The draft would end this war quicker than anything else.

[Swede]

It would have to be no deferments of any kind,foolproof. Can you imagine the Bush,Cheney and Hilton's of this country sending off there kids to war?

[glowing]

1. I don't want to go to war.. I don't believe in this war, and I don't

want to go.

[Swede]

5. Sounds good to me.

Let's pick every ten people by random and make them go. Race.creed,relegion don't matter. Front lines Baghdad rifle platoon. See how lone that takes before they start ending this mess.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. You'll be enlisting yourself then, right?

Because anybody who wants other people to go, should be going themselves.

[uppityperson]

36. Canadians too? Sorry, I disagree with you and don't want to risk my child

And while I will listen to people in other countries, as people everywhere have good and bad ideas and sharing ideas is a good thing, having this come from someone who will not have any risk in it rubs me the wrong way. uppity I guess. Thanks for the thought, but no thank you.

[TahitiNut]

27. Sounds good. When can EVERYONE enjoy that choice?

Let me know when that's a universal right instead of a privilege.
:eyes:

[glowing]

37. If there was a draft, then this war would never end. Don't believe

the crap being thrown at you. Am I not better here chasing down congress, protesting, working for real change.. what the hell am I going to do in Iraq other than get killed because I refuse to shoot an innocent person. I would be the dead one.

And the fact is that it is a choice to serve. It is honorable to serve. It is a shame that our Emperor has used them unwisely.

[TahitiNut]

38. Nonsense. We've had combat units in/around Iraq for 16 years.

We've been waging war on Iraqis longer than we were fighting in Viet Nam. We got out of Viet Nam as soon as the draft was made more equitable.

Whether or not we people get up off their fat asses and take control of our democracy is, in a sense, secondary to the obligation of people who pretend to want a democracy to share the burdens equitably and participate in their won governance. Essentially, it's all of a kind - whether we're actually committed to asserting our democratic form of governance (with equitable participation and sharing of the burdens and the fruits) or have been corrupted and seduced into shifting those burdens onto those least able to bear them.

When we protested draft inequity and the "Fortunate Son" corruption in the 60s, I personally wasn't envious or jealous of the privileged - I felt the 'privilege' was illicit and antithetical to a free, democratic society. I regard that as true no matter whether it's 10% privileged or 90& privileged. For me, that's a seminal to being a liberal (small-d) democrat.

[BlooInBloo]

2. Yup.

[Donnachaidh]

3. uh yeah -- 5 deferment Cheney would go for THAT

uh huh.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Just like it ended Vietnam.

[Swede]

6. You missed the no deferment part.

College,job,whatever,you go.

[charlie]

11. Magical thinking can get you whatever you imagine

But we've never had a draft that couldn't be avoided by the well-off and well-connected down here.

[Swede]

13. Well let's all be gay then.

Or chronic pot smokers.

[charlie]

15. You do that, then

Whatever keeps the HMS Clueless afloat, get to it...

[Swede]

17. I am trying to clog the system,not make it run smoothly.

The draft is just an idea. I don't want any kids going over there.

[sarge43]

20. No deferments?

No medical? No religious based? No single parent deferments (right now the military requires all first term enlistees with minor children to place the kids in what amounts to foster care and give up all parental claim during the enlistment). Will women be drafted? If not, that's one hell of a deferment. If so, then the combat restriction on women is out the window as the draft laws exists primarily to fill combat MOS.

The military by its very nature has to have restrictions on enlistees. If there are restrictions, there'll be deferments and if there are deferments, them what have the ways and means or smarts will game the system.

[tnlefty]

33. No, unless the laws are changed neither women nor pastors, priests, etc.

would be subject to a draft unless the latter just jumped into divinity school, or a position post enactment to a draft.

[JVS]

25. Read the sig. And easy for you to say, Canadian.

[monktonman]

8. Yeah just like it ended Viet Nam

Same way I lost my Father.
Cool idea

[still_one]

9. incidently, Viet Nam went on for over 10 years with a draft....

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Gee

ya think?

[TahitiNut]

28. The pre-1971 draft was far, far different than the post-1971 draft.

With the establishment of the lottery and the curtailment of perpetual student exemptions, the number of 'Fortunate Sons' became vanishingly small. Once the legislation was almost certain to pass, the "peace with honor" lip service no longer sufficed and "get the fuck out" gained devotees.

[still_one]

7. Hmmm, Viet Nam had a draft, and it went on for 10+ years and 60000+ lives later

There will never be a draft for the rich and famous, only for everyone else

[Swede]

12. That's because the rich dodged it.

Everyone is more aware now,blogs and emails can do things,can't it? If your number is 15845,you have to go,no matter who you are. Maybe this is a pipe dream.

[uppityperson]

19. i don't trust those in power to make it with no deferments.

No draft

[PsN2Wind]

14. An alternative to the draft

would be that every troop in the military, regardless of MOS, do one tour in Iraq before the first troop goes a second time. Also require the REMFs that are polishing a chair in the Green Zone pull one patrol out in "Indian country" each month.

[sam sarrha]

18. there wont be a draft till they steal the next election

[elocs]

21. If you know somebody is going to steal again from you what they have stole in the past

and you can do nothing about it, then you are truly helpless and powerless. I think in that case I would have a defeatest attitude also.

[elocs]

22. The draft may do some things, but it will not quickly end this war.

If Congress were to pass a draft and Bush were to sign it (and if pigs could fly) exactly how long do you think it would take to impose it? No, a draft will not quickly end this war and the discussion is academic anyways since there will be no draft. The American public does not want one and the military certainly no longer wants people in the service who do not want to be there.

[otherlander]

23. Killing Or Endangering People For Political Motives Is The Definition of Terrorism.

I always thought it was bullshit when conservatives said that liberals supported terrorism. Maybe I was wrong.

[Rydz777]

24. Good bumper sticker: "I'm against the next war before it even starts." nt

[Jed Dilligan]

26. No

The Democrats growing a backbone would end this war quicker than anything else.

Fuck the draft.

[JVS]

29. yup

[Jed Dilligan]

32. It's like, how much lower

does approval need to get for someone to do something?

I don't think the Vietnam war was ever THIS unpopular.

[JVS]

35. Preach on, brother Jed!

[Gemini Cat]

30. Uh, no.

So you trust those in power to be fair about a draft? I don't.
Guess who would be the ones drafted.

There will always be exemptions for those rich enough.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

31. I'm a big fan of mandatory drafts.

No deferments other than verifiable conscientious objector status.

[demgurl]

34. I would never back anything like that.

I already have plans for ten years from now to get my kids out of this country. I truly believe the war will be going on at that time and I have no plans to see them killed. I am not a hypocrite and so I wish to see no one else killed either.

I have no trust in this government to end this war since the 'decider' has said he will not be ending it and has demonstrated that he does not care what we think or believe. With one small draft we could condemn so many of our citizens to death. And we would have no way to back out and the decider would have what he wants and we would enable them to carry out their plans even further than they already have.

I am not naive enough to believe there would be no deferments since this has never happened in our history. If you can point to one foolproof time when we had a draft and EVERYONE was drafted I may even think about it even though I am against war. But are we going to do rules where rich people are not allowed to ever move out of our country? Will we arrest them before they can leave and force them to serve? And with all of that money, what do we do when they miss connections to Iraq and end up buying a ticket to England anyway?

There is no such thing as a foolproof draft and I trust this government as far as I could throw them. They do not care about us or our opinions. I am against war and all that goes with it. I am against the draft as well.