Military Draft Discussed in Senate »
Posted By Neophile 1 year, 5 months ago in NewsIn an exchange sure to send ripples of anxiety through the all-volunteer military, the Senate's senior defense spending member asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen if it is time to "consider reinstituting the draft."
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baddad59Comment removed: Retracted by user69 Replies
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anioklyComment removed: Spammer29 Replies
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donald511 year, 5 months ago
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Dumya said this is the conflict of our age... the Marine Commandant and the Chief of Staff of the Army have repeatedly said we are almost broke... yet Dumya has failed us again by wanting to take on Iran too, with virtually no improvement to our military!
Let's draft some senatorial repug sons and daughters so that maybe they will start to vote their conscience and the rule of law versus the party line we have seen for almost 8 years now!
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vor1 year, 5 months ago
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This is clearly linked to forcing the realization that we do not have sufficient forces to even consider a land invasion of Iran. We could bomb them back to the Middle Ages (probably will before November) but we cannot occupy such a vast land. Nothing short of being cast out of office will stop these men:
"If we just let our vision of the world go forth, and we embrace it entirely, and we don't try to piece together clever diplomacy but just wage a total war, our children will sing great songs about us years from now."
This is the neocon belief as espoused by Richard Perle. I have posted this twenty times and will post it 100 more. Bush reached back to Chamberlain but these words harken back to a far more sinister nationalist view of the time.
Of course Inouye is bluffing and if the vote were held it would probably garner 2 votes again. It's a symbolic statement designed to attempt to awake the sleeping masses. Are you listening!
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JoseMadreComment removed: Hard Banned34 Replies
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Teagen1 year, 5 months ago
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Then if you studied your history we'd still be a part of the United Kingdom. Each colony drafted people to serve in the Revolution. Over 75% of the colonies wanted to remain with Brits. The Civil War would have been won by the South. How else would you get farmers from Illinois or Wisconsin to fight a war over slavery. Think of the time period. Most wouldn't help out his neighbor if he was Irish and the other was German. You think they'd actually give to rips about some slave in Georgia or Virginia? The draft made it possible. Drafts have their place. WW1, WW2, the Cold War and the like. Great national threats. If we were taking on all of Islam then perhaps but your average person in this region is just like us. Good schools for the kids. A job for them. Nice home with running water and electricity. Good security and police. Just like us. They're rebuilding a country and don't need one. Neither do we.
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Charlson1 year, 5 months ago
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Too bad we don't require a mandatory service to our country...a couple of years of serving our country in the military or in a civilian capacity. Besides taxes, our citizens are not required to serve our country. That's one way citizens can give our nation the help to build new infrastructures and help defend our borders. And wars of aggression would be thought long and hard before committing our men and women to combat because they may be you or someone dear to you. It's so easy to start wars when it's someone else's sons and daughters going off to fight in foreign lands for less than defending our nation.
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Jaydee401 year, 5 months ago
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The country is there to serve it's citizens, which the US falls short at by the way, and not the other way around. The government has no right to mandate military service but then again in people living in a truly free country already know that.
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Wolfie20071 year, 5 months ago
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Charlson
Actually, you're wrong about a requirement of US citizens ro serve their country it's called the militia. It is federal law but everyone now says the militia was replace by the National Guard but no one is required to join the guard.
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slate1 year, 5 months ago
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slate1 year, 5 months ago
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What I find interesting here is the people that are from the left that now somehow like the idea of a draft after detesting the military and especially being mandated to join the military. The question now is why the change of heart. A few of the possibilities are listed below.
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canadianrancher571 year, 5 months ago
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My opinion about a draft is that I think that all countries should have it and there should be no exemptions, once a person finishes high school or leaves school they should receive a military training and I feel that there is a position for everyone unless you are a complete vegetable. But the main point would be no exempions or special treatment.
A comment on the story, The reason I feel the draft was brought up a couple of years ago was not related to cost but from declining enrolement in the forces and I won't get into that but the second reason has to do with cost and I think that the government has made a mistake in regards to outsourcing alot of things. The companies that supply services to the military do so for a profit and when it comes to the military it should all be left under government control. For some reason I think that the military could supply every thing that is needed and at a lower cost if they were allowed to have open bidding on supplies and equipment.
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canadianrancher571 year, 5 months ago
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Jaydee401 year, 5 months ago
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How much education does it take to point and shoot? Is a person convicted of car theft any less likely to desire to serve their country? Is not the Army the ultimate gang that demands loyalty and obedience? Is it the job of a soldier to ask "paper or plastic"?
Here in Canada regular forces can be hard to get into while reserves are much easier.
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earthlingerer1 year, 5 months ago
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Especially the gang members, criminal waivers, psych cases allowed in, and the ones that can't even satisfactorily complete high school.
In other words, people that can't even get jobs in grocery stores or fast food.
Of course in your Canada, things may be different than in the US.
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Teagen1 year, 5 months ago
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A draft? Wow, just another dirty trick from the dems. We don't need a draft. I'm in the military and we want people who want to be in the military. Not some sniveling cry baby.
Also if you're the type of person too stupid to get a college deferment, we don't want you over here either.
This really is a low blow for the dems. They're trying to make it sound like we can't handle things. We're seeing a draw down here and friends from my first husband's unit claim they're seeing good progress in Afghanistan.
Why would the dems want a draft? Their messiah, Obama has made it pretty clear he's pulling a Jimmy Carter. We will see the military slashed. I have many friends waiting for this election before the re-up. Obama wins, they're retiring as am I.
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jumpmaster1 year, 5 months ago
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"we want people who want to be in the military. Not some sniveling cry baby"
I agree 100%. I was happy to have served with volunteers. They wanted to be there, they volunteered to be there and their attitudes were much, much better than a bunch of whiny, sniveling little babies.
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Codi69341 year, 5 months ago
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I would like to see how a Democratic controlled Congress will package this and sell this to the American public? With the election coming closer, and Democratics could have both Congress and the WH. They WILL NOT settle themsleves with defeat in this war. Don't disappoint me anti-war crowd. If you buy this hook ,line and sinker you are suckers and only following a party with no ideals and not using your head. Be a man, if you against the war, stay that way!
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mntnman444Comment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned8 Replies
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pcknowledge1 year, 5 months ago
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A draft is an excellent idea. Many people who are for the war don't actually want to fight in a war. The Bush family, the Cheney's, etc don't want to send their own children to fight in any war. The military needs people & in an effort to recruit they offer Immigrants & their families citizenship provided they enlist & complete their military service.
I've been to the Middle East. I didn't see any proggress there because of these Bush led wars. In fact, Iraq is much, much worse of now then it was prior to the Bush led invasion. Afghanistan is much of the same, except even poorer since the war. Most of the infrastructure (if one can even call it that) was destroyed in the Bush led war & never repaired. The Taliban is just as active as it was prior to the Bush led war. BL was never found. It was all for oil, Bush/Cheney's greed for it.
We, people living in America, haven't seen any benefits from these wars. We are paying the price for it.
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militaryone1 year, 5 months ago
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I can tell you first hand that we do not get paid 126,000 per year. This is a joke from all those that think it. Our men and woman work 20 to 24 hours per day. No time for family, friends, holidays or vacations. We do this from the heart to protect and serve our country not for the very minimal pay we receive. This position in life is for people that love and care about others and our Great Nation. I agree I don't want a draft because then I will have people like you (uncaring and nongiving) standing next to my husband (who cares and defends this country) during and after wars. None of you know what it is to stand up and fight for our country or any other. You hide in your homes talking about things you have no knowledge of while the true heros of this country are out giving you the freedom to hide at home. Shame on all of you! If you actually took the time to look at a map maybe (if your smart enough) you will see that Bush put us in a good place. Think about it!
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raza91 year, 5 months ago
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"If you actually took the time to look at a map maybe (if your smart enough) you will see that Bush put us in a good place. Think about it!"
mmmmm-k My friends and family that are currently, or have been over to the middle east have a very different viewpoint. They don't want to be occupiers. My cousin even said to me, "Those Iraqis are doing what every red blooded American would do, if foreign troops occupied our country."
I will even go as far as to say, that most men/women don't believe in the "war", that is why Ron Paul had so much money donated to his campaign by individuals in the US Army, Navy and Air Force.
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militaryone1 year, 5 months ago
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This is to JayDee! Jump is correct! More Brains!! Ha,Ha I think not! I would like to ask you for all the dimwits out there that protect you, "Where are your brains?" You have no idea what you are talking about and since you are not happy with our country why not move out. Where would you be today if it was not for our military over all these years? All the veterans, all the active duty and reservists. Where?
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pcknowledge1 year, 5 months ago
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"Where would you be today if it was not for our military over all these years?"
I agree with that statement. We wouldn't be where we are today if it where not for the fine men and women who served in the past.
With that said, our President should be selective on when & where wars should be fought. The Bush led wars in the Middle East where only for reasons of oil, profit, and greed. Our military is there to protect the country, not to be used for the greed of the President, Vice President, OPEC, Corporate America.
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pcknowledge1 year, 5 months ago
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The most comon accusation I hear from people who are for the wars are :"You live in Mommy's basement & have no idea. Or you talk about things you have no knowledge about."
I don't know any adults who live in Mommy's basement. I do know quite a few people who travel to the Middle East for business/work. Who are working in the Middle East for a security company or in some other field or serving their country. I was in the ME when Bush announced the Iraq war. I am quite familiar with the region. These Bush led wars have accomplished nothing, except inflame the Middle East regions. Kill thousands of innocent civilians & destroy their infrastructure. With Saddam dead, there is a power vaccum which the Iraqis won't allow us to fill. The Taliban is as active as ever, all the way into Pakistan, where they are led by Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsood.
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pcknowledge1 year, 5 months ago
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Every Taliban leader we manage to kill, will be replaced by another. Everytime we interfer in the Middle East & train someone like Saddam, he will turn against us & decades later our government will want him dead.
They hate our interference on their land, they believe the oil that flows on their land belongs to them. They will fight us everytime we invade their country or send our troops there. Obama is right. Now is the time for tough talks. Now is the time to withdraw our troops from the various ME regions & limit our business activities to buying their oil. There is no way to win this war in Iraq, & there will never be. Whoeever the Iraqis will choose as their next leader, will inevitably turn against us a few yrs from now. There is no way to win a war in Afghanistan. The Taliban will hide out in Pakistan, in the village areas, in caves, & as soon as our forces withdraw they show up again.
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fsev411 year, 5 months ago
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Why not a hybrid military. If you volunteer and are capable of filling the more high-tech positions your pay and benefits reflect that. If you are drafted you wind-up filling the more mundane jobs that we're paying contractors outrageous amounts to perform. Your pay and benefits are lower but you're done in two or three years. I think it worked well before and gave a lot of wayward young people a direction in life. Some even came to enjoy the military life and stepped up to the volunteer ranks. One major side benefit is that it would seriously deflate war profiteers like Haliburton. It would have to be a fair draft with minimum reasons for deferment. It could also give us more bodies for such things as responding to natural disasters, assisting in maintaining national parks and other government facilities and maybe even some teachers aides and such.
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walden31 year, 5 months ago
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I think a draft is a good idea.
Not necessarily military service, but some sort of national service like rebuilding NO after Katrina.
I think we'd be less likely to support international intervention if each of us had a dog in the fight.
I think that the US used to be a melting pot. Now we all hold on to our own ethnicity maybe a little too much. A lot of immigrants don't want to be Americanized, be assimilated or learn the language. Forcing everyone to serve would help to weave us all together again.
I think the benefits of a draft outweigh the benefits of an all volunteer army.
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jumpmaster1 year, 5 months ago
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"I think a draft is a good idea.
Not necessarily military service, but some sort of national service like rebuilding NO after Katrina"
I agree with this 100%. If everyone contributed to the country in some way or another, then you would see a big shift in attitudes. The problem is that most people don't want to contribute in any way. The military is not for everyone but contributing to the society in which you live is for every single person in that society.
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fjgalt1 year, 5 months ago
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Involuntary servitude means slavery. The military draft was and is a form of slavery, forcing people to act differently than they would if they were free. In practice, a military draft is sending young men and women to fight and die for the benefit of others. Forcing them to build and repair bridges and other forms of "national service" is still a form of slavery.
The idea that a military draft will end wars is false. There was a military draft when we fought in Korea and Vietnam, and tens of thousands of men died in those undeclared, and hence unconstitutional, wars.
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fjgalt1 year, 5 months ago
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A military draft is philosophically opposed to the founding principles of the United States -- a person's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution gives the government the power to fight wars but it doesn't have the right the abrogate the rights of its citizens by instituting a draft. You can thank Lincoln for violating the Constitution and setting the precedent for conscription and forcing a bloody, costly war between the states.
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walden31 year, 5 months ago
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I disagree. The need to protect one's country is so basic that the power to draft doesn't need to be expressly enumerated. In return for the rights and privileges of citizenship an obligation arises to serve if and when required to do so even if one disagrees with the specific mission.
Finally, I think Congress is granted the power to draft with the "to raise and support armies" clause. What good is this if Congress can't compel service?
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ARRAY1 year, 5 months ago
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I would be more than happy to serve in the military myself, but the draft would probably include females this time, and I would never let my little girls go to war. I would simply leave the country and take them with me before they got to the age of being drafted. If a draft was truly needed I am not sure if i would be against it or not - would illegal immigrants be drafted as well? What about the daughters of politicians? I think that every person in the country should have to perform some sort of national service for two or three years, immigrants included - even if they are too old to serve in the military when they arrive here. And all the older people who have never served in the military should have to serve in some way now. It has to be fair. Either everybody has to be forced to serve, or nobody should be forced to serve.
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