Regarding the Revival of the Draft

[ck4829]

People in the government are putting up a good front saying that no draft is necessary, but certain Conservatives behind the scenes say a draft may have to happen.

I don't want to support the RW Domination Crusade. I know that this is no war for liberation.

Why don't you Republicans get someone to fight for you by proxy, like you guys always used to do, like the Contras, Renamo, UNITA, and here is some guy Rummy already knows that might help you guys.

[Florida_Geek]

1. Could be the reason Rummy loses his job

so Bush will put in a pro-Drafter and then "have to take his advice"

[mslux]

2. Offshore the military

Surely there are some "third world" people on this planet for whom the dangers in Iraq would be no worse than working in some US factory with no employee protection laws. Could the environmental hazzards be any worse than at circuit board reprocessing plants we offshore? And the miserable wages we pay soldiers would look like a fortune.

[Skidmore]

3. Caught a couple of minutes of the rerun of last night's Scarborough

while channel surfing. That Tony Blankley was on and he said that there will be a draft "without a doubt". He didn't sound too supportive of the idea. Wonder if he's got a draft age son? These warmongers should be careful what they wish for? If an inevitable draft comes down the pike, I hope there will be an insistence on no outs for anyone, unless you have a physical disability. Somehow, given the injured men they've been returning to Iraq, that doesn't appear to be sufficient criteria either. All I know is that if my son will be forced to go, then every politician's son should be forced as well.

[signmike]

7. Physical Deferments

When I was born my legs were all twisted up, and I had braces to straighten them up until I was a year old and daddy came home from WW2...and denied his son could have anything wrong with him, so the treatments stopped - no corrective shoes, etc. As one result my knees are trash. When I was drafted for Viet Nam I got the deferment, but there was a woman on the Draft Board who was so determined that her own two sons were NOT going that she put everybody back into the mix no matter what their situation might be.

I was sent in 4 times. One of the first times one of the guys I wound up talking with, there on the Group W bench, was wheelchair bound, and he said he'd been sent "Greetings" 11 or 12 times, and had to keep going to the induction center to get deferred again, and again, and again. After the 4th time I gave up and went down and joined the Navy - I was warm enough to go. There were so many kids being taken into the Army with the draft they were swamped and I got my choice - to ride on a boat, rather than walk in mud. As I was leaving to get on the Boot Camp bus - my wheelchair friend was coming in the door -- they'd called him up again. I never saw him again. He didn't get on my ship.

[Skidmore]

8. Mike, I don't know what to say.

War is a terrible, terrible tragedy. I lived in a war zone for 5 years, and I thought that once I had gotten my little boy out of there, I would never have to worry about him becoming potential cannon fodder ever again. And here we are. I re-read my post, and I probably should have placed that sentence differently since I was trying to interject some sarcasm as to what this administration construes as acceptable criteria for someone to volunteer to perhaps die. It is a shame that we even have to consider the question of who is suitable to die. We should not be there. I hope we can find a way out of this, but * and his crew have set this up, whether by intent or sheer incompetence to have repercussions for generations to come.

[Liberty Belle]

4. I've asked for a meeting with my right-wing Congressman.

Besides bringing up the stolen election and urging him to protest the certification of electors, if I can get in to see him, I intend to look him in the eye and tell him that so help me God, if he doesn't do everything in his power to stop this war before they draft my 18 year old--including voting to decertify this crooked election that amounts to a coup d'etat, I will PERSONALLY see to it that every single voter in his district knows of his perfidy. I will tell him that if necessary, I will enlist help of some willing Democratic volunteers to walk to every single solitary home in his entire district, until we've met with all of them or spoken to each registered voter on the phone.
If he votes to certify this rigged election anyhow, I will also propose to our local Democratic clubs that we launch a recall election to get rid of this fascist jerk once and for all.

[msongs]

5. Let's HOPE there is a military draft SOON because

when all the war mongering republican terrorists have to possibly die for their principles instead of having poor people do it, they will sacrifice their principles in a heart beat to avoid responsibility.

then the nation will turn against the Bush fascists en masse.

The draft is what ended the Vietnam War. Otherwise most Americans did not give one damn about the lives of any Vietnamese.

Msongs
www.political-shirts.htm

[Doctor_J]

6. I am going to try "Adopt-a-Con" if they come for my kids

There are a couple pro athletes here in Chicago who are outspoken smirk-lovers. I will write a polite letter to the draft board recommending them instead - big, young, healthy wingers should be happy to take the places of my little girls.

[signmike]

9. When jocks go in the military they are protected

they are kept separate in jock squads and all they have to do is be jocks, paid to play their game. At the worst they do have to be there (on a base, or ship) instead of at home, loose upon the countryside. But yes, they should go, too.