Jesus, the News Hour was frightening tonight (draft!!!!!! )

[grytpype]

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec04/draft_10-21.html

MILITARY CHALLENGE

October 21, 2004
Military Challenge

Both presidential candidates insist they can muster the forces needed to fight America's wars without a draft. Experts examine the issue.

...



BGEN McGinnis, a Kerry adviser, was clearly demonstrating that the armed forces are at the breaking point. The math was undeniable.



The guy from B/C04 was making no goddamned sense at all. His first argument that a draft would be very bad from a military standpoint. He then claims to not be a "numbers cruncher." And that the tooth-to-tail ratio can be increased substantially (that is, moving support troops to the front lines.)

McGinnis says we are going to full mobilization, giving Bush full access to the National Guard and IRR. But that still will not be enough to last us the 5 or more years we need.

And I would point out that when we do need those troops, we are going to need them in a hurry. It takes months to train a substantial force.

It looks like we are going to have to either (1) start conscription and hope it turns out better than we have any right to expect, or (2) withdraw precipitously from Iraq.

The only silver lining I would see in a Bush victory is that the decision will be on his head and his head alone.

Get this.

MARGARET WARNER: Is part of though what President Bush's plan is... does it include this kind of full mobilization that Gen. McGinnis is talking about where the reserves will be even more demands placed on the reserves and guard?

GEN. P.X. KELLEY (Ret.): Well, maybe the General has access to General Bush's plan. I do not have access to that. I do have access to people. And I have to tell you that the leadership team that we have in this country today, led by a gallant president who will put his political career on the line for the defense of America, plus all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that leadership team I have faith in.

McGinnis says Kerry will listen to military advice and have a realistic goal, neither of which is happening now.

The B/C guy says Iraqis and coalition countries.

are going to step in and take some of the strain off of our armed forces.

Says Bush's addition of 30,000 to the armed forces is enough and realistic, but 40,000, which is what Kerry wants, is pie in the sky.

Read the whole thing!!!!

[Jack_Dawson]

1. There are WMDs in Iraq. There won't be a draft.

Ummm...anyone who buys a fucking syllable of our idiot-in-chief deserves to be drafted.

[hippiechick]

2. Kelley so did NOT answer the question !!!

Q: "... does it include this kind of full mobilization ... where the reserves will be even more demands placed on the reserves and guard?"

A: "...And I have to tell you that the leadership team that we have in this country today, led by a gallant president who will put his political career on the line for the defense of America, plus all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that leadership team I have faith in."


WHAT THE FARK WAS THAT ???


:hippie:

[grytpype]

3. He didn't give a straight answer to one question.

[Murph Tha Genius]

4. No one is innocent

Charles Rangel already published a bill that would bring back the draft, and he is a Democrat!!! The draft would do more harm than it would do good, regardless of how thin the military is stretched. If the units are beefed up with people that don't want to be there, then more time would be spent with disciplianry problems that effect unit readiness. Charles Rangel is a looney toon.

[drhilarius]

5. As I understand it...

Rangel's bill was a political message. He was trying to illustrate the inevitable human cost of the war and how that cost would be disproportionately spread. it was, basically, a protest bill meant to make congressmen reconsider going to war:

<http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/>

This was also the same bill that was struck down recently to quash rumors on the "internets" of a draft. They didn't get the point Rangel was making with the bill (don't go to war), then they used it for political advantage. That they missed the point isn't all that surprising.

As to Rangel's feelings on the bill: "Even he urged Democrats to vote against the bill, and charged that Republicans were cynically trying to use the measure to escape election-season questions about the war in Iraq."

[hippiechick]

6. Exactly.

Rangel did that to ensure that rich white kids had to go fight side by side with the poor white and inner city kids who tend to go into the armed forces at a higher rate than their wealthy counterparts.

IE, "Ok, yuppie fat-cat ... your kid's gotta go now too ... still want this war ?"



:hippie:

[Mountainman]

7. The only way to stop the draft is to stop fighting these wars

Young people don't want to die for corporate greed. There will not be enough volunteers if it means they have a good chance of going to war.

The drawing card of college tuition doesn't look so good now that 1100 have died in Iraq and thousands more are missing limbs.

If we continue to play world cop we need a draft.

Support the troops, stop the wars.

[Wind Dancer]

8. "Support the troops, stop the wars".

I'll second that!

Bring them home now and end this nightmare.