Worth a repost (Dems Will Win) - Kerry: No Draft.

[blm]

There are some confused posters who still are unaware of Kerry's views on the draft. This post from April may help.


Dems Will Win
Original message
Kerry: "NO DRAFT"
http://www.alligator.org/edit/news/issues/stories/040414kerry.html
Kerry pitches policy
Senator, college students confer
By JUSTIN HEMLEPP
Alligator Staff Writer
April 14, 2004
Calling his presidential candidacy “a pretty stark choice” from that of the current administration, Sen. John Kerry promised to help college students cope with rising tuition costs, if he is elected.
In an effort to engage younger voters, Kerry kicked off a tour of college campuses Tuesday and an afternoon teleconference with more than 130 student journalists from across the country.
-snip-
Kerry has indicated he plans to bolster the number of men and women in the American military with existing Pentagon funds by creating two divisions.
Asked if his plan to add the divisions to America’s fighting forces would require conscription, Kerry quickly replied, “No. No draft.”
The choice between the two on this issue is now clear.

This summer Bush is reducing DRAFT ACTIVATION time by having the SSS conduct NATIONWIDE EXERCISES to test the whole system, even to the point of filling all DRAFT BOARD vacancies and gearing up the Alternative Service for COs for the first time in three decades. The SSS this summer is finalizing the 2 documents needed for the AS to start up, the SOP identifying ASW employers and the MOUs those employers will have to sign to get those cheap, unassigned workers. THis is the last essential piece that had to be activated before the March 31 report. (On March 31, 2005, the SSS must report it is ready to conscript within 75 days of authorization rather than the current 193 days!!!)
http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html
Kerry's NO-DRAFT plan to raise 40,000 additional troops and avoid reinstatement of the draft is added up this way (my synthesis of what Kerry talks about when asked):
1. Move some paper-pushers to combat (lots of potential there)
2. Increase enlistment with real scholarships and pay, benefit raises
3. Let troops know Special Ops will hunt al-Queda, no more invasions needed, so re-up rate goes up. "Primarily a law enforcement effort, not a full military effort", say JK on MTP 4/18/04.
4. Start a "Civilian Stability Corps" that would help in reconstructing Afghanistan and Iraq and relieve military pressure.
5. GET FOREIGN TROOPS TO COME INTO INSTEAD OF LEAVE IRAQ!!

The 40,000 new troops DO NOT go to Iraq but relieve the divisions in Korea and elsewhere and THEY GO.
http://www.candidatemap.com
"...I propose that we enlist thousands of them in a Civilian Stability Corps, a reserve organization of volunteers ready to help win the peace in troubled places. Like military reservists, they will have peacetime jobs; but in times of national need, they will be called into service to restore roads, renovate schools, open hospitals, repair power systems, draft a constitution, or build a police force. A Civilian Stability Corps can bring the best of America to the worst of the world—and reduce pressure on the military."
< Source: Kerry, John. "Protecting Our Military Families in Times of War: A Military Family Bill of Rights." March 17, 2004. http://johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0317.html >
With this NO-DRAFT PLAN, Kerry will not have to resort to conscription, even after Bush screwed the whole thing up.

Also don't forget how Kerry won the Silver Star. He got fed up being shot at from the same place on the river so he ordered something not really allowed by the brass--a full frontal attack by 3 swift boats with guns roaring on the Vietcong emplacement--which left one VC soldier running off with an RPG. Kerry then beaches his boat and jumps OVERBOARD with an M-16 onto the land and chases him down. Shots are heard and Kerry returns with the RPG.

To me that bodes well for a President Kerry addressing the War on Terror. He will go right for the Saudi network that funds it all. Don't forget he put Bin Mahfouz, OBL's brother-in-law, under house arrest for BCCI and had him fined $225 million. And he will go renewable energy and for energy independence and has said over and over no more soldiers will die for oil!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. I hope that we ALL understand that we MUST be UNITED to.....

save the country from the Fascist currently in power!

:kick:

[Wickerman]

2. excellent post - this is a keeper!

I'm bookmarking this one - lays out the differences in a way anyone with a kid draft age can weigh options.

[blm]

4. Dems Will Win deserves the credit. He posted this last month

but it seems too many folks here missed it and are spreading false claims that Kerry supports a draft.

[carols]

3. Well he had my vote before, but now he has my active participation...

...in his campaign. Those were the magic words for me...two words that I have waited so long to hear "NO DRAFT." :-)
Carol

[blm]

11. Great...now we need a few thousand more folks like you.

;)

[neverborn]

5. The 18-24 year old vote must go...

These two words MUST unite the 18-24 year olds for Kerry. Unfortunately, I think for 18-24 year olds to realize how important voting is, Bush* may need to implement the draft. When it's them in danger, when it's their friends in danger -- they will realize -- oh crap, this is real. I could get drafted. I could die.

NO DRAFT.

[TNOE]

6. This is a very important point

and frankly - I just don't understand why Bush's supporters can't help him out a little bit more and just get their kids signed up.... I mean I saw on one of their websites that they were willing to drive their kids themselves to sign up - but I'm just not seein the long lines............ typical to talk the talk but not walk the walk. If his re-selection is so important to them, you'd think they would happily volunteer this offspring.

[blm]

7. That's a good point. If they want Bush to succeed in Iraq they should sign

up their kids for duty.

[Andy_Stephenson]

8. I have problems with this...Am I the only one here making...

the connection?

"...I propose that we enlist thousands of them in a Civilian Stability Corps, a reserve organization of volunteers ready to help win the peace in troubled places. Like military reservists, they will have peacetime jobs; but in times of national need, they will be called into service to restore roads, renovate schools, open hospitals, repair power systems, draft a constitution, or build a police force. A Civilian Stability Corps can bring the best of America to the worst of the world—and reduce pressure on the military."

To that I have one name to mention...Nick Berg. If they don't want our troops there...What makes him think they want our "Civilian Stability Corps" there "drafting their Constitution?" No! I think the only way to achieve peace is to stop messing in other countries business. That will go a hell of a lot further than putting young kids into hostile situations to rebuild infrastructure we destroy. No military Draft good thing. How would these young people survive with no military training? Frankly I think his plan is a defacto draft...

[blm]

9. You do know the difference between "enlist" and "draft" don't you?

Of course you do. Anyone running for office would know the difference.

[oasis]

10. 4 more Bush years=PNAC expansion of "War on Terror"=draft. (n/t)

[KayLaw]

12. Different from what I read

I must admit that I am confused. On a Peak Oil site I visit, the young man who is promoting his book suggests there will be a draft should Kerry be elected. Honestly, that is my main campaign issue at this point. I have a son who could be drafted and I could not bear the thought of him fighting for oil, side by side, with someone like that Lyndie England person. I want Kerry to look straight into a camera and promise that will not happen.

[blm]

13. The quote above IS from Kerry.

There are some alarmists going around spreading false rumors that Kerry will be drafting. That goes against everything Kerry has been about for over 30 years.

[Dems Will Win]

14. This is Dems Will Win--and they will because of the DRAFT!

Thanks BLM, for reposting this. It's very important that people understand the difference between the two candidates for President of the United States.

Since I posted this, the Seattle PI reported that the Selective Service gave Congress a 6-page set of recommendations to consider. They are very busy bees over at the SSS all of a sudden.

They had to get the proposal through the FOI Act!

No wonder because Bush had them recommend the DRAFTING OF WOMEN FOR THE REGULAR MILITARY DRAFT AND TO RAISE THE AGE FROM 26 TO 34!

This is because under the PNAC Plan, Wes Clark reported Iraq was only the first of 6 more countries to be overthrown. Since the Russkies will put up a fight over their old Republics and the Chinese will join in, Bush will literally need to DRAFT MILLIONS for Dubya Dubya III. I might point out the Medical DRAFT is designed to DRAFT 80,000 doctors and nurses PER YEAR.

That's stitching up an awful lot of IED wounds and declaring a lot of people dead.

Meanwhile JOHN KERRY, who really dislikes the DRAFT, has put forth a fairly well considered NO-DRAFT plan--first of which is to not invade more nations and to treat al-Queda as the law enforcement/Special Ops issue it is now.

The Civilian Stability Corps is a government corps and replaces the corruption of all that contracting. THEY ARE VOLUNTEERS. They will be the Special Ops of Engineering, restoring police and infrastructure but they will be civilian government employees. Like Special Ops Peace Corps. I wouldn't join but there are plenty of people who would especially if PRESIDENT KERRY went on TV to ask them to join up and HELP AFGHANISTAN, HELP IRAQ.

The choice is clear.

BUSH '04 = DRAFT '05

KERRY '04 = PNAC OUT THE DOOR!!

[Dems Will Win]

15. here's my DRAFT TIMELINE

Impending Draft Timeline


1994 - The Grand Chessboard by Zbignew Brzezinski compares Central Asia to a
chess game with Russia and China--which must eventually result in an
American "win". Control of the world's oil supply and dominance in the 21st
Century is at stake, as cheap oil ends in the 2010s. Noting that the Central
Asian Republics are infinitely more important than any other region--save
the Mideast--because "an enormous concentration of natural gas and oil
reserves is located in the region, in addition to important minerals,
including gold. Any successful American policy must focus on Eurasia as a
whole and be guided by a Geostrategic design.That puts a premium on maneuver
and manipulation in order to prevent the emergence of a hostile coalition
that could eventually seek to challenge America's primacy."

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0465027261/102-5321285-9753763?v=glance



1990s - "Project For A New American Century" and other right-wing
organizations develop strategy for a "uni-polar world" ruled by the United
States with many US bases in the Mideast and Central Asia. Invading Iraq
and controlling the world's oil supply becomes the Neo-Con manifesto.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/nightline/DailyNews/pnac_030310.html

http://www.presentdanger.org/pdf/frontier/1031neocon.pdf

Article by Will Pitt:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article1665.htm

http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf



September 11, 2001 - The 9-11 Attack. A "War on Terror" is begun by Bush
with the agreement of the Congress. In the mission of the Selective Service,
it is stated that the Volunteer Army is only intended for peacetime. In
case of war, the nation may turn to the Selective Service. That is why it
must always be kept as an option, even if dormant.



January 8, 2002 - On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed the No Child
Left Behind Act, supposedly to provide accountability education policies.
Yet hidden within the 670-page piece of legislation is Section 9528: ".each
local educational agency receiving assistance under this Act shall provide,
on a request made by military recruiters or an institution of higher
education, access to secondary school students names, addresses, and
telephone listings." All schools must comply with this unfunded mandate or
they lose their federal funding. This amounts to legislated blackmail for
student names. The act also says: "A secondary school student or the parent
of the student may request that the student's name, address, and telephone
listing . not be released without prior written parental consent, and the
local educational agency or private school shall notify parents of the
option to make a request and shall comply with any request."

http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html



Early 2003 - Iraq War, 250,000 out of 480,000 active-duty troops deployed,
conquer Iraq within a few weeks. Yet the U.S. has no plan ready for
reconstruction or democracy and Iraqis, happy at liberation from Saddam,
grow sour at the slow pace, the continued lack of electricity and fuel and
the isolated civil control of the CPA. Garner soon replaced by Bremer who
is no better at speeding up Reconstruction, and the resistance grows with
disaffected Iraqis, old regrouped Baathists and new foreign fighters.
Except for the British, substantial foreign troops are impossible, given
Bush's desire to keep total control of Iraq. The lack of diplomacy,
planning and incompetence adds years to the time high US troop levels will
be needed to maintain control of Iraq and rebuild and exploit its oilfields.



Summer 2003 - Philadelphia Draft Board members "unexpectedly" told to
recruit new members for Board vacancies during Summer training. (from Nov. 3
Salon article)

http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2003/11/03/draft/index_np.html



July 25, 2003 - World Net Daily article on plans for the medical draft
(HCPDS). System could draft up to 80,000 doctors, nurses and specialists,
men and women.

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33754



September 3, 2003 - The Congressional Budget Office warns that "the Army
lacks sufficient active-duty forces to maintain its current level of nearly
150,000 troops in Iraq beyond next spring (march 2004). "The Army does not
have enough active-duty component forces to simultaneously maintain the
occupation at its current size, limit deployments to one year, and sustain
all of its other commitments"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A16689-2003Sep2?language=printer



September 23, 2003 - Draft Board Recruitment ad appears on Defense.Link
site. First public ad for Draft Boards in decades. Page scrubbed within a
few days of being noticed by some media in early November. Spokesman says
there is "no plan" to reinstate draft, which must be authorized by Congress.
http://www.defendamerica.mil/articles/sss092203.html

http://www.thememoryhole.org/mil/draft-boards.htm



October 16, 2003 - Donald Rumsfeld memo leaks, saying Iraq "will be a long,
hard slog". www.usatoday.com/news/washington/ executive/rumsfeld-memo.htm



Nov. 4, 2003 - NY Times article on Army Honor Guard Company B being sent to
MidEast, revealing how thin troops are being stretched to cover the
2004-2005 rotation.

http://villagenews.weblogger.com/stories/storyReader$10007



Nov. 5, 2003 - Toronto Star article quotes Ned Lebow "This (draft board ad)
is significant", Lebow, a presidential scholar at Dartmouth College in New
Hampshire and former professor of strategy at the National War College in
Washington, adds, "What the department of defence is doing is creating the
infrastructure to make the draft a viable option should the administration
wish to go this route."
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1068073289288&call_pageid=968332188854



Nov. 5, 2003 - Guardian article on Draft Board ad. SSS spokesman Amon said
80% of 11,000 Draft Board slots are vacant. (2,000 local boards, over 8,000
empty seats) http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1077906,00.html



Nov. 12, 2003 - "If President Bush is re-elected, it is likely that he will
reinstate the draft. The war on terrorism will not end in Iraq, but instead
will proceed into countries like Syria and Iran," said Daniel Ellsberg, of
Pentagon Papers fame.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/11122003/news/60246.htm



November, 2003 - Selective Service 2004 "Performance Plan" summarizes how
$28 million will be allocated in 2004 to reduce draft activation time from
current 8 months to just 75 days. Nation-wide Readiness Exercises, testing
the Draft Lottery and examination system, as well as gearing up the Medical
Draft (3.4 million doctors and nurses, men and women age 20-44 are
eligible). Ominously, the Alternative Service delivery system for
Conscientious Objectors is readied for the first time in decades, with the
SSS being funded to compile lists of available Alternative Service jobs for
those who win non-military CO status. All systems will be pushed to reach
95% readiness during 2004.

http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html



Nov. 23, 2003 - Boston Globe article: "Army Reserve battling an exodus
War is seen as drain on ranks. The US Army Reserve fell short of its
reenlistment goals this fiscal year, underscoring Pentagon fears that the
protracted conflict in Iraq could cause a crippling exodus from the armed
services."
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2003/11/23/army_reserve_battling_an_exodus/



Nov. 24, 2003 - NY Times: Army plans for 100,000 troops until 2006 in Iraq.

http://www.iht.com/articles/118775.html



Nov. 26, 2003 - Ron Paul (R-TX) says "Draft likely to be reinstated".
http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul144.html



December, 2003 - Draft Board Recruitment ad re-appears on the Selective
Service Home Page with 2 new sentences stressing the ad has "NO connection"
to Iraq. http://www.sss.gov



Dec. 4, 2003 - Ted Rall predicts Bush will "have to bring back the draft."
Notes 8,000 empty Draft Board seats to be filled by Spring 2005. Wonders
about a "February (2005) Surprise" if Bush is re-elected.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=127&ncid=742&e=7&u=/uclicktext/20031204/cm_ucru/acolddraft



December 22, 2003 - In an article entitled "Beware of Attempts to Revive
Military Draft," Newsday reports that "the Center on Conscience and War.
executive director, J. E. McNeil. has heard of rumblings, from the
Republican side of the aisle in Congress, about a draft after the election".
The opinion piece worries whether a revived draft "would give this
war-without-end presidency an endless source of warm bodies to pursue its
cowboy foreign policy." Author Keeler also wonders about a "February (2005)
Surprise".

http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vpkee223594883dec22,0,6735184.story?coll=ny-viewpoints-headlines



December, 2003 - The Selective Service Register magazine talks about the new
Special Skill Draft, a top priority for Director Lewis Brodsky. Like the
Medical Draft, the Special Skills Draft will induct men and women up to age
44 if they have needed DoD skills like computer expertise, engineering or
they are a linguist. As with the health care draftees, no medical
deferments are allowed except for total disability. Anyone with these
skills will have to register with the SSS if Bush is re-elected and asks
Congress for this. Moving quickly!

http://www.sss.gov/PDFs/NovDec2003-Register.pdf (go to P. 6) - from sss,gov
home page



December 29, 2003 - WP article: "Army Stops Many Soldiers >From Quitting,
Orders Extend Enlistments to Curtail Troop Shortages" 40,000 soldiers and
Guard put on Stop-Loss. A "Draft Per Se" already exists! With the new
stop-loss orders the Armed Forces actually go 20,000 past 480,000 active
troops, to 500,000 active troops, the maximum before Congress steps in.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36979-2003Dec28.html

[blm]

17. I think they have operatives spreading the rumor there is no difference

hoping it will not become an issue. I think they also expect it will suppress voter turnout on the left.

That's what they do.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

16. Bookmarking

[Dems Will Win]

18. Here's what's about to happen this summer:

The official Selective Service site clearly says that $28 million is being spent this summer to have the draft ready for activation within 75 days by March 31, 2005, conveniently AFTER the 2004 election. All Bush has to do is say "We are not going to Cut and Run from Iraq, but we have no more men. THe Pentagon has told me we need to activate the Selective Service System". The scrubbed Draft Board recruitment ad (the first in decades), was just the tip of the following $28 million iceberg headed for a home near you:

http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html

Strategic Goal 1: Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Manpower Delivery Systems (Projected allocation for FY 2004 – $7,942,000)

Strategic Goal 2: Improve overall Registration Compliance and Service to the Public (Projected allocation FY 2004 – $8,769,000)

Strategic Goal 3: Enhance external and internal customer service
(Projected allocation for FY 2004 – $10,624,000)

Strategic Goal 4: Enhance the system which guarantees that each conscientious objector is properly classified, placed, and monitored.(Projected allocation for FY 2004 – $955,000)

Total=$28,290,000



An annual report providing the results of the implementation of these performance
measures will be submitted by March 31, 2005. This report will address attained versus
planned levels of performance, explain unattained target levels, and identify where and
how strategies, performance goals, and performance indicators should be changed to
ensure that the SSS reaches its strategic and annual goals and objectives.

tie that paragraph to this one:

Strategic Objective 1.2: Ensure a mobilization infrastructure of 56 State Headquarters,
442 Area Offices and 1,980 Local Boards are operational within 75 days of an authorized
return to conscription.

They are reducing draft activation time to 75 days from the current 7-8 months. The first draft lottery according to this official document could be June 15, 2005.

Question: why does a dormant agancy need to be ready to answer all correspondence in 10 days?

They said "no plans" yet they are conducting nation-wide exercises far beyond what is needed for a dormant agency. This is really a plan to get the whole system ready for activation within the 75 days proscribed, although Congress must authorize the actual activation. They are trying to stop this discussion by saying "no plans", making everybody think it's off the table. They just mean Bush has "no plans" to ask Congress at this time. Yet on April 1, 2005, according to this he could ask for activation and have it in 75 days.

[oasis]

19. kick

[blm]

20. thanks again, DWW.

kicking this new info.