Poll - Are you in favor of reinstating the draft

[Kadie]

http://www.house.gov/millender-mcdonald/

Are you in Favor of Reinstating the Draft?
The last response was on 04-20-2004 18:52.

Answer Votes Percentage
Yes 5260 58.0
No 3816 42.0
Total 9076

[Martin Eden]

1. Hell no!

Some say the draft could create more opposition to "wars of choice" because volunteers would no longer be the only sons thrust into harm's way.

IMHO, the draft would enable MORE military adventurism. The only reason they're talking about a draft now is a shortage of troops. Give them more troops, and they'll find more places to send them.

For once I agree with Grover Norquist's "starve the beast" strategy -- except I'd like to see it applied to the military.

[freetobegay]

2. Done

I can't believe tose numbers!

[mac1000a]

3. Done

And the answer was, HELL NO! Unless it's for Young Republicans only.

[Kathleen04]

4. Went and voted no.

Are you in Favor of Reinstating the Draft?
The last response was on 04-20-2004 20:23.

Answer Votes Percentage
Yes 5264 57.8
No 3851 42.2
Total 9115

[Athame]

10. Well, I feel better now

The numbers Sat morning 24 April

Yes 5267 47.1
No 5907 52.9
Total 11174


And with a 19 YO son and a 27 YO daughter and son-in-law, you better believe I am in the HELL NO!! group.

Ma

[Pushed To The Left]

5. NO

I wonder how many of those who responded "Yes" are draft age or have children that are draft age? Why don't they enlist themselves? If the draft is reinstated for Iraq, the country is going to be more polarized than ever before. I don't know why, but the idea of a draft didn't bother me as much when I was of draft age. Now that I'm past it (31) I find the idea more disturbing. It should only be done as a last resort, and only when national security is at stake.

[Kadie]

6. Welcome to DU!

Like you the idea of a draft when I was younger bothered me a bit, but know, it scares me to death. I worry about the young children today. You look at those young sweet, innocent faces and wonder what will be in store for them when they hit 17 to 18 years old.

Welcome to DU!

[Pushed To The Left]

9. Thanks!

[Kadie]

7. Updated Numbers

Answer Votes Percentage
Yes 5264 47.2
No 5886 52.8
Total 11150

4/22/04

Starting to look better.

[High Sierra Buck]

8. If there was a valid reason the answer would be YES

However, there is not a valid reason at this point in time. This so called war of dumbyas is nothing more than a lie that has been perpertrated by the muttonheads of this administration. If we were truly in a need to defend america against some known enemy who was attacking us, I would vote yes, lets defend the homeland, but to simply bring the draft back to fight this bullshit crusade against the (as bush calls em evil doing brownies) then my answer is hell no.

[LWolf]

11. No.

The last response was on 05-01-2004 09:42.

Answer Votes Percentage
Yes 5273 46.7
No 6025 53.3
Total 11298

[jcldragon]

12. Remembers Phil Ochs....

My dentist is in an award-winning barbershop quartet, (http://www.gotchaquartet.com/), so recently, I suggested they do a cover of Draft Dodger Rag...

"Well I'm only 18,
Got a ruptured spleen,
And I always carry a purse!

I'm blind as a bat.
My feet are flat.
And my ashima's getting worse!

Think of my career,
My sweet-heart dear,
My poor old invalid Aunt!

'Cause I ain't no fool,
I'm a-goin' to school,
And I'm working in a Defence Plant!"

hehehe
I'm an old Hippie from San Franciso's 1967 Summer of Love.

The only draft I could ever support, would be a Civilian Service that gave people a number of non-military options. That way we could maintain an all volunteer military, & young people could patrioticly serve the country doing useful things, like working in hospitals, nursing homes, Peace Corps, and a bunch of other sorely needed charitable projects. There is no way I will allow kids to be used as mercenary cannon fodder in some politically-motivated special-interest war...

[AndyTiedye]

13. 57% NO!

be sure to click the "vote" button only once, or you will be voting more than once
(no cookies) and we wouldn't want to do that.

[rwenos]

14. National Service, Yes; Draft, No

It wouldn't be that hard to structure a National Service where all 18 year olds gave two years, whether it be teaching inner-city kids, working in a Vet hospital or carrying an M-16. There could be incentives built in to provide enough bodies for the military, and everyone else could do something else.

[Sivafae]

15. I have thought long and hard...

and I have decided that it is yes, against my personal belief that we should starve the military, and George II. The only losers will be the soldiers fighting this war. There is a danger that the powers that be will use them for more places than intended. But I see that the sooner we put more soldiers into Iraq, the sooner they would come home. By not supplying enough troops we have shown that we does not care for the people we occupying, or the people who are occupying. We are showing that we do not care for their safety, or their well being, IE, clean water and electricity all hours. We need to send the peace corps in to help rebuild the farming community of the country.
but hey, I'm just some loony liberal in CA. But I still believe in not doing a half-ass-ed job.

[jcldragon]

16. Over at @Forumz

Awake posted government statistics on our military & its deployment. Apparently, we could easily deploy twice the number of troops we already have in Iraq with people already in the military & the reserves.

US military: how many we have, where they are, and whether there be a draft
The following figures on US troop numbers and deployment are from Time Magazine; they indicate that the US has barely begun to dip into its reserves. This would seem to exclude the likelihood of a draft.

It also shows that the US deploys large numbers of forces in areas where their mission is over or ending. IMO, it also shows that there is no need for a draft, and I would speculate that we are not only not spread too thinly already, but that by transfering troops from Japan, and Europe, we could probably even fight a war against North Korea if it came to that.

How many troops we have:

US Army:
On active duty: 499,000
Reserve, on duty: 132,700
Reserve, inactive: 424,300

US Navy:
On active duty: 377,000
Reserve, on duty: 1700
Reserve, inactive: 86,300


US Air Force:
On active duty: 371,000
Reserve, on duty: 19,000
Reserve, inactive: 163,000

US Marine Corps:
On active duty: 177,000
Reserve, on duty: 9700
Reserve, inactive: 30,300


Where they are:

Troops on active duty are currently stationed in:

Homeland:
Continental USA: 975,000
Floating in the Atlantic: 122,000
Alaska: 34,000
Hawaii: 34,000
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: 2,000

Two warzones:
Afghanistan: 13,000
Iraq: 122,500

Europe:
Germany: 50,000 - 75,000
UK: 20,000 - 50,000
Italy: 20,000 - 50,000
Iceland: 5 - 10,000
Floating in the Atlantic: 5000
Balkans: 3700

The Pacific:
Japan: 41,000
South Korea: 41,000
Pacific Fleet: 17,000

http://www.atforumz.com/showthread.php?t=230879

[LiberalManiacfromOC]

17. well it got better

Answer Votes Percentage
Yes 5286 42.2
No 7234 57.8
Total 12520