how can I answer this freeper e-mail re Kerry & draft?

[ima_sinnic]

something I've wondered myself: where IS Kerry planning to get the extra troops?

this is e-mail I received:

Where do you think the "extra" troops are going to come from???? Kerry wants to increase the numbers of OUR military units.In order to do this he WILL BE THE ONE to reinstate the draft NOT BUSH!!!! How can you be so Stupid and not understand his thought process? The volunteer numbers are down ,so where do you think he is going to get more troops? His big mouth wife let the cat out of the bag. (Mama T.) She stated "THEY" want to make everyone spend two years in service service.And then the government would pay for that person's 4 years of college. So this is the draft! And who is going to pay for this college degree. THE TAX PAYERS. Open up your eyes and see.

[H2O Man]

1. why bother?

for what reason?

[latebloomer]

2. Well, he DOES have such a plan

Doesn't he?

Altho I believe it would give you a choice of community service or the military.

But what if nobody chose the military?

[H2O Man]

10. two questions:

(1) the original post refered to responding to a freeper. Why bother? What gain is there? Kerry has spoken openly about his plans for the military. Bush has lied consistently. Why waste the time and effort to debate this with an entity described as a "freeper"?

(2) You said he (Kerry) has "such a plan." Such as what?

[latebloomer]

12. I just did a little more research

and, in my other post on this thread, there is info on Kerry's plan to encourage- but not require--enlistments--eg., giving free college tuition to enlistees.

And I agree that it is often a waste of time to respond to such emails.

On the other hand, there are many good people, including myself, who are VERY concerned about John Kerry's militarism.

[H2O Man]

16. I think that rational people

have reasons to be concerned about the rapidly spinning out-of-control military situations that the Bush Administration has gotten us into. I will remind DUers that Afghanistan is going to become more of a problem next summer than Americans realize. In the best case scenario, we are facing very serious problems in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Any president in the history of our country would find the mess this fool has gotten us into extremely difficult. It is possible, however, that Kerry's "militarism" will save thousands of lives. He may have the most realistic plans for getting us out of the situation we are in.

These are important topics, and worthy of discussion among sincerely interested people.

[ima_sinnic]

8. because it is sent in response to my web site postings re draft

-- see http://blatanttruth.org/draft.php

I respond to all who write; usually get about 1 hate mail per day claiming that it is *Democrats* who want to reinstate the draft (because of Rangel bill HR163)--I believe they merely see the word "draft" and don't read any further, that the whole point I'm making in the Draft Alert is that, based on an Issue Paper written by the SSS itself, the groundwork and concrete plans for a Skills Draft are being laid.

The idea that Kerry would reinstate a compulsory Military Draft needs an answer because I'm sure it's not only this woman who is under this impression.

[H2O Man]

14. If you have a web-site

and get one of these a day, one would hope you would have a prepared answer. The Rangel bill is insignificant. Dems Will Win has posted the Issue Paper from this administration that clearly outlines the plan for a draft should Bush win. There is nothing in it that a "freeper" can argue with.

[ima_sinnic]

18. this is the first letter I've received saying KERRY = draft

You are talking about my web site when you talk about Dem Will Win's commentary on the SSS Issue Paper.

I get one/day usually confusing the Rangel bill with the SSS Skills Draft. That is easy to answer; in fact Dems Will Win and I collaborated on a comparison document at http://blatanttruth.org/rangel.htm

It concerns me, though, that people might now associate Kerry with a draft and I honestly have not known how to answer. He has said many times he would increase troop levels but not HOW.

[H2O Man]

23. I think he has.

Kerry has spoken about increasing benefits to make the military more attractive, and to encourage people to continue to re-inlist. He has also spoken about his plans to reduce the American troops in the Middle East. In truth, there are uses for the military that are not as entirely negative as those that we witness with the Bush folks in charge. I think that Kerry has spoken plainly about increases in the military for more positive things than following the Bush policy in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Was_Immer]

13. I agree why bother, they simply wont believe you anyhow

You could take a piece of wood to their head and they'd still not believe you. Why Bother!

[ima_sinnic]

19. please see my posts above (n/t)

[pbg]

3. He pretty well addressed it in the debate

The first thing he's going to do is not send the military into clusterfucks like Iraq.

[alcuno]

4. Kerry seems to care about Americans unlike *, who considers us to be

expendable for his machinations. Kerry has already said he wants to expand the military by 40,000 - those are part of the "volunteer" military. He said it months and months ago. Bottom line? I don't trust * as he has repeatedly shown himself to be untrustworthy.

Where is Kerry going to get troops for Iraq? Maybe he'll pick up a phone or get on a plane and MEET with a world leader. Maybe he'll do more than show up for a photo op. I DO know that everyone HATES * so they won't do anything for him, or us if he gets in again. Because then they'll hate US.

Why do we have to IMMEDIATELY solve all the problems that * has taken 3 and a half years to create?

[latebloomer]

5. interesting article on the subject

http://www.comdsd.org/article_archive/JustasUrgent.htm

[ima_sinnic]

20. yes, that's what I was afraid of--there might not be a good rebuttal

[clydefrand]

6. People will more than likely voluntarily go into the

military when Kerry becomes president because Kerry himself volunteered to get shot at in Vietnam while Bush was getting bombed in Alabama. Many people will trade 2 years of service for a college education. And why shouldn't the tax payers pay for that education if our young people lay their lives on the line for petty snobs like this one who don't give a damn about anything but their bank accounts.


Also, volunteer numbers are down because young people see the complete disregard for life--adult lives that is, but not cells in a ppetri dish--not only the lives of our people, but the innocent lives of Iraqis (and Afghans) that have been lost because of the rush to war.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Here's my take

he will start by changing strategy in Iraq, to try and get things under control. Best way is to get more allies, especially Islamic allies. If things start calming down, and people see there is a way out of this mess, more folks will want to enlist. Also, showing respect for Islamic Americans, stopping persecution of them, could lead to more enlistment by those folks who have the language skills vitally needed for that part of the world. He can sweeten the deal with making sure that troops are given the proper equipment and training. And he can get the money by getting all contracts to be competative, with clauses that don't allow for cost overruns.

It won't be easy, but this is what I think he'll try and do.

[H2O Man]

21. great points

Kerry has made very clear he sees the Middle East problems in a regional context. A person can be pro-Israel, and still be pro-Palestinian. And, until we have an American president who shows a willingness and ability to advocate on the behalf of the Palestinians, few Muslims are going to place any trust in our national policies in the Middle East.

Expand that to include Iran. The truth is that global security is not enhanced by more nations having WMDs. We can pretend otherwise, but Iran - like North Korea - now has about 6 or 7 nuclear weapons. Who does it make sense right now to have representing the United States on the world stage when we discuss this issue? A Kerry administration that includes Wesley Clark, or a Bush administration that includes Colin Powell?

When the US takes steps in the correct direction on issues involving the Palestinian state and Iran, it becomes far more likely that other Muslim peoples will at least consider cooperating on a reconciliation in Iraq. It will not be a solution that this current administration considers to be acceptable, because Iraq will control Iraqi resources. And Kerry has spoken about that when he mentioned this administration's obsession with protecting the Iraqi oil fields.

[AntiFascist]

9. There are plenty of other ways to diffuse the situation in Iraq....

without having to enlist additional force. Dumping Booosh and the neocons is the first step. Opening discussions with Euro nations about economic cooperation in Iraq and potential oil flow I'm sure will help tremendously. (Apparently Bush is already at odds with the "halls of Europe").

[kaitykaity]

11. Kerry won't need the draft because people will trust him

not to send them into wars of choice like Iraq.
Also, Kerry plans to increase enlistment bonuses and
increase funding for veteran's hospitals.

People will volunteer if they know they'll be treated
right.

[fknobbit]

24. You are right

It's hard to get people to volunteer when they are wise to your bull sh**. Bush has broken every promise this Country gave to military and Veterans alike. $$$$ is disappearing into star wars programs to enrich crony's while families back home are having to provide food, ammo and toilet tissue, via care pkgs., Even career non coms are quiting.

[kaitykaity]

26. I hear the voice of experience there?

Yeah, it takes a lot of shit to make Sarge say screw it.
(I've been watching Survivor and one of the contestants
is a FT Jackson DI named Sarge. Forgive me.)

[fknobbit]

27. 22 yrs USAF

And have been a Democrat since Ike. How any service man, or Vet, could rationalize voting for Bush/any republican confuses heck outta me.

[kaitykaity]

28. I was a 20-yr-old brainwashed PFC when

I voted for RR in 1984.

There's a follow-the-leader brainwashing that goes on,
and the Thugs count on that. It fits with their need
for a strong leader/allow no dissent/you have to have
an enemy ideology.

[Fatima]

15. Kerry may very well have to do just that

You've all heard him say he will chase the "terrorists" wherever they are...that takes personnel...and the personnel are not enlisting or reupping in the numbers they need...

I know because 1. I am a veteran who keeps abreast of the news
and 2. I work in defense and I am around active duty people every day on my job, and 3. the numbers don't lie.

It will have to take massive pressure from the public to stop a draft because with either candidate there are no guarantees there will not be one. Circumstances will force a reckoning no matter which man wins.

And this is not to knock Kerry, like I said this is simply reality, so if it is a draft you fear (as I do, for my kids) then prepare for a long hard fight against Congress (who will be the ones to push the legislation through).

[AntiFascist]

22. Kerry also said he would use more focused efforts....

and special ops forces, instead of "outsourcing" these important tasks to others, to avoid any other Tora Bora situations. The current administration's real intent is to inflame the situation in the ME so they can go ahead full force with "World War IV."

http://www.fightingterror.org/

http://www.defenddemocracy.org/biographies/biographies.htm

http://www.newamericancentury.org/aboutpnac.htm

[noamnety]

17. They misquoted Teresa

The plan for community service in exchange for tuition is an option, not mandatory. For the freepers to represent that as a draft is grossly inaccurate.

[mikehiggins]

25. THis one is easy

If you don't have to mount huge invasions of foriegn countries as a matter of course, you don't need such a large army. Kerry is talking about increasing the size by two full divisions of volunteers, which will alleviate the need for pulling reservists and National Guard AND draftees into the military's arms.

In so far as the REAL war on terror is concerned, his plan to double the Special Forces component (Special Forces, SEALS, Rangers, pretty much the whole Marine Corps) will provide the kind of rapid assault capability that will be needed to deal with situations in allied countries. Get in, do your work, get out.

One peripherally good aspect of this Iraq disaster is that it is forcing Bush to pull troops out of places they no longer need to be, i.e. Germany, South Korea. Once we remove ourselves from Iraq, we'll be able to bring the boys home for the first time since 1942. That will be nice.

So Kerry's ideas work. You just have to change the paradigm (a word that is SO last millenia).

[factcheck]

29. Simple.

Kerry does have a National Service plan, which is what Teresa referred to. This is a fully volunteer plan in which college students and other youths can serve in many capacities. One way would certainly be in the military, but they have the choice. Other service areas include the Police Corps as police officers, teaching at risk preschoolers to read, working with at risk youths, etc.

In exchange the rewards range from $2,000 per year to help pay for college tuition to 4 years completely paid for.

Money for this plan would not come out of tax payers' pockets.

$13 billion is required to pay for this plan. $12 billion would come from the elimination of legislated guarantees on profit levels for banks granting student loans. $2 billion would come from eliminating other unreasonable subsidies to lenders. That is more than enough to pay for the plan without reaching into taxpayers pockets. This is already money that is being spent, just not well spent.

In addition, when you consider the services they are performing will actually save taxpayers money in many other ways, more money should be put back into taxpayers pockets in the long run.

Tell this person that this all comes from a person, me, who is a fiscal conservative and, not to offend anyone, but this plan is actually quite conservative in nature. I like it!

As for a draft. Neither Bush nor Kerry will institute a draft. Why? Simple. It would be HUGELY unpopular and could have very far reaching consequences, including disastrous effects on the economy. Besides, why would they institute a draft when they can simply re-activate military personnel who have just completed active duty? This would not be as unpopular and would not have nearly the consequences. Besides, it only makes sense. These are people who are already trained to do the job.

Sorry to those of you who may have recently left the military, but this is a fact of life. Only in a very severe situation, where military forces on the level of 500,000 to 1 million or more, would a draft even be considered. Up to that point, we have MANY people who can be called back to active duty without drafting new recruits. If there were a draft, however, keep in mind, it covers those 18-26. The 21-26 year olds would be called first, and only as a very last resort would those who are 18-20 be called.

Why respond at all? What IF you are able to change one vote? Why not?

[LynnTheDem]

30. Easy.

Kerry plans to NOT go around invading more countries to rape their natural resources, so that, along with increasing benefits, pay, housing etc incentives, he will provide incentive for 40,000 more Americans to be all that they can be.

There'd be NO PROBLEM raising another 40,000 for the US military, IF kids knew they were NOT going to be sent to war for 24 months at a time for years upon years, (while bushCartel try to cut their combat pay behind their backs) especially when they signed up for NON-COMBAT positions in the first place.

BUSH WANTS MORE WARS. BUSH WANTS "TOTAL WAR".

Yesterday the neocons discussed how Iran will be a "DEFINITE" for '04 if bush is elected, and Syria after Iran.

THAT is why the military is short on recruitment goals.

Kerry has said he WILL NOT reinstate the draft.

But BUSH ALREADY HAS. Our troops are ALREADY CONSCRIPTED NOW. And it's UNDER BUSH that the Selective Service has already put in place a special MOS draft.