If we currently had a draft, would War protests be a daily event?

[trumad]

Would college campuses resemble college campuses of the sixties --- Kent State perhaps?

Would the indignation regarding this war be considerably more than it is today?

I say you bet.....

[ellacott]

1. Most Definately, I went to Kent State during that time

There were many adults who were also protesting, along with many republicans.

[Dems Will Win]

16. TOP 5 DRAFT MYTHS DEBUNKED!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2767636

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. Of course it would.

The draft was an ENORMOUS part of why the anti-war movement of the sixties was more energetic than the anti-war movement of today. A hell of a lot of people at those rallies, like my father, had a very good chance of being shipped off to die in Vietnam without their permission or consent. My father got a deferrment (heart condition he didn't even know he had) but might have gone to Canada if drafted. He did not want to have to do this. It was a terrible time in his life. That's a far cry from today, when I would say the majority of the anti-war movement don't have anywhere near as much at stake personally.

[Karmageddon]

3. I think that's the plan. That's why Rangel is proposing the idea.

[RethugAssKicker]

5. I think you;re right... But it is still dishonest, mainpulative and will

backfire... A stupid thing to propose at this juncture in time!

[trumad]

7. Not if we hammer it in this context....

[ellacott]

11. It's not going to backfire because it wouldn't pass

It wouldn't pass and the reason to bring it up for debate is not to vote on it but to have it documented in the public record.

People are scared but there is nothing to worry about. The last time it came up for a vote is was defeated 402 to 2. Rangel voted against it.

[Guaranteed]

19. It's not dishonest or manipulative at all. For one, Rangel is totally

forthcoming about his reasoning, arguing that the responsibilities for defending our nation should be spread evenly between our upper, middle, and lower classes. He explicitly says that he wants those with power to have second thoughts about sending our troops to war.

That's not a manipulative position to take, either- it's the morally upright one. It's morally repugnant to place that responsibility on the poorest of our country.

His position is not only politically viable, it's the right thing to do.

[RethugAssKicker]

4. 100 x Worst..

When it hits home...Boy thats when people REALLy take notice...

[Cleita]

6. You betcha it would.

That's why the anti-war movement started on the campuses. They talked to their friends coming back from 'nam, and realized that they were next once their student deferment was over. Also, many vets were going to college under their VA benefits and they spread the word as well as participating.

[BOSSHOG]

8. And a whole bunch of folks at FR would discover their gayness

[EdwardM]

9. I'd certainly protest Rep. Rangel's office daily.

[lapfog_1]

10. The folks at home here have already reached a conclusion

on the war. It's over and we lost. Time to get on to other things and worry about "islam-o-fascism" if it ever shows up here. McCain is going to cook himself with his "last big push" and 20,000 more troops. Nobody is going to give that the time of day. Bush will ignore the will of the people and "stay the course" (no matter what he calls it), so the war will continue, Bush will drop to the low 20's in the opinion polls and nothing else will change (we will still be dying over there, 2 to 3 every day). Instituting the draft right now would end the war and, possibly, impeach Bush and Cheney. Discussing it will help highlight the hypocrisy of the chicken hawks (We want war, we don't want OUR children to fight it!).

[Warpy]

12. Only in college towns

That was the pattern during the last stupidly planned, unwinnable war. The folks in suburbia shared the hubris of Vietnam: more bombs, more bodies, more money would certainly win that war.

I remember the memes when one of their sons got drafted: "The military might be the making of him, he's soft and they'll whip him into shape, it's his DUTY, not all of them get sent to Vietnam and some of them come back whole, blah blah blah"

Never underestimate the ability of the average suburbanite or rural town dweller to rationalize an insane situation, even when it hits home.

[jgraz]

13. Remember the HUGE anti-war protests after Nixon ended the draft in '72?

Me neither.

[whoneedstickets]

14. This is both a true and sad observation

Because it suggests that self-interest, and not real anti-war sentiment, was the primary motivator behind the 60's anti-war movement. I used to idealize that era, but more and more it seems the baby-boom generation wasn't full of principled world changers but simply self-serving brats. Ergo the materialistic 80s, religious revival 90's and the warmongering 00s are simply outgrowths of that demographic's decay.

[trumad]

15. Great post

it is sad....

[RethugAssKicker]

18. Don't look at it that way.. .The sixties civilized this country....

They can not get away with half the things they used to be able to.. The people are too smart now.... They have to devise all types of tricks to accomplish their dirty covert actions....

Some of those used-to-be protestors are now conservative, but the ideologies are not dead. The spirit lives on. Trust me, the sixties changed everything for the better. Thank God for them.... Why do you think the Rethugs hate the sixites so much???

[whoneedstickets]

21. You're probably right...

But it often looks to me like the activists, the believers (perhaps fulfilled?), dropped out of politics to grow organic vegetables and practice aroma therapy while the rest made a killing on Wall St., bought a McMansion in the burbs, sent their kids to private school and, when middle age hit hard, found Jesus just in time for 2004.

The Rolling Stones sold out ages ago, Hell even Bob Woodward looked like a W. sycophant for a while!

[RethugAssKicker]

22. No, thats what the MSM says..... Its just more misinformation

We're still out there. It is very important for Neo-Cons to paint a bad picture
of the former protestors/agitators of the sixties... In order to show America, that it was a failure, a false idealism. The sixties to me was the birth of America. The dawning of a new way of thinking here in America. They know it was. Thats why they hate that period so much, and do their best to overturn the accomplishments gained by that period....

Yes the Reagan era slowed it down, and RW talk radio has done damage.. But it won't be turned around... this RW shit is just potholes in our progressive road to the future!!

[sinkingfeeling]

17. Of course, people would be putting the pressure on this crappy administration

to stop starting more wars!

[JVS]

20. Is it worth getting more people killed so that old farts can recreate...

college campuses to fit their nostalgia for the vietnam era?

[David Zephyr]

23. Yes. Which is why Rangel is pushing the debate.

Even the talk of the draft, gives, shall we say "perspective" to a lot of chicken-hawks in college and to their Republican parents.

One of my dearest friends said two years ago, "Want to end the war in Iraq today? Bring back the draft."

Thanks for your salient question.