Another year, another call for a draft
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/...military_draft

This seems like a yearly deal, and this is the second time that this particular Congressman has called for a draft.

If the volunteer thing craters, I wouldn't have a problem with a reserve-style mobilization of a large part of the American population.

I think Congressman Rangel is using this as a political ploy to bolster disgust for going to war...

I think it will backfire against him...

For some reason, historically, the Democrats are known for instituting drafts...

The armed forces expanded the age-ranges upto 45ish? :confused: So, I still could go over to that insanity... I am unsure if Bush would allow a "draft"--he said he would not in 2004. But things change.

Rangel does this a lot. He's a bizarre bird. It's his way of saying he doesn't like the war. I'm sure glad my tax dollars support his quest to not achieve any results.

-Rudey

"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," Rangel said."

I don't believe that history would support that contention.

First, though, don't young men of eighteen already have to register for the Draft, even though involutary conscription is not in force at this point in time?

Second, my experience with an active draft during the 60's is that the sons of influential people, particularly politicians, indicates that those young men probably wouldn't serve unless they wanted to.

Our President is a case in point. His father allegedly managed to use some political clout to get him in the National Guard. That was not at all uncommon, while there were long waiting lists for the Guard and Reserves for ordinary people.

I suspect that Congressman Rangle knows that a draft won't ever happen unless there is a very serious major military threat to our country.

Great publicity, though.

i registered for selective service

Eighteen year old men do have to register still. I'm not sure of all the penalties of not registering, but you definitely don't get government student loans if you don't . And you can't work a government job.

Exactly and if you are familiar with with Rangel's Congressional district in upper Manhattan and a bit of the lower Bronx it has a population that will most likely get the crappiest assignments during a draft because the majority is neither wealthy nor white. Just note how he only brought this issue back up after his re-election. I doubt his at least 90% democrat district is pro-war or pro-draft.

As the sister of a Gulf War II soldier, I can tell you that there will be call-backs of the reserves before a draft is instuted. I do believe an official statement went out last week, regarding the re-calling up of reserve units.

For the record, I am opposed to this whole debacle, but that is my opinion, and I cannot change what has already happened. But we can change what will come.

It was interesting of listening to the radio this morning about the debate on drafting. I personally don't believe by drafting will prevent the war, because politicians will always have a way to prevent their sons to go into war. And because the increase amount of soldiers enlisted, it would just give them more of an excuse to go into a war because they have enough man power.

I believe it should be voluntary. There are plenty people who are willing to fight for this country with their lives. Though a veteran on the radio also stated that he and several of his friends got recalled like 3-4 times already just because we don't have enough soldiers.

Then there was a debate about military training is good mental development for teenagers because it'll help them to become more mature because of the tense training.

Some countries actually have mandatory military training school for young boys between the age of 18-20 something. I don't believe they are drafted because they can choose at the end of training. I may be wrong though...:confused:

Then I heard this lady on the radio, she got so freaked out she said she would run over her son's legs if that ever happen...

I guess my take overall is that there should not be a draft, but recommend teenagers to enroll a year of military school which does not mean they are enlisted as a veteran. Maybe at the end, they would voluteer themselves and we don't have to force them.

DeltaAlum is right, I had forgotten what it was like for folks who got drafted vs. some folks who found a way out during 'Nam.

Elimination of the draft and all volunteer military is what the 60's and 70's was mostly about. Because of the "price" that was paid by myriads of college students risking their lives on what was thought as an unjust "war", the policy of the US changed... Now, the official documentation has not changed. The draft can be reinstituted.

And "giving a year away" for military duty for young people still means to the military that they own their asses. Period. The military does not understand that someone wants to undergo just boot camp training and not fight. You sign your name on the dotted line means they start to own you. Period. Every military person has told me this comment.

There are quite of few service persons on GC. They all stated they want an all volunteer service. Because folks want to be there. I don't know what some of them think about their duty in the current situation. I do know they know the risks, associated.

All I would want is the service personnel to not get screwed when they get back...

Monet,

Some comments to add to your thoughts.

While you're right about the college students, the Draft hit other groups harder. The average "grunt" draftee in Nam was a 19 year old minority with a high school diploma or less. They had basically no chance of getting in the Guard/Reserves.

It was documented at one time that the all voluntary Army was better educated, better trained and better equipped.

I think the problem is that right now, it isn't big enough and so the continued deployment and redelployment of Guard and Reserve formations, and recruitment is down, partially because of questions about the war itself and our prosecution of it.

I particularly agree with your final sentence, although present members are held in much higher esteem than were Vietnam Era vets -- which is wonderful. It wasn't much fun for veterans in the 60's and 70's.

I was in Army ROTC, and still almost was drafted when I missed a semester of college due to illness in my family.

No it wasn't - my dad still tells stories of things people said to him when he got back from his tour in Vietnam in the early 70's. Just really awful stuff that people said, from the moment he got back and for some time after.

that is just plain wrong, no matter what you think of the war, its not the soliders fault, the soldiers never start the war.

To quote from Scarborough Fair...

"Generals order their soldiers to kill,
And to fight for a cause,
They have long ago forgotten..."

There have been some just wars...but no good ones.