Is a military draft coming?

[hiaasenrocks]

Today I heard, for the second time in as many days, a commercial for the euphemistically named "Selective Service." (Just call it what it is: the Draft Board.)

Anyway, the voice of the commercial is that of a drill instructor, telling people age 18-25 that it's not only their duty to register, but it's also "a privilege"!

I can't remember hearing one of these commercials for at least 15 years or so. Maybe I've just been missing them. Or maybe this is one step toward a coming draft.

Thoughts?

[hobbit709]

1. "Privilege" my ass!

If you think that it's a privilege to get killed in an illegal war/occupation to bolster the profits of Exxon and Halliburton, then you're dumb enough to enlist for this crap in the first place.

[hiaasenrocks]

4. No kidding. I was in the car and said aloud, "Privilege?!?!?"

Yeah, I was alone in the car, talking back to my radio. :) In this case, I think it was justifiable.

I am still shocked that anyone had the nerve to say it. Good grief.

[indie_voter]

2. Either they draft or end this insanity

But I think we've destabilized the middle east and we're on the brink of a HUGE disaster. So unless we impeach this sociopath and get a sane person in there to stop the madness NOW, I wouldn't doubt there will be no choice but to draft.

I have two young children, I am afraid.

[hiaasenrocks]

5. I vote: End the insanity.

I don't have kids, but I hope yours don't end up caught in this mess. Hell, they're already going to have to grow up in a world that * has nearly set afire.

[Canuckistanian]

3. I'd say No

Reading the "tea leaves" of punditry and GOP political bloviating, I'd say that the DRAFT is a distant memory and destined to stay that way.

They're too wedded to their "volunteer army" idea.

[hiaasenrocks]

7. Interesting point about the "volunteer army." The only disagreement I have

with your point is that I think they use it because that's the way it is now. That's it. No other reason. They'll say anything and everything to pump up their supporters, and that's just another applause line for the 20-whatever percent that still love the chimp.

If they go to a draft, they'll just change their talking points. They have no principles.

[Canuckistanian]

16. You're right, of course

Principles are "relative" to GOP thinking.

They just "stick their finger in the wind", to quote a famous Republican spokesman.

[sarge43]

8. Plus, the draft is a political land mine

The Democrats aren't going to go along with it and the Republicans don't want another big old bag o'shit dragging behind them come next year's election.

[Canuckistanian]

15. YES!

I didn't mention that, but if ANY democrat supported the draft, they'd be dragged from pillar to post on this.

Of course, no mention of Republican support would be mentioned.

[indie_voter]

10. I agree they are wedded to the volunteer army, but

by this stupid war of choice, they've hurt themselves (and of course, us) . It's harder for them to get people to sign up for this. And now, they've created a very very dangerous world. The article in the Post about the Saudis and Bush really scared me.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/27/AR2007042702054_pf.html

"Abdullah agrees with Bandar that their main challenge is the Iranian/Shiite threat to Sunni dominance of the Arab world."

I am really concerned Iraq will be the zone where this fight happens. I fear a world war. I hope I'm "chicken little", I really do.

[Strelnikov_]

20. I am also concerned.

See my post below (17).

Also, thanks for the link.

Maybe the GOP Oligarchs should have listened to Churchill.

Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.

- Sir Winston Churchill

[indie_voter]

23. Great post (#17). I think we're teetering on the brink

Turkey has been threatening to get involved too. This is a tinder box situation.

[butterfly77]

6. They won't say it directly to the people because...

there will be war in america's cities, if they do and they know it..

[Homer Wells]

9. Bring it on!!!!!

If they really want to see people taking to the streets like they did in the 60's, bring on a draft.

You will see a bunch of the folks from the Freeper side marching against the war, which will all of a sudden not be so popular.

When the Thugs who insist that this war is so necessary suddenly find their own asses on the line, then the Shit (Bush Co) will hit the fan Big Time!!


:evilgrin: :hippie:

[TahitiNut]

11. I hope so.

:shrug:


Consider this: If the Iraq War Resolution (that all "our" favorite candidates voted for except one) contained the mandatory provision that a draft be reactivated before attacking Iraq, should "the President" choose to do so after exhausting all other options, would the basturd have gotten even half the votes he did in 2004???

Next, consider this: If Pelosi had proclaimed impeachment "off the table" in October 2006, what effect would it have had on the 2006 eletcion??? Hmmmm?

[Strelnikov_]

19. Well, the volunteer army has certainly brought a halt

to the stupid adventures, hasn't it?

My proposal:

The volunteer military should be maintained at such a level to maintain a viable peacetime defense. Any authorization to deploy the military at a wartime footing shall include an authorization to draft the required number of troops to replace the peacetime contingent going to war. Upon cessation of the wartime footing, the draft will end, draftees will be discharged.

When:

Not now, while there is ongoing conflict and we have a madman in power. Once we are back at a peacetime footing, and have rational leadership, an amendment to the Constitution along the lines of the above concept can be made.


Think there would have been all the flag waving enthusiasm about going to Iraq if there was a risk of little Preston or Ashley being one of the 140,000 drafted for the war?

Unless there is a built-in mechanism for immediate sacrifice, there will be politicians willing to beat the war drums and place the cost on the national credit card and the manpower burden on the economically disadvantaged, immigrants and mercenary armies.

[Up2Late]

12. Oh, it's coming. January 21, 2009 I suspect the GOP will begin a two front assault...

...pushing as fact, that the New Democratic Administration and Congress have only 2 choices to fix the broken Military and failed war in Iraq: Re-instate the Draft and/or Full and Immediate withdrawal from the Middle East.

Both of which they will try to blame all on the Democratic Party.

[MADem]

13. You've been missing them, I think. They're in the 'fed gov public service' rotation

You might be seeing more of them since they've shitcanned the color-coded DHS crap, as well as some of the stupid (and hilariously ineffective) drug commercials.

They usually pop up every year around the high school graduation season (on the horizon now) to remind those kids turning eighteen to get their asses down to the post office and register, or else.

[jerryme1]

14. Redneck America may become a bit more judicious with its war support if we had a draft

[Strelnikov_]

17. Probably closer than many suspect

The GOP has destabilized the region of the world holding 80% (incl. Caspian basin) of the worlds remaining petroleum reserves, and 50% of the worlds remaining natural gas reserves.

We have KSA, Jordan and Syria funding Sunni insurgents in Iraq in what is essentially a proxy war against Iran.

We have an incompetent executive branch in charge of the worlds most powerful, although overrated, military (re: Iraq). A military whose ground component has been depleted from over four years of incompetently fighting an insurgency.

We have this executive provoking the regional power. A country with a state within a state form of government that is inherently unstable and unpredictable in the event of a crises. A country with something to prove, and a history of dogged determination when it comes to armed conflict (re: Iran-Iraq war).

All it would take is for a US naval commander or Revolutionary Guard officer to go off script (overreact) to trigger a conflict that would knock half of the worlds petroleum export capacity off-line essentially overnight.

So. What does the world power do when half of it’s petroleum supply dries up due to all of the countries that hold it’s markers outbidding it on what remains of the worlds petroleum export market? Starve for the twenty years it will take to mitigate this loss? A transportation system based on cheap, abundant petroleum based liquid fuels will take not months, not years, but decades to transform.

Reporting on the draft debate will probably not be between segments on the new mall opening and the latest ‘wonder’ drug on the nightly Action McNews. No, it will probably be bracketed between segments on mass unemployment and food riots.

The GOP’s treasonous mismanagement of foreign policy has placed the nation, if not most of the developed world, in peril.


The German Emperor is ageing me; he is like a battleship with steam up and screws going, but with no rudder, and he will run into something some day and cause a catastrophe. He has the strongest army in the world and the Germans don't like being laughed at and are looking for somebody on whom to vent their temper and use their strength. After a big war a nation doesn't want another for a generation or more. Now it is 38 years since Germany had her last war, and she is very strong and very restless, like a person whose boots are too small for him. I don't think there will be war at present, but it will be difficult to keep the peace of Europe for another five years.

Sir Edward Grey, Britain's foreign secretary, from an article in response to the comments made by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the Daily Telegraph (November, 1908)

[cliss]

18. Let 'em try.

If they thought there was opposition to the war in Iraq RIGHT NOW, just wait until they re-instate the Draft. I believe people would put a quick end to both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Volunteer Military - considered better
Of course, Don Rumsfailed understood this. There were some lessons learned from Viet Nam. They decided that if it were an all-volunteer army, there would not be nearly as much antagonism, "fragging", and civil unrest (some people say we were actually in a Civil War in the 70's because of VN).

But then the problem is, there aren't enough "volunteers". The US military is stretched paper-thin. We only have about 1.1 million people in active duty around the world. We have lots of bases here and there. Right now, these bases are considered to be so poorly manned, that we're actually vulnerable. South Korea would be one example.

The U.S. is vulnerable right now. We DO have enemies. We simply can't fight wars all over the world. The US only comprises about 3.8% of the world's population.

So many wars......so few troops.

I think you're right: there will be a draft, in spite of its unpopularity.

[Phredicles]

21. Such commercials were on all the time during the Reagan years.

Between my being of draft age and Reagan's brain-dead foreign policy, I found them horrifying.

[HawkerHurricane]

22. Watch for a 'stealth draft'.

People offered a choice between prison and service. Early parole for people who sign up. And similar things that they can do with their control of the Judiciary.