it’s to invade Iran or Syria for “regime change” while we’re tied down in Afghanistan and Iraq, then I think acceptance would be drastically more difficult to achieve. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/8 "2005-01-17T11:11:50Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > Males are supposed to register with Selective Service at 18. Not supposed to. Required to by law. And if you don’t do it, you’ll screw up your life pretty badly. Government employment is contingent on compliance with this law. So are government benefits like student loans and grants. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/9 "2005-01-17T15:01:30Z")
There would be protest, but more importantly, many Congressmen who voted for it would get booted out in the next election cycle. They know that, and so we won’t be seeing a draft unless there is a MAJOR attack on the US by a large country. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/10 "2005-01-17T17:08:27Z")
The administration will wait for a pretext before demanding Congress implement the draft. Outright conflict with Iran, for example. Then it will be seen as an unfortunate necessity. And everyone will go along. There will be some protests (yes, by thousands of people), but they will go largely unreported by our media, just as the previous anti-war and 2004 election-fraud protests were not reported. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=742&e=1&u=/usatoday/20050114/cm\_usatoday/endtosearchforwmdsealsdoubtsaboutpreemption](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=742&e=1&u=/usatoday/20050114/cm_usatoday/endtosearchforwmdsealsdoubtsaboutpreemption) > [@](#): > > …The end to the search puts a coda on one of the biggest intelligence failures in the nation’s history, and it appears to extinguish the lingering possibility that something would turn up somewhereinside Iraq. Polls show that the administration’s pre-war campaign was so effective that about **40% of Americans _still_ believe** Saddam had weapons of mass destruction when the U.S. invaded. > > The most obvious and urgent lesson is this: The Bush administration needs to rethink the doctrine of pre-emption that justified the Iraq war. The U.S., according to that doctrine, doesn’t have to wait for an attack like Pearl Harbor to defend itself. It only needs evidence that one is being planned. Of course, the ed. board at USA Today is kidding themselves. Forty percent of Americans STILL believe Saddam had WMDs when we invaded. Ergo, they will likely believe whatever cock and bull story the administration comes up with next time they want to invade someone. Everyone will go along, and send their kids off die in a patriotic war. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/11 "2005-01-17T17:12:44Z")
One thing that would be a big issue-would women be included in the draft this time around? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/12 "2005-01-17T17:41:11Z")
Nope. The draft would have to proceed from the registration lists, and women cannot, by law, register. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/13 "2005-01-17T17:45:46Z")
> [@rorty](#): > > …unless I’m misreading your post, I think that a draft would inspire a great deal of protest. You can’t watch **The O.C.** , eat fast food, or chat with Sally on your cell phone when you’re being shipped off to the front lines. It’s all fine and dandy when someone else is fighting the war for you, but most Americans, I think, would be very alarmed to have the status quo challenged by a draft. Rocking the boat with something like a draft would dissolve the apathy of the general populace pretty quick, I’d wager. I will concede your point. I just find myself disgusted at the amount of baloney most Americans are willing to tolerate from this Administration. I also see a significant portion of the population who seemingly support this war because they see it as a 21st century Crusade. That really disturbs me. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/14 "2005-01-17T17:50:38Z")
The Republicans would lose the House, the Senate and the Presidency in the election immediately following. Which will be a good indicator of how thoroughly the Pubbies have the voting process corrupted. If the institute a draft for anything short of an invasion or atomic bombing in the U.S., it will mean they know the actual vote count means nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/15 "2005-01-17T17:53:31Z")
What I want to know is, what good are all these cannon-fodder draftees going to do? What exactly does the military want with them? Today’s military has zero use for half-trained cannon fodder. Why go to the expense of drafting, training, equipping, feeding, and transporting conscripts to the middle east so they can be killed by jihadis? It would be cheaper, easier and safer for everyone just to shoot them in the US right after they finish basic training. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/16 "2005-01-17T17:55:50Z")
If the draft were reinstituted there would be a lot of hemming and hawing, a lot of threats from people that they are going to go to Canada, and an attempt to impeach the President. All of which would amount to nothing. Of course, it won’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/17 "2005-01-17T18:18:12Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > What I want to know is, what good are all these cannon-fodder draftees going to do? What exactly does the military want with them? > > Today’s military has zero use for half-trained cannon fodder. Why go to the expense of drafting, training, equipping, feeding, and transporting conscripts to the middle east so they can be killed by jihadis? It would be cheaper, easier and safer for everyone just to shoot them in the US right after they finish basic training. From certain political positions (not mine) that would be OK. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/18 "2005-01-17T18:43:11Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > What I want to know is, what good are all these cannon-fodder draftees going to do? What exactly does the military want with them? > > Today’s military has zero use for half-trained cannon fodder. Why go to the expense of drafting, training, equipping, feeding, and transporting conscripts to the middle east so they can be killed by jihadis? It would be cheaper, easier and safer for everyone just to shoot them in the US right after they finish basic training. Which is essentially why this won’t happen. Its basically Dem/left wing hysteria (or wishful thinking by those who understand that instituting a draft would be policitacl suicide for the party in power). Its not going to happen short of someone kicking off WWIII. Basically this answers the OPs question on what would happen happen is that a lot of politicians would probably be out of jobs. I doubt there would be riots in the streets though I can see the war protest movement coming back for another round of GW dressed in Nazi uniforms and such. Bottom line is…its not going to happen. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/19 "2005-01-17T19:21:05Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Still, the scenario you paint seems quite extreme. Compare what you posit to what happened last time the US had conscription. Some civil disobedience, lots of passive resistance. Not a hint of violence. No violence? I’m sure the four families of the victims of Kent State (1970) would disagree with you. So would the family of Robert Fassnacht, who was killed in the Sterling Hall bombing at UW Madison later that year. Perhaps you should view [The War At Home](http://imdb.com/title/tt0080118/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9d2FyIGF0IGhvbWV8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=2;ft=21;fm=1), later nominated for an Academy Award. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172/20 "2005-01-17T19:22:53Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > The Republicans would lose the House, the Senate and the Presidency in the election immediately following. Which will be a good indicator of how thoroughly the Pubbies have the voting process corrupted. If the institute a draft for anything short of an invasion or atomic bombing in the U.S., it will mean they know the actual vote count means nothing. That has to be the most stunning _non sequitur_ I’ve ever seen. If the Republican controlled government institutes poicies that the Americans don’t like, they’ll be voted out of office. Therefore, the Republicans have rigged the elections. How’s that again? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-actually-happen-if-there-were-a-new-draft/285172.md?page=2)