Prospect of a New Military Draft Drawing More Attention, Concern

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-draft14jul14.story

Prospect of a New Military Draft Drawing More Attention, Concern
By Elizabeth Mehren Times Staff Writer July 14, 2004

BOSTON — No law has been signed to revive the draft, and the president, the Pentagon and the presumed Democratic presidential nominee all oppose forced military service. Yet as fatalities in Iraq increase and as troops see their tours extended, there is a growing concern across the country that a draft may be in the offing.

At summer barbecues, kids' baseball tournaments and worksites, conversations focus on whether a new generation will be called to mandatory military duty. Parents, grandparents and others are wondering how long America can rely on volunteers and reservists to supply a strong defense.<snip>

America ended its lottery draft, based on birthdates, at the close of the Vietnam War 31 years ago. The system was rife with inequities, with money and social privilege helping many young men engineer an escape from military service. Others avoided the draft by continuing their education in college; some went so far as to have doctors attest to invented medical or psychological conditions.

Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) maintains that an all-volunteer military is just as unfair. The Korean War veteran has introduced legislation to mandate two years of military or civilian service for all young Americans. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.), a World War II veteran, is sponsoring a similar bill.<snip>

The Rangel and Hollings bills would make 18- to 26-year-olds eligible for the draft, with almost no exemptions. Those unfit for military service because to health or other impairments would perform community service. <snip>

[shoelace414]

1. here's hoping

this will put to rest the automagic "strong on defense because I have a (R) after my name" thing.

but it won't

[coloradodem2005]

2. I'll be 26 in October 2005.

Here's hoping that I won't get drafted. I hope they don't bring back the draft regardless though. I just do not believe in forcing people to serve.

[SheilaT]

3. I see no way to avoid a draft

if this country continues to get involved in war after war. I do think the administration is a little afraid to start one before the election, but don't put anything past them. Especially if there is a "terrorist attack" and it becomes clear we must invade yet another country.

Even without that scenario happening, the need to keep troops in Iraq is obviously putting a huge strain on the numbers of soldiers available. Does anyone really think that there will be enough volunteers out there to fulfill all the manpower needs? Maybe, if the economy is bad enough, but I'm not so sure.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Maybe that is why * torpedoed the economy. To make sure he has enough

soldiers to fight his land wars for him.

[Dems Will Win]

5. Don't want a DRAFT?? Vote for Kerry!!

The major media cover hardly anything that John Kerry says, especially if it is about the draft. So you would never know it, but John Kerry has a No-Draft Plan, a plan to strengthen the military in key areas yet draw down U.S. troop levels in Iraq by internationalizing the situation and then getting out as soon as possible.

Here are the five main points of Kerry’s No-Draft Plan:

1. Move some paper-pushers to combat (lots of potential there)

2. Increase enlistment with real scholarships, benefits and pay 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", said John Kerry on Meet The Press.

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.

Kerry gave some details about the proposed Civilian Stability Corps, made up of volunteers:

"...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 >

In April, on a conference call with 130 College Newspaper Editors, Kerry said “No Draft”, that he would have a sensible foreign policy that would not require reinstatement. And in June, Kerry told a Wisconsin high school that if elected, a draft would be "absolutely unnecessary".

Kerry’s plan calls for increasing active-duty troop levels by 40,000 people. He also doubles the number of Special Ops troops. Half the 40,000 being added are civil engineering and half are combat, costing an extra $7 billion, but it relieves the pressure on the Guard and Reserves for overseas deployments and essentially saves the Volunteer Army.

Kerry charges that Bush is ruining the Volunteer approach with long Guard and Reserve deployments and numerous stop-loss orders, which Kerry says is a “Back-door Draft”. Since Kerry will increase pay, benefits, scholarships and reduce long deployments of regular troops and the reserves, if he is elected the re-enlistment rates and recruitment rates will return to normal. Recently, troops returning from Iraq are reportedly leaving the Service in huge numbers, although denied by DoD (see David Hackworth, Voting With their Feet http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38644).

With this No-Draft Plan, Kerry will not have to resort to conscription, even after Bush has made such a mess of it in Iraq. Kerry has also pledged that he will push renewable energy development and true energy independence, “so that we never again have soldiers dying for oil”.

Kerry has criticized the inequality of the draft, that the poor and minorities are inducted in higher numbers than their fair share and that the draft is a source of conflict. John Kerry will not reinstate the draft—outside of the invasion of the United States by China or something like that.

The choice is thus clear to all voters. Vote for Bush and you are also voting for the resumption of the draft—to man his hidden agenda of invading more countries and staying in Iraq forever.

Or vote for Kerry and you are voting PNAC out of the White House, and with it Bush’s hidden agenda to bring back the draft so U.S. companies can dominate the world’s remaining oil supply.

BUSH '04 = DRAFT '05

KERRY '04 = PNAC OUT THE DOOR!!

[SheilaT]

6. Does Kerry have some kind of plan

I've missed about getting out of Iraq? Just saying that other countries have to help out. . . well, have you noticed that other countries are pulling their troops out rather than sending more in?

Kerry is on the right track with plans to improve pay and benefits, but I think the current administration has rigged things so that a draft will be very difficult to avoid, no matter who is in the White House in 2005. And they get to win either way. If they're in power, it's because the world is such a terrible and dangerous place and American Military Might is necessary to make us all safe. If Kerry is the President, then it will be his failed foreign policy that makes it necessary.

I am not looking forward to the next few years, no matter which man wins.

[Dems Will Win]

7. Have to disagree strongly.

I disagree about the potential Senator Kerry has for resolving the mess in Iraq. Remember Yugoslavia? All the different factions, Bosnia, Kosovo, Serbia fighting each other and and had fought for centuries??

However Bill Clinton couldn't manage to keep his pants zipped, you must admit that he and Richard Holbrooke did a far better job of winning the peace in Bosnia, Kosovo and Serbia than Bush and Cheney did in Iraq and Afghanistan. Remember the former Yugoslavia, where three separate factions were

It's a little thing called "nation-building", something before 9/11 Bush has said he didn't plan on ever doing. Now we know why!

He's terrible at it.

And guess who Kerry has already identified as the potential Secretary of State? Richard Holbrooke.

Kerry will make a deal with the French for the turbines Baghdad needs for electricity, which Bush will NEVER do. He will bring in international troops and he will also go directly after OBL in Pakistan with Special Ops.

As to when the war would end--who the Cheney knows? I just think Bush is totally corrupt and will never relinquish control of the oil and intends to invade more oil-bearing countries. Kerry obviously has no plans to.

So he does not need the DRAFT. And if Kerry is elected the enlistment and re-up rates will go back to normal as the GIs will trust a Silver Star winner over President AWOL.