Under what circumstances could you support a "draft"?

[kentuck]

As we know and as the rest of the world knows, we do not have the troops to send a hundred-thousand more to Iraq. This is a vulnerable security situation in some ways. What if, in a few hotspots around the world, some aggressive zealot decided to invade and slaughter the people against him? What if they were our allies? Would we ignore it because we do not have the troops to assist them? Or should we have a draft?

What if Mexico and a few South American countries started training 2 million insurgents on the border? Would you still be against a draft? Are you one of those that believe that if we have a large Army, we will be tempted to use it? Under what circumstances would you agree to fight for your country? Or do you think it's not worth fighting for and let those that do think it is worth it, volunteer to do the job?

[greyl]

1. None. nt

[april]

2. if we were in a very real War

[Kelly Rupert]

3. None.

The only condition in which I'd approve of a draft would be a major war in which the existence of the United States was threatened. However, the United States' nuclear deterrent renders that impossible. I can't think of a scenario in which our volunteer force would be insufficient.

[Ron Green]

4. All people from the age of 18 should be called up for 2 years.

Military training would be one option, but not the only one. National service a la Peace Corps, Vista, etc. would be a big part of it. Pay for the mandatory 2 years would be minimal, with the option to reenlist at a living wage after the initial hitch. NO exemptions for well-connected draftees. Everybody serves his or her country.

[Finder]

14. I agree with this and to go a bit further....

an option to sign up as a reserve for another 4 years with free college education.

Crime rates(18-25)would go down, education would go up, teen pregnancy will lower, etc...

[bullimiami]

5. WW2 we obviously had no choice but to fight. that is it.

i could support mandatory government service if you could choose to do it either with the military or in a non-military capacity like the peace corps, america corps etc as long as the military had no rights whatsoever to the non military personnel.

[slackmaster]

6. Full-scale invasion by the Great White North

Many people are blind to the very real military threat posed by Canada.

[TlalocW]

7. College Republicans and all other armchair generals called up first

Then maybe.

TlalocW

[SoftUnderbelly]

16. exactly what i would say

however, i think experience shows that even then the rich and powerful still find a way out.

[demnan]

8. If we had someone sane as President

n/t

[CTLawGuy]

9. none

it should be constitutionally abolished.

[BlueJazz]

10. I would support a draft IF it were written into law that....

...the American People would have to pay NOW for any action, conflict or war that the
Politicians ruled necessary. There would be no Bullshit about Borrowing the money from
the Debt...in short.."You Fuckers want to go to War??..Fine..Open up your wallets or savings
and Show me the Money"....also the amount you have to "fork over" would depend on your income.
You're Poor?..a few bucks. You're Rich? ..better sell that summer home, Pal.

That would put a stop to this crap pronto!

[RestoreGore]

11. None. It is unconstitutional n/t

[napi21]

12. If somehow the stupid Pubs managed to succeed at tryingto send

another 20,000 troops to Iraq, ANDattack Iran TOO! I wouldn't behappy with a draft, but I also think it's the only way to provide sufficient troops for an operation like that.

If there were a reinstitution of the Draft, and it was across the board with no exemptions, we'd see the end to waralmost instantly!

[LeFleur1]

13. Draft? After This Debacle? You've Got to Be Kidding.

There is absolutely no reason to institute a draft. The probability that the citizenry would elect an arrogant, slightly insane, history challenged, incompetent person as Commander in Chief and a bunch of nonthinking yahoos to back him/her up is reason enough to never, ever institute a draft. Any patriotic American would grab a weapon and head out if the country were really in danger.

[mike_c]

15. none-- if a cause is important enough to evoke national consensus...

...then it will draw people to fight for it. Otherwise conscription is involuntary servitude.

[Parche]

17. draft

For Republicans, right wingers, and constipated conservatives only..............ha

[LynneSin]

18. I like the concept of 2 years national service HOWEVER.....

...before we could sign that into law, we need an ironclad defination of what would constitute sending our troops into war with defined criteria.

When you have a war that is not approved by the UN (or at least NATO), supported by less than one-quarter of the nations (some of them questionable allies to boot) and financed around 90% by our country (we did get some token help from some of those allies) then clearly this isn't a justified war (like Kosovo) but an invasion.

If we can't meet those critera, then we do not have a war.

I never once bitched about why we had to go to Afghanistan. The shame is, if we had just focused on Afghanistan we might have gotten Bin Laden AND perhaps help turn the country around from it's repression (women btw, are still very much repressed there)