McCain says only World War III would justify draft

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

COSTA MESA, California (Reuters) - Only World War III would prompt Republican presidential candidate John McCain to bring back the military draft, McCain said on Tuesday.

Many Americans are fearful the U.S. government will be forced to reinstitute the draft given the prolonged Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Asked about that possibility by a potential voter in Florida during a telephone "town hall meeting," McCain said: "I don't know what would make a draft happen unless we were in an all-out World War III."

The United States ended its last military draft in 1973 in the waning years of the Vietnam war, moving to an all-volunteer military force.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/gc05/idUKN2438836820080625

[theoldman]

1. Are we not already in WWIII?

[peace frog]

3. We will be

as soon as the Chimperor bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bombs Iran.

[struggle4progress]

29. !

[Bob Dobbs]

2. Foreshadowing the advent of WWIII?

mcshame would one up busholini in war making if he could get elected.

No thanks, grandpa.

[Supersedeas]

34. this coming from the Bomb-bomb-bomb...Bomb-bomb Iran man.

[pepperbear]

4. "......which is just what I plan to instigate!" he added. n/t

[paparush]

5. I'll send you a postcard from my secure, un-disclosed location where me,

my wife, and our 13 year old son will be holed up.

They are NOT taking my boy.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. So, when it's the US, Israel, and Britain against Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia, and China, will it be

WWIII?

[Dr.Phool]

7. We can stop loss them guys forever, and there's nothing they can do about it!

But, look at the bright side. They'll all get nice pensions in 25 years, if they survive!

:sarcasm: just in case.

[peacebird]

24. their pensions can be stripped away too, if it's decided they cost too much. Dad

paid extra so mom would be covered if he died before her. Dad served in the Marines from WWII through Vietnam. His health care coverage was reduced after he retired, the govt cut dental coverage and eye care. His bypass surgery had to be done in a private hospital - were it not for the extra insurance coverage he and mom took out before he retired they would have lost everything with the bills from his heart and cancer hospitalizations.

The govt can reduce coverage for vets anytime they like - and it's not like our current vets are being treated so *well* either.

[Wizard777]

8. WW III will begin with the bombing of Iran. Welcome to the Mc Cain draft.

[raccoon]

9. Or TPTB could always rename the "War on Terror" to "World War III." nt

[Winterblues]

10. What is the "Global War on Terra" if it isn't WW III?

The Limbaugh's and Hannity's of the world have been saying we are engaged in WW III for quite some time now. They have needed to escalate the language to beef up Bush*'s claim he is a "War pResident" with all the "Unitary Executive" priveleges that go with it...If we are not engaged ina World War then Bush* does not have the authority he claims for himself..

[Megahurtz]

11. So he told us!

His cronies are already threatening World War III by threatening to attack Iran! A vote for McCain is a vote for the Draft! Pass it on!

[Tab]

12. Sure, if we were truly in a world war we'd have a draft

So, um, John, if you're not going to have a draft, how are you going to stock the army for your 100 year war?

I'm okay with a draft for a justified cause, but this war ain't it. And my son will be 18 in just under 6 years. I used to think that was beyond the time frame of this war, but I'm seriously doubting it now.

Are you going to do reservists from now on, until the end? "One weekend a month, my ass."

No?

Whatcha gonna do?

I'm not pushing a draft, and I sure as shit don't want to see my son die for this stupid war. A valid one, fine, but this is so contrived.

So, no draft, and you're going to pull this off with a volunteer army?

Or are you hoping we'll have better drones by then?

Ir pisses me off that Republicans (or at least this administration) paints us into a corner, then goes "yeah, well, smarty, how would YOU get out of here?". And we don't have an answer because THERE ARE NO FRICKIN' GOOD ANSWERS WHEN YOU MAKE IT TO THIS STAGE. All I can say is that we wouldn't have been stupid enough to paint us into the damned corner to FRICKIN' BEGIN WITH.

Sheesh.

[Virginia Dare]

13. He sure is little mary sunshine isn't he?...n/t

[ngant17]

27. I'm sure he's a 'little mary sunshine' for the military industrial complex

they must be in 7th heaven at the thought of a McSame Presidency.

[mod mom]

14. McCain '06: We're in the early stages of WW III

-snip

But McCain may be more open to the draft than it seems. During a July 2006 interview on CNN, McCain was asked about the following statement by Newt Gingrich: "We're in the early stages of what I would describes as the Third World War and, frankly, our bureaucracies aren't responding fast enough." Asked whether he agreed, McCain said:

"I do to some extent. I think it's important to recognize that we have terrorist organizations which -- who are dangerous by themselves, are now being supported by radical Islamic governments, i.e., the Iranians, which makes them incredibly more dangerous because they are trained, equipped, motivated and assisted in every way by the Iranians."
Also, as ThinkProgress noted, "Last October, President Bush himself warned of a coming 'World War III' with Iran. 'I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III,' said the President. 'It seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.'"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/25/mccain-world-war-iii-woul_n_109121.html

[KillCapitalism]

15. If that ever happens I'm outta here!

I'll seek political asylum in Venezuela if they'll allow it.

[bdamomma]

16. oh, what a SOB he is.

promoting death and destruction. I hate these people

[SpikeTss]

17. Funny thing about WW3

is that politicians can't start it. It's me and you, who fight WW3 and it's me and you, who can (and will, I'm sure) avoid it.

WE, the people say NO, and it doesn't happen. It really is very simple.

[onehandle]

18. Draft the children of the super-wealthy and politicians.

That would stop wars in a minute.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

19. What a load of crap. Is that why we have so many extra troops for Afghanistan?

[tuckessee]

33. Yeah! Cool! Let's punish children for sins of their parents.

BTW, how much jack do you or you old man make? You or your kids look kind of rich to me.

[damntexdem]

20. What does he mean by WW III?

By what has generally been meant by WW III, there wouldn't BE anyone to draft.

[bluestateguy]

21. Continuing wars in Iraq, Afghanistan AND Iran would require the draft

And seeing as how he has hinted at serving only one term, he just might do it.

[MaryEllen71]

22. I posted this reply in GD:P

but its worth repeating again: I have a nephew who is going to turn 18 next month.

JOHN MCCAIN YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM

[Ian David]

23. Four more tours! Four more tours! Yay, Stop-Loss!

:sarcasm:

[FarCenter]

25. WW III will be over, before your Selective Service Board has a chance to meet

[ngant17]

26. WWIII would possibly cause the near-extinction of Homo sapiens

If you look at the exponential increase in destructive capacity of WMDs from WWI and WWII, it's hard to imagine how McCain's WWIII might ever result in an armistice. The use of nuclear missles and atomic bombs should be expected if not a foregone conclusion.

The USA had the monopoly on atomic bombs during WWII, but this won't be the case in WWIII. There's really no telling how a war on that scale can be predicted, whether if it will ever even have a formal ending. For example, the 27 July 1953 armistice which officially ended the Korean War was never accepted by the South Korean government, it was only accepted between China, North Korea and the US. If, during a WWIII, Israel nukes some Arab countries, it's hard to imagine how this could ever be resolved peacefully in the long run.

For McCain to talk about a draft and WWIII at the same time, it is typical of his mindless, senseless, 'feel-good' posturing. He's living the the past from the Vietnam War days. A WWIII will make the draft irrevelant, what's the point of fighting when you will not even know how to define an enemy? You just can't have a war with the terrorists and non-terrorists painted in black and white, maybe it was easier to make a distinction between the Allies and the Axis, or between Communists and non-Communists, but those days don't exist anymore, today there isn't even a way to define who or what is a terrorist. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, to quote Yassar Arafat. Everyone will have their own definition.

And also, more important than defining the terrorist, during WWIII, thermonuclear radiation won't be restricted to national borderlines. So how can you even think about having a draft under those conditions which will surface during a hypothetical WWIII?

[scarface2004]

28. and WWIV, WWV, WWVI, WWVII, WWVIII, but not

WWIX or WWX thank god!!!!

[PittPoliSci]

30. is this a coming attraction?

eat shit mccain.

[slampoet]

31. So is he saying the draft wasn't justified during Koea and Vietnam?

[JerseygirlCT]

32. Was he rubbing his hands together gleefully at the time?

Frankly, I'm with Alex's mom: you can't have him.