Is it time to talk about a draft very seriously?

[Skidmore]

Now, this is coming from a mother with a draft age son. As long as the AMerican public keeps seeing this war as something only a few volunteers need to shoulder, then it will continue. If everyone needs to bear the risk of some of the worst pain, then perhaps people will put a stop to it. Apparently, they are so afraid they are willing to lose all financial security in this nation to pay for it.

[MuseRider]

1. As a mother of 2 draft age sons

I think you are right but I think they are trying to force the Democrats into doing this.

They do not care how badly things get in this country because it will be us who shoulder the burdens, they will not be touched. So they are content to keep it this way since we are also shouldering this burden.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Only if kids of the congress are first in line, with NO loopholes out.

[Burning Water]

23. Why should

innocent children pay for the crimes of their fathers? This violates equality under the law.

But I agree about "no loopholes", if there were to be a draft.

[Sammy Pepys]

3. No

There will not be a draft anytime soon. I've been taken to task for having that opinion here, but there are much more pressing things to worry about than a draft. The odds are bordering on astronomical.

[Ilsa]

5. I think I agree. A draft would mean the end of Bushco's wars.

As long as there are volunteers willing to risk getting killed to make a living for their families, Bushco will continue the Halliburton wars.

[sarcasmo]

6. You are saying that when we bomb Iran and Syria their are enough troops.

[Sammy Pepys]

10. I'm saying...

..the chances of a draft occurring are so low that it's not even worth your time.

[bowens43]

4. No, it isn't.

If it comes down to voting for Dems who favor a draft and repugs who don't I'll vote repug and urge everyone I know to do the same. If you want to offer up your son, by all means pack his ass off to Iraq but you keep your freaking hands off of my boys.

[Skidmore]

9. I have one son, and only one.

I went to a great deal of trouble to get him out of a country that was using 12 year olds as cannon fodder. I don't want to lose my son either.

What I am trying to address here is the fact that these people are hellbent on a total world conflagration. Financial pain doesn't appear to have phases our society, which thinks debt is a normal condition of life now. Unsecured credit means you can still live comfortably as long as you can meet those minimum payment. No one is asked to ration or do without until circumstances are such that you are forced to do so.

A firestorm is headed this way, and of our own doing. This wrongheaded policy will not keep this war on other shores. It is not realistic to think you can contain such global rage. And if this administration thinks that nuking other nations will put an end to the wars they have incited, they are wrong. This will not resolve so nicely as WWII did (not that there wasn't fallout from that). That is what I want to avoid.

[mike_c]

16. well said!

eom

[Burning Water]

24. I keep wondering where

the idea keeps coming from that we have the right to tell our kids whether they can, or cannot, must, or must not, serve in the armed forces of the United States?

Parents are not responsible for their grown children and have no authority over them. Children are not responsible for the crimes of their parents. when did we forget this??

[BOSSHOG]

7. Irony

"Conservatives" in this country who don't give a damn about losing constitutional liberties, in fact support efforts to do just that as long as its someone elses liberties, have no desire to fight for our country. They are cowards.

And if george bush were a true leader with a solid plan to use our military a draft would not be needed.

If "conservatives" were doing their fair share instead of waving flags and destroying our constitution and getting their collective asses down to the Army Recruiting Station your question would be moot.

YES, I say we have a great big national discussion on the issue, then we'd plainly see the big yellow streak running down the backs of the "conservative" community in America. Yeah lets fight wars over all the planet but don't expect me to go, I'm a "conservative."

[Corgigal]

8. I've been thinking about this also

I guess it's a good time to get a passport. Thankfully I took a foreign exchange student to live with us a few years back and she agreed if it hits the fan her I can send my 17 year old son over there.

Might want to consider a passport. I feel better with a plan.

[Innocent Smith]

11. There will not be a draft

Neither political party would go for it.

Your message makes it sounds like you want one?

[Skidmore]

13. No, I don't want one.

See my post above.

[rd_kent]

12. NO NO NO NO NO!!!

I have been in the Navy for 19 years. I have enough problems with the younger folks who come in these days to deal with and the LAST thing the Military needs are people who don't want to be there. Besides, who do you think will be drafted? Certainly wont be the NeoCons Kids.

[Sammy Pepys]

15. Right on...

...summed up incredibly well.

Can we please drop the draft talk, once and for all? It borders on tinfoil yammering.

[mattclearing]

14. Conscription is never a considerable option.

I'm sick of hearing it brought up. The answer will always be no.

[jane_pippin]

17. Please, someone explain to me why you're willing to do this to your kids.

Especially if you lived through it in the 60's and were none too keen on it then. Why? Why are you willing to throw your kids--my friends, relatives, hell who knows, even me--into this just to teach us a civics lesson? How is this ok?

The American Public keeps seeing this as the burden of a few because the tee vee isn't allowed to show pictures of funerals. Protests don't get covered, and I don't think--other than a few exceptions--there has been significant coverage in the news of wounded soldiers or soldiers simply returning home to try to live their lives after being in Iraq. I'd like to see that fixed rather than see my little brother sent off to a war my parents don't believe in--by my parents.

(And, feel free to interpret the terms "parents" and "brother" both literally and figuratively here).

[Skidmore]

18. This nation is throwing away children every single day.

Children of all ages.

Those people in the military are someone's children--regardless of their political opinions. Many of them have been sent back several times, even if they have been injured.

On another level, we are throwing away our youngest children because the fiscal drain this war makes on the system is robbing them of their future by sucking off resources that could be put into their education. And they are still fair game to tapped as future soldiers in a world where they learn in a video game culture that zapping the enemy is preferable to learning about him and communicating with him.

[jane_pippin]

20. I understand that. And you're right.

So why add to it? Especially for a confilct you take issue with. (I'm assuming this for you specifically, as well as a general "you" representing anti-war folks).

BTW, I do have friends who have been to Iraq and I've had conversations with them about their experiences, and I've worried about them, so while it's not completely close to home for me--it's not a son or brother, say--it's close enough to effect me emotionally.

And yeah, you're right--our youngest children are being tossed away thanks to education cuts, lack of health care--all that stuff. I'm in my 20's and these policies have screwed up my future too. That's wrong too.

[titoresque]

19. I do think it's time as well

to seriously talk about a draft! I don't see how it can be avoided if we indeed invade Iran. Public support for the war is in the toilet, the military is stretched too thin.
I think as far as public support for a draft, all it will take for many to jump right back on the patriotic bandwagon is another 9/11
attack here......you know from those "evil doers"
Basically another hoax.


on edit: I think I should clarify my position, I think a draft would be terrible, and I'm not supporting one! But I do feel one coming, and I do agree with the OP, it might just be the thing to end the war!

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. Another 9/11 would have to be at least as bad as the first, and

also have a clearly defined enemy. If that happened, the administration would have learned from its errors in judgement last time around and enact a draft while the anger and focus is high, even if they were getting plenty of volunteer recruits at the time, as they did after 9/11. They know now that Rummy's "war on the cheap" doesn't work, and they can't count on enough volunteers to get the manpower they need.

But the new 9/11 could not be a few faceless terrorists. They'd have to make direct connection to Hezbollah, to connect it to Syria or Iran.

Or maybe, the US embassy in Syria is torched and its occupants killed by Syrian mobs outraged by cartoons. Hundreds die in a direct attack by Syria -- that would be sufficient.

I check the news every morning to find out what happened while I slept.

[Burning Water]

22. So,

are you for a draft, or against it?

Realizing that we would never have been in Vietnam if Lyndon Johnson had had to use a volunteer army. He made a conscious decision to use the draft rather than the Reserves for political reasons.

Draft? Yes or no?

If yes, do you think the Repukes will pass the legislation? Are they really that stupid? If the Dems retake power will they pass the legislation? Are they really that stupid? If the Dems don't retake power do you think this will be a winning issue? "Vote for me. I'll pass a draft. You won't have to be a hypocrite."

I think this talk can only hurt the Dems. Are we really willing to sacrifice our principles for political gain? Especially when we are unlikely to gain by it?

[rinsd]

25. Conscription as a political means to an end is dangerous road to travel.

Forget about the short term political consequences. Think about the effect on the body politic that must go through the process of military training.

[SmokingJacket]

26. I am very much of two minds about this.

On the one hand, I think you're right: war is easy with a volunteer army -- and I feel that if a country is going to war, we ALL have to go to war. I know that people will think twice about supporting the invasion another country if their own family members are getting shot at.

BUT... we've had a draft before, and it didn't stop the war for a **long** time, after thousands of soldiers were dead and maimed.

As a peacenik with sons, it's hard for me to support the idea of a draft. My position is No Draft AND No War.

[pnwmom]

27. Maybe you forgot: Vietnam = DRAFT = 50,000+ DEAD . . . all a draft would

do is give them more bodies to put through their death machine. They don't care about public opinion. Why should they, when they have control of the voting machines?

. . . another mother's opinion

[newyawker99]

29. Hi pnwmom!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[MiniMe]

28. Not until after the 2006 elections

Then, they may consider it. But not before the elections.