Is the Next Step a Draft?

I see no reason NOT to have a draft. Every able body person should fulfill at least 2 years of service to their country. These Iraq veterans need a break from all this. No one should have to serve 5 tours in a combat zone. Our young men and women deserve better. I served during vietnam, there was a draft then, we need one now. PLUS some of these congress people sons and daughters should be taken in, maybe we won’t be so quick to jump into something before exploring other options. Rumsfield reminds me of McNamara during the Johnson years.. Nothing but lies there also… And Jimmy Carter, by not standing up to the Iranians during the hostage crisis, just emboldened these radicals.

If there’s a draft it should be limited to the states that voted for Bush.
I don’t know why New York or California should send sons and daughters off to die for Bush’s mad experiment.

Considering that the occupation of Iraq has already lasted longer than the US involvement in WWII, or WWI, or the Korean War, and will be soon approaching the length of the Civil War, I think a draft would be the final nail in the coffin for public support of this war.

It may be political suicide to state it, but I’d rather have leaders that tell us what we need to know not what we want to here. Since the voting public was happy with the direction our country was being taken by this administration, they should now be willing to put their money (or in this case, their children) where there mouth/vote is. We can’t have our cake and eat it to. The Neo-Conservative agenda of the administration advocates our ability and wilingness to use force to advance our foreign policy. That requires a military fully manned, trained, and equipped to meet the challenge. Either change the foreign policy or accept the necessity of a draft.

YEAH, LETS HAVE A DRAFT. IT WOULD BE FASCINATING TO WATCH ALL OF THESE CONSERVATIVE “CHICKEN HAWKS” MORPH INTO “PEACE DOVES”

Washington Post Tom Ricks’ greatest fear is that instability in Iraq will lead to instability in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Should the House of Saud fall, al Qaeda might get “the oil,” and should Musharraf fall, “the bomb.” But unlike Vietnam, the domino theory is quite possible. And we should not kid ourselves that these global militant jihadist won’t be willing to commit the “altruistic murder” of infidels and apostates in order to realize their dream of establishing a pan-Islamic caliphate–they are more than willing to “destroy the world in order to save it.” [I think that global militant jihadism is a clear and present danger to the United States; unfortunately like Europe in 1938, we have yet to wake up to the reality that political Islam is now on the march.]
As James Madison said in Federalist #57, “the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed….” [Think of Giuliani/Bratton’s success of making NYC governable again by flooding the streets with cops in order to reestablish law and order.] In his pre-war professional judgment, how many troops did General Shinseki say was needed to establish law and order in Iraq? Now in our current worst-case situation, how many more troops are now needed? [As an aside, note that John Murtha has called for reinstituting the draft.]

Our troops have been to Iraq on to many tours as it is , if there were a draft many would not go just like vietnam , i know that because i was drafted , only 650 thousand honored the draft but over 15 million did not including
dick cheney, it is time for our troops that are active to say go to hell, we have been mislead as John MCCain finally came forward this week to say that, we should leave Iraq, i spent 2 tours in vietnam for what?? now we have men spending more then 2 tours in Iraq for what??? we should hold those accountable for misleading the people of the usa.

oh, here we go again, blaming this on another administration! No, this is BUSH’S BABY

The lack of a draft, along with the refusal
to violate political correctness for purposes of screening airline passengers, proves that the so-called “war on terror” is not the
desperate struggle for survival that Bush and his supporters would have us believe.
Obviously this is just an exercise in seeing how far the President can push his authority without meeting resistance and a draft would immediately end the “war on terror” in the same way the Viet Nam war ended.

Great. A draft. For a “war” that we were lied into. There’s a troop shortfall because not many people are dumb enough to die for a barrel of oil.
How much blood is enough? Why waste more lives and treasure? What a complete and utter disaster this war has been. Lets back up a few years in time and look at what we would have had if we hadn’t gone into Iraq: 500 BILLION dollars…10 billion per state. Do you think that money would be better spent on our crumbling infrastructure or our national debt?
Or should we just pour it into the sand like the blood of our brave soldiers that have died for a lie.
Its such a colossal waste that it makes me wonder why there is not a mob of angry people in front of the white house with torches.

So, erm, hypothetically, what with the “don’t ask don’t tell,” policy still in place, one could go into a draft office acting as flaming as possible and “tell”ing one’s unacceptable sexual identity loudly and they’d have to turn you away right? Even if it weren’t true? I mean, how would they refute that?

They are cutting veterans’ programs, making soldiers and marines do several tours in Iraq and extending their service.
Who would want to join now? They are using these young people who join, abusing them.
If there is a draft, my sons will be gay AND crazy, or outside the USA.

The rules of the new draft were set 2 years ago when they fully funded the selective service system.
18 – 35 Male & Female – No deferments – nada – zip – zero
18 – 45 if you have special skills they need such as doctors and nurses.
by the way, this all happened while you were shopping and watching friends.
the american sheeple need to wake up yesterday!

The neocons don’t want a draft. They know that a draft would mean all these suburban “security” moms and dads would fear that their own children may have to fight and die in a meaningless war. They wouldn’t vote for a pro-war government if there was a chance their own child would have to fight.

Wow…You must truly be delusional to believe that writing letters to representitives is going to get you anywhere. Isn’t writing a letter from your safe cozy home just the same as spectating? The only thing that writing letters to the government will get you is your name on a watch list, and thats not very democratic now is it?
The real issue at stake here is that the government is no longer controlled by the people at all. Just take a closer look..did the majority of us elect this moron in the first place? If our votes don’t matter, why would you think a silly little letter is going to help change the world. Corporations and a small faction of the elite are really in control..and the last time i checked this was known as Fascism. Its time to wake up and come up with a new strategy at making a change. If you really believe what you just said…then you have officially been duped.

I’m afraid that the soldiers who say a draft is needed or the war will be lost are correct. The needed draft is politically impossible, the national will to fight a war with no purpose and no end is fleeing,and now we must gather the courage to say, “America has lost the War in Iraq. We have lost a stupid, optional, ill led war, so heads must roll. But, it’s not the end of the world. What does America do to recover her stature?”
Maybe, we should value respect more and fear a lot less. What’s the opposit of shock and awe? Calm and humble, maybe?
“Speak softly and carry a big stick…T.R)

I belong to the SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM in MARYLAND, this is what I will say. If the bring back the draft they will be no RUSH LIMBAUGHS this time. To lie to the draft board it is a 250,000 fine and five years in a fedral prison I hope FT. Levinworth. So you have a chois this time ARMY,NAAVY,MARINES, AIR FORCE, COAST GUARD AND FRDRIL PRISON, THE NAVY,AIR FORCE AND COAST GUARD are always FULL so IT IS ARMY, MARINES, as bullet stoppers. GOOD LUCK

votevets.org
All candidates endorsed on the front page of the website are Democrats.
“Bipartisan”?
Who you tryin’ to fool, Brian Ross?

I say draft the children of the chicken hawks, bring the real soldiers home and let the chicken juniors die for their parents lies. Then the chicken hawks could go next and die for own lies instead of killing others for them.
I do agree with a complete withdrawl from Iraq and to answer the war whores…The Vietnamese didn’t bring the war to our shores when we left that country (or chased out is a bit more accurate and I would hate to see that same mistakes of mismanagewment repeated Iraq.)

They should draft the guys listed as GOP first, Dem Second and Indy last…..

Bring on the draft..and do it now while Bush is still in office. Talk about “shock and awe”. The fall out over Iraq will pale in comparison with what this administration would suffer from the rebellion of our own sons and daughters not to mention mom and dad. It’s what it took to wake up the nation during the Vietnam era and apparently it’s what it’s going to take to end this atrocity. I can’t wait to hear my daughter chanting “Hell no we won’t go”.

Let those who are looting the country and getting the tax breaks send their kids to do the dirty work. The rest of us no longer have a stake in the country. Why should my kid die for the corporate pigs and religious hypocrites that are running this country into the toilet?

I see no reason NOT to have a draft. Every able body person should fulfill at least 2 years of service to their country.
NO WAY!
Let YOUR children go off and fight for Halliburton.
One Viet Nam wasn’t enough for you?

Jenna and Barbara first.
The day that the utterly failed Iraq policy requires a draft to maintain quagmire status will be the day that historians note the beginning of a generation of Democratic electoral dominance.
In other words, it ain’t gonna happen.
The current administration and GOP Congress would rather break the military (and blame someone else) before they commit political suicide.

I don’t know if there will be a draft, personally i don’t think that enough people support these ridiculous wars to be able to enforce a draft
The Iraq war is very unpopular and i believe people would refuse if a draft were called. I think because these wars are so unpopular its politically impossible to introduce the draft.

There will never be a draft. It would be politically impossible to fight wars of choice and convenience if there was one.

Cody is right.
Freedom isn’t free.
I’ve heard it costs $1.05

I’ve vehemently protested this war, and the criminals who lied us into it since before it started, back when such a position got you called all sorts of names by the people who have long since changed their attitudes. That being said, bring on the draft. Maybe that will wake up our sleep-walking citizenry.
The slack-jawed masses in this country who choose charisma over brains in their leaders, or who vote on American Idol but can’t bother to be involved in our electoral process need to understand that if they can’t be bothered to “do” politics, then politics will most certainly “do” them. We have a shamefully uninformed and uninvolved populace who can name 3 of the seven dwarves, but not 3 of the Supreme Court justices who placed this pathetic clown in office in the first place. Wake up America – are you willing to let your kid – not some poor brown kid who’s name you’ll never know – die for Dubya’s lies? If not, then maybe you’ll find the motivation to stop this war and the thugs who got us into it.

Perhaps the main reason that there will not be a draft is that politicians would be forced to deal with a hot potato: Will the draft include women? After all, if women are to have full equality with men, they must face the same obligations as men, and that includes being subject to the draft. This would lead to very strong emotional responses by both the proponents and opponents for drafting women. Politicians would end up making enemies with one or the other side and would not be able to straddle the fence. This is the kind of situation that politicians absolutely hate to confront.

I think there are lots of good reasons for some form of universal national (not necessarily military) service. But Iraq isn’t one of them.
However, those folks who think this IRR call-up is a prelude to conscription haven’t grasped some essential aspects of the Bush Republican approach to governance. They will NEVER propose a draft, because they will never, ever own up to the fact that their misbegotten policies have real costs. These costs — fiscal, military, strategic — will have to be paid eventually, of course. But as far as Bush is concerned, this is a problem that he’s perfectly happy to dump on his successors, and all of us. He’s explicitly said that fully intends to pass the Iraq disaster on to the next president. I do not understand how any literate citizen can find this acceptable.
When the Idiot Prince finally leaves office (ideally for a prison cell, but sadly that’s not likely), he will spend the rest of his worthless life sequestered like no modern ex-president has ever been. There will be no nostalgia for G. W. Bush. Nixon and Herbert Hoover will look like beloved elder statesmen, compared to the reputation that he can expect. Expect most of the dupes who still defend him to turn on him most viciously 3-5 years from now.

I would never fight for the New World Order. I will do everything to fight against it. This war has nothing to do with our freedom or protecting the US. The real threat is within our own government.

Whats this bit about the war being lost just because a draft looms near?
The war is over, remember mission acomplished.
Its the occupation afterward that failed.Totally mismanaged with corrupt corps like Haliburton.
Nobody will go to make a corp rich.

I would prefer ending this war, even if it is a loss. John Murtha pointed out that it is time to bring the troops home, and I agree with him. I think forcing kids, many of them innocent out of college, or out of the workforce to kill people is wrong. If I were drafted, I would dodge in the name of conscience, and I would rather we spend the money reducing depedence on mideast oil, rather than kill people for oil, and hurting muslims. I would also look at non-lethal ways of defeating terrorism, that lead to no innocent victims, and people get arrested and tried, rather than dropping bombs, killing people, and overthrowing governments.

the Dems worry me more than the Reps.
saw William Cohen (Clinton’s def sec) on Daily show last night calling for a draft (he called it universal national service)

What happened to the unprecidented national and global protests of 2003??
Perhaps a draft would prompt the anti-war bloc to revitalize itself.
Oh, and if you’re for this Global War on Terrorism… volunteer!
Either that, or be brave enough to reject the notion that the NSA should suspend your rights to save them, that the executive should ignore the Law, or that YOU are a terrorist for exercising your freedom to dissent.
If another 9/11 happens because patriotic Americans refuse to trade liberty for security, then so be it!

Only war supporters should be fighting it. I would leave the country before submitting to a draft.

for the past 25 years (or more) some idiot has endorsed national service. I think we are safe as long as Rummy is def sec.

“Freedom isn’t free!”
Spoken like a true Libertarian/Neocon. Freedom is what it’s all about for the Ayn Rand crowd until they need to get something done THEIR way. Then it’s “Hey! You! Go fight for my right to make money!” or “Let’s you and him fight!”
The country is full of ‘patriotic’ rightwing warmongers. There’s more than enough to refill the depleted ranks in Iraq. Draft the cowardly cheerleaders first. Confiscate their property to rebuild/restock our crumbling military machine. Let them show us how it’s done.
Damn chickenhawks.

I would like to see a draft for all Americans, of any age/race/sex. It doesn’t have to neccessarily be military. Hell, it doesn’t even have to neccessarily be overseas service. You can draft a 50 year old woman to do blood drives at home. You can draft someone who is 40 and slightly overweight to be on Katrina reconstuction detail. They don’t all have to be bullet absorbers.
The problem, as I see it, is immoral/unjust war or not, there is no sense of sacrifice for this war. There are no victory gardens, no meatless tuesdays, no ubiquitous posters saying if you drive an SUV you might as well be driving a tank for Osama, etc…
I am 30 years old and male by the way, with foreign language and computer skills. I say the above with aboslute certainty that under the new draft rules, I would be among the first.

50,000 dollars buys you a Costa Rican passport. That’s about a year’s worth of tuition and fees at a private college. So you can be sure that rich kids won’t be surving in this war, draft or no draft.

“And Jimmy Carter, by not standing up to the Iranians during the hostage crisis, just emboldened these radicals.”
Uh, Jimmy Carter left the White House in January 1981, jake. Reagan traded arms for hostages with them later, and I would say that that emboldened them more than anything Carter did. Also, by labeling Iran part of “the axis of evil,” Dubya, in his typically stupid way, ended up encouraging the radical Islamists in that country and isolating moderates like Khatami (it helped nut cases such as AhMADinejad who now is helping Hezbollah).
We don’t need a draft, which I oppose more strenuously than you can imagine. We need competent and reasonably honest civilian leadership in our government.

I am a veteran who has been saying since the war started that we should have a draft. The fact that military members are serving multiple tours involuntarily is a crime.
We should absolutely have a draft and the first ones selected should be the kids and grand kids of the likes of Dick Cheney and the other Chicken Hawk NeoCons. After they are drafted then we should draft every member of the collegian NeoCon Chicken Hawk Young Republican group.
All these individuals should bear the responsibility of walking point on patrols in the slums of Iraq and provide themselves as cannon fodder for the misguided ideals of their Chicken Hawk relatives.
When the people making the decisions have to weigh the lives of their realities this mess in Iraq will get straightened up.

I think that since the Republicans claim that we are fighting to defend our American way of life then those who have benefitted most from the American way of life should do the most defending. Base the draft on your daddy’d tax return, the higher the income the sooner that you go to fight.

If/when the draft is revived, it will be in classic “frog-boiling” fashion. First will be a “special skills” draft of linguists, computer geeks and medical professionals (which has already been proposed). If insufficient outrage is generated, the list of “special skills” will gradually be expanded, one or two at a time. Unless the sheeple wake up and resist, general conscription will ultimately become a fait accompli.
And don’t be consoled by the thought that only Congress could restart the draft. Just as they abdicated their Constitutional war-declaring obligation by passing a resolution giving Bush a blank check in Iraq, they will pass another resolution authorizing him to revive the draft at his whim.

I agree with poster above about the “security moms” that voted for Bush in ’04 needing to feel some pain. Even if they hadn’t had the misfortune to be Texans and thus be familiar with the um, rather unique leadership qualities of W, they had four years to learn. Instead they bought into a lot of cheap fear-mongering and got us where we are today.
Little Chad and Brittany need to see the world, starting with Iraq, and mom and dad need to see that elections do indeed have consequences.

This war is about the control of energy resources, oil. The US must deny any global competitor the ability to rise in ascendency to rival it. This is standard Project for the New American Century.
The control of mid-east oil is part of the Carter Doctrine of strategic interests of the US.
If you want to prevent a draft, cut your driving and purchase of goods that come from out of state by 75% and the need for all that oil will decline substantially.
So far the list prepared to do that is scant.
Maintenance of Cheap Oil = Need for the Draft
See you on the other side of the Peak…

I love all the comments about resisting a draft by fleeing the country. Wrong strategy folks! Let them draft people against their will. Then, when they give them guns, grenades, and rpgs we’ll see what happens. Is anyone here familiar with the term ‘fragging’? Yeah it happened alot in Vietnam. Apparently, draftees decided they didn’t like their lot in life and up and killed their junior officers. Oops! LOL. Any military person (and, in case you haven’t guessed by now, I’m not one) will tell you that no leadership = no war. That’s West Point 101! LOL.

no need to impeach, the monkey is out in 2 years. it would take longer to impeach.
just vote for the right guy this time, not the one that throws around the word “God”.

“If you support the war you shouldn’t have any problem with you or your children fighting for it.
But….
I support the Yankees but I dont wear their uniform……
oh, wait, I forgot no one dies in a baseball game.
“My loyalty to a nation stops when I have to condem my soul to hell to prove it.”
There is no God.
There is no Hell.
There is nothing intrinsicly amoral about killing people.
Still, this war is a load of crap.

The merc’s disgracing the uniform of the USA voted 80+ for the junta in 2000 and 70%+ for the same crooks in 2004.
They voted for a war monger and got the war they asked for now they are whining about how unfair it is for people to shoot back.
They are pursueing an illegal war, obeying illegal orders and are engaged in murder for hire.
War criminials to the individual. Obviously ethically defiecient, morally bankrupt and intellectually dishonest. The only individuals who have any honor are Lt. Watabi and his patriotic companions who are fighting and sacrificing to save the soul of the country.
The rest are nothing more then glorified gang bangers or mafiosa thugs whose behavior is disgrace to the human race. Let them join the ranks of the Chinese miltary, butchering their own citizens, at Tiananemen Square, the Indonesian military, engaed in unspeakable brutality, in East Timor, The Rwandan military, who engaged in genocide against thier neighbors, and the Serbian Military, who practiced ethnic cleansing, in a list of shame.

If you support the war and voted for Bushies, you should have no problems sending your children and grandchildren to the middle east to die for him.

The one potential obstacle to the institution of a draft is the “don’t ask don’t tell” rule. If/when a draft is instituted, expect millions of young American men to declare themselves openly homosexual to avoid service. For Bush to do away with “don’t ask don’t tell” and let open gays in the military would put him on a collision course with the evangelical “base” – a group that he has ALWAYS given into throughout his administration.

***I see no reason NOT to have a draft. Every able body person should fulfill at least 2 years of service to their country***
Lifers/people who like the services wouldn’t want me within 100 miles of a military base. I’m a pacifist, I smoke pot, I’m an out and proud gay guy and I’m a socialist, same at 47 as when I was 18 (except I wasn’t out then). Does that sound like someone they want? I grew up on military bases (my dad was in the Air Force until I was 15) and I loathe the military culture.
When I was 18, my dad took me to a recruiting office, because he thought joining the military would “give me some discipline”. I told him “The hell with discipline!” but went anyway. So I show up with my hair down on my soldiers, my Pink Floyd tour shirt and a ratty pair of jeans. The earnest young dork across the desk gave his spiel. I smiled, looked him right in the eye and said “Why would I want to be a paid assassin for capitalist warmongers?”
My dad couldn’t hustle me out of there quick enough. As Jim Morrison of The Doors said when he went to the draft board “If you take me, it’ll be the worst mistake you’ll ever make”. It might not have occurred to you, but there’s some people that aren’t fit for the military.

Me2006, a thoughtful and intelligent comment. thank you.

Everyone needs to read every single post on here! Now you know what is wrong with AMERICA! A loud worthless MINORITY!
…pick-up your weapon and follow-me, am AIRBORNE Infantry…

When the housing/lending bubble bursts and the recession hits next year, unemployment will jump forcing many poor people into the military…I am reminded of Keith David’s line to Charlie Sheen when they were burning the “honey buckets” in the movie Platoon…

Wow, this thread completely affirms the fact that liberals really are self interested cowards not capable of standing up to anything or having the foresight to see that it never mattered who was in office when it came to Al Qaeda. Canada will deport you so bring sun screen for your trip to Mexico. I am sure you will fit right in.
A draft is impractical with the current American attention span towards a very real war and the required resources. We all know without having to say it what would have to happen to preclude a draft.
And despite intelligence even released in the media about the fact that Al-Qaeda has stated they are planning new attacks I am sure a liberal will be the first to scream it off as a Bush conspiracy.
Posted by: Napolean | Aug 24, 2006 11:28:07 AM
This liberal v. conservative is stupid. Under the Rove leadership and the 2 controversial elections of George Bush, this country has been actively divided on both sides through its equal demonization of any opinions that disagrees with their view.
It is time for Americans both Republicans and Democracts alike to stop this endless bickering among ourselves–which seems to benefit the political parties and their candidates more than the citizenry– and start asking what is important to us and our families’ daily lives?
1) How do we truly know that Al Quida doesn’t just want us off Muslim land? Bin Laden writings and tapes suggest that their battle is for expulsion of non-Arabs from Arab lands. Why doesn’t our politicans focus on this subject?
2)What facts would lead us to believe that Al Quida will ever possesses the military, political, and social structure to destroy our way of life?
3) Why do we believe that others should believe our motives, when we have leaders who do not seem to respect or value the motives of others? Today, the US is hated around the world and not just in the Muslim world, our own respected allies like France, Germany and Britain citizens hold deep contempt for our foreign policies. To some, we are the axis of evil, but why do we seem more interested in the seedy JonBonet Ramsey and John Karr case than understanding our own state of international affairs?
4)Are our policies balanced and fair to all nations, or do we have favorites? If the US values democracy why are we so silent about Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other nations who had just as oppressive regimes as Iraq at the time of the invasion?
5) How would you feel if a foreign nation invaded your country having killed many of your neighbors and friends? Would you greet them as liberators as you dodged bullets and bombs daily?
5) And why does the MSM seem to ignore that we had imposed 10 years of sanctions against Iraq as well as a naval and air blockade against them, prior to our invasion? Exactly how dangerous could Iraq have been to the US, if it chose to rush into a country it considered to possess WMD to wage war? A country possesses WMD yet it allows a foreign nation to blockade its shores for 10 years?
6) And why did the MSM not strongly point out this fact to the American people in the run up to war?
Many who prefer to condemn the motives and opinion of those who disagree with them, as egged on by political writers, pundits and politicians are actually advocating fascism. In other words, their behavior seems to dictate that they can only accept one view; moreover, while condemning any other opinion which disagrees with theirs as ‘the cause’ of further problems.
While the MSM seems to foster this behavior, it does not operate beyond a desire to produce strong ratings preferring instead to ignore that America was founded as a nation where people’s individual rights were fundamental and are written in the Constitution; thus meaning, each of us have the right to hold different opinions. But, more importantly the Constitution is suppose to ensure that dissent is a strong value worthy of respect regardless of how strongly we feel about our own position.
Today’s environment points to large groups on each side of our political spectrum who simply are following politically motivated individuals who seem only interested in maintaining their political power by dividing people along political lines.
The last 14 years here in US has fostered a acidic atmosphere of polarization similar to what those to those souls in Iraq face. The only difference here is that Americans simply have not taken up arms against each other. And each of those folks who openly condemn other’s political views should stop and consider the effects of such behavior and what may result from the practice of such things in American society and politics.
If we can’t tolerate the opinion of each other here,it is simply ridiculous to believe that we can believe that we as a nation are capable of delivering democracy to a nation-state 7000 miles away.
It is now time for each of us to examine the motives of our leaders who practice such behavior and openly discourage such unnecessary polarization.
Americans must on both sides of the spectrum, begin to expect that our politicians will behave as representatives of our interests and values, rather than seek to galvanize fractionism to ensure their re-election campaigns. It is very important for us Americans still to guage if what our leaders promote is truly necessary for our national security without the partisan rancor that has so soiled the political arena lately.

I am in favor of a military draft or a national service requirement so long as it is genuinely fair. and everybody, and I do mean everybody, is required to do their service, be it military or a non military alternative.
I grew up during the vietnam war draft days, and the draft at that time was blatently unfair. The sons of the popular and politically well connected never seemed to get drafted, while it was us lower middle class schmucks who had to serve. That unfairness undermined support for the war. Bring on the draft but make it fair.

This will force the main stream, soccer moms to rethink Bush’s fiasco and oppose this action. No college deferments this time, either!

IT IS VERY SIMPLE. THOSE WHO WOULD DEFEND FREEDOM HERE OR IN IRAQ WILL STAND UP. THOSE WHO ARE NOT WILLING TO DIE FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE ARE NOT WORTH THE AIR YOU BREATHE. LET EVERY SINGLE PERSON WITHIN OUR BORDERS BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE DRAFT, YOUNG OR OLD, ABLE OR DISABLED, RICH OR POOR, ELECTED OFFICIAL OR NOT AND SEE HOW BIG YOUR OPINIONS ARE AND HOW YOU WILL DEFEND THEM. THAT IS THE PLAN FOR US FOLKS.
THE TERRORISTS ARE HERE WITHIN OUR BORDERS WITH HEZBOLLAH MARCHING AND WHINING RECENTLY FOR THEIR HURT FEELINGS.
DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY DID NOT HAVE A PLAN ON SEPTEMBER 11TH.? THEY WENT AFTER OUR ENTIRE GOVERNMENT STAFF, THE PENTAGON, (NOW THAT TOOK SOME GUMPTION), THE LARGEST ICONS OF THE COUNTRY AND SUCCEEDED IN A WAY THAT IS STILL HARD TO BELIEVE!!!!! WHAT WAS THEIR PLAN AFTER THEY TOOK OUT THE PENTAGON AND THE WHITE HOUSE PEOPLE? TEA AND SCONES?
SEPTEMBER 11TH. WAS ALL ABOUT BRINGING THE WAR TO US FACE TO FACE. A FAIR AND EQUAL DRAFT WITH NO EXCLUSIONS TO DEFEND US ALL…..OR FIGHT WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. IT IS REAL. IT IS COMING. IT IS YOUR CHOICE WHILE WE ARE STILL FREE. WE BETTER GET READY BIG TIME.
CONGRESS, SENATE, OIL EXECS AND ALL THE BIGWIGS AND THEIR ACCOMPLICES WHO CONTINUE TO STEAL, LIE, CHEAT, OR CHANGE LAW TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS, AND INCREASE THEIR INCOMES AT OUR EXPENSE, WHILE STEPPING ON THE LITTLE GUY ARE MADE OF FLESH AND BONE JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. OUR ENEMIES FIGURED THIS OUT ALREADY. THINK ABOUT THAT PLEASE.
THANK GOD FOR THE SOLDIERS OF WHOM WE ARE NOT AND NEVER WILL BE…..WORTHY.
SHARON
MOTHER OF A 25 YEAR OLD SON AND 31 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ON DIALYSIS. THEY WILL NOT GO DOWN QUIETLY. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT. WE MADE A DECISION ON 9.11.2001, WE WILL LIVE AS FREE AMERICANS OR WE WILL DIE AS FREE AMERICANS. NO OTHER OPTIONS.

As soon as the (fake) Democrats are in office, there will be a draft. Both the Democrats and Republicans serve the the War Department. The Republicans start the wars and the Democrats fight them. Every last one of them should be replaced.
It’s all about the coming war with China.
1) The American Empire needs to surround China for the coming war.
2) To surround China The Empire needs bases in the Middle East.
3) To get bases in the Middle East, the Empire needed to invade the weakest (Iraq) first.
4) To win the public support to INVADE another country, the Empire STATED it needed 9/11.
5) Americans have become more stupid than the Germans of the 1930′s.
6) Freedom means never needing security in the first place…
7) It’s the Pentagon, stupid.

I absolutely oppose this war on moral grounds and I will do everything in my power as an American citizen to ensure that a draft does not happen, and furthermore, that this country wakes up to the atrocities we are committing abroad.
Terrorism is the war of the poor, war is the terrorism of the rich. The public relations spin-doctors at Washington may say we are freedom fighters, but truly, the American military (and most militaries for that matter) are nothing but hired thugs, indiscriminately murdering innocent people for the sake of their corporate masters.

Does not a form of “draft” exist in the US already? Go to college but serve in the armed forces first? Perhaps I am a bit cynical but what’s the difference? Rather paying for a military invasion of another country, perhaps the US would be better off educating it’s own children.

I sincerely believe that all the people who voted for Bush/Cheney and supported the war on ERROR should encourage their sons and daughters, husbands and uncles to join the military and fight for our lying president. This will solve the shortage of military personel we are now experiencing. Please! I mean, if they believe in keeping our country safe from all those Iraqi terrorist, then stand up and fight. Uncle Sam Wants You!!

Sooner or later the draft will start. Weather it is with this war or another. It has been to long since the last instated draft, and another will soon follow. But remember that once a draft is instated that the war will become a decade long. This is no laughing matter, and to accuse the Red States to go to War is disguisting. Red or Blue states, should not have to fight in wars they don’t believe in.I wish America would wake up and understand the draft will come, either in this war or one soon to come. I wish America would stay out of foreign affairs. Well I hope you got your boots, and army coat because off we go.

you know, I was going to write a nice long letter, commentary, But so many of you have already said what I felt and said it better.Every time i hear some one say “we;re at war” I think WAR>?? who with?? iraq did us no harm,why are we there??well, now you got me started ,so i better stop now, oh, one last comment NO BUSH , NO WAR -NO NEED FOR DRAFT-MAKE ALL -ALL GONE

First of all, I’m gay…no, really I am.
Second, if that doesn’t work, I’ll be taking an extended fishing trip to Canada.

The traditional way a free market gets more labor is by raising wages. If soldiers were better paid, there would be more volunteeres.
The last time there was a draft, the marginal tax rate was more than TWICE what it is now.
During WWII, the marginal tax rate was >95%.
If we are in a war that requires conscription, we are in a war that requires a marginal tax rate of at least 80%.

look at what all of you morons did from voting for Bush

Hold on SUE!
Where do you get off saying this?
“How dare you denegrate the service of those who are laying down their lives for you and your children to have the right to say such stupid things! God help you to look outside yourselves and your own selfish lives to obtain a bigger vision of what your lives”
I have served in uniform for 23 years DID YOU LADY. yes I am an IIR soldier. I did four year active duty. 9 years of active duty as a reservist and Guardsmen between the years of 1992 and 2004. I have my twenty year letter and now I am being denied the right to retire becuase I have 18 months left on my IRR obligation. For the last 14 years I have selflessly put off my personal career and goals. NOT ANYMORE Yes I got that letter and no I wont go even if it means I loss social security and retirment pay. Again what uniform did you wear lady.

So as long as somebody else is fighting its OK but if it affects all of America than it becomes a problem? The military is no longer an all volunteer force. Individuals are being “stop lossed” which extends their military commitment and also involuntarily mobilized before there military commitment is up forcing them to serve way past their military service obligation. I served 4 ½ years active (“stop lossed” for 6 months during OIF deployment) now I have orders that will force me to serve until April 08’. My military service obligation ends in May 07’. I left after my active duty commitment was fulfilled because my wife has a genetic disease that makes her unable to care for our kids by herself. Now the Army is going to involuntarily mobilize me when doing so will result in dangerous medical complications for his wife and will leave my two children; ages 4 and 2 months old, without a proper family support structure.
There are a lot of people who will say “well they signed a contract they knew what they were getting into”. This same argument could be used to invoke a draft. I can say “you signed up for selective service, you knew you could be called up” If this truly is a war that the American people must win, than the American people should be the ones that help fight it not just 1% of the population.

No, John, it is YOU who is misinformed. Stop watching FOX News and educate yourself about the state of our military. This is real. The Army is strained beyond recognition and if the call up of 14,000 IRR men and women doesn’t scream that any louder, I’m not sure what does.

Of all enemies to public liberty, war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it compromises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debt and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing many under the domination of the few… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” – James Madison
Our military is no longer an all volunteer force when the Pentagon resorts to conscription of those who have performed their duties and fulfilled their obligations. How can the United States spread freedom and Democracy to the uncivilized world when we enslave our citizens in the military?
By the way, John Gordon, the President authorizes the reduction in slots for the military so that it appears as though the military is exceeding its recruiting goals. Why else would the Pentagon use stop-loss to prevent 50,000 soldiers from retiring/departing the military? Why else would the military use thousands of troops from the IRR? Why else advertise for the application of individuals interested in serving on local draft boards? Do you know what the Selective Service refers to the draft as? “Registrant Integrated Processing”… RIP for short. I wonder if the terrible irony was lost on them.

I am 16 and support the draft because I think that we should have a draft because if we need more people for future wars. We might need alot more to fight and help save this country and all the people that live in it. Because the children need to live in a safe country where they do not need to fear where ever they go in live. And also if we have the draft reinstated we will stand a better fight aginst opposing forces. And we will be creating a better future for out children and our children’s children. And if we do we wil creat a better America and life for all that lives in this beautiful country.

I oppose a draft. If they need bodies, why not use those in prison? We have to pay for them daily already. Put them to work for the military.

I smell deferment in the air.

Its time all of you good American boys face the fact that we are all in this together. America needs great people in her ranks! Reguardless of the decisions that placed us in the situation that we are in. If you are Americans, stand and be counted!!!!
If not, get the heck out. go some place that will listen to your cause. America needs to be one in heart and purpose, it makes me sick to see all you freedom lovers set back and give absolutly nothing for the cause of freedom and the price that seems to have to be paid. May god bless America and its people that will give what our fathers and brothers have given. the rest of you need to get out ! Your not worth saving.
Ed

I served in the Air Force for 6 years during the first Gulf “War”.
That was basically a practice session compared to this playoff game that’s going on now for the last few years. I don’t know if anyone really knows what to do over there so we keep trodding along and do training and policing. If they elected to do a draft. I really don’t think that would help matters. What really needs to be done, if they want to go to that extreme is bring back (vets that are of relevant age) that have some experience and know-how. I know most of them would not turn it down anyway, to give them the chance to fight again. America should not back down from this after going this far, but it should not have a young draft either. Bring back the disgruntled Vet! Gen X or younger

Theres no reason for a draft. “the draft itself gos agenst are freedom of choice. I choice not to fight for oil. A person forced into war will not fight as hard as someone who is willing to go. if there is a draft i cant tell you what i’ll do but i wont go willingly.

I don’t think a draft is the way to go. Bush screwed us all over when we went to iraq in the first place. FORCING young men to go die for a country that sucks in the first place isn’t right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why should the US goverment FORCE their people to die for them when they don’t use FORCE elsewhere… where it should be used.. across seas!!!! The draft is the worst thing that could be done!!!!!!!!! There will be toomany protestors and i would definately be one of them. I would rather choke to death on pretzels than serve for a man like bush. If a draft is issued all hell will break loose. For those of you who think a draft is the way to go… why dont YOU sign up for the army and take care of it yourself instead or waiting for innocent young men to be forced into it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only men that should be going over seas are the ones that want to be there, the ones without families, the ones who want to kill people. The ones that are in the army… not the ones dreading the day the draft comes. FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO AGREE WITH THE DRAFT… MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOLES!!!!!!!!

Solution to all wars: DRAFT REPUBLICANS!

The United States NEEDS to built up a military where there are benifits and pay checks. This is the first time in US history we are fighting a war and it has an all volenteer army. We need to pay the soldiers very well and give them good benifits. It should be a job and try to built up a much more up to date military so we can defeat any country and military or terrorist group. Many other countries are way ahead of us and we need to built up the military. We need to recruit more, but reorganize the Army so people would want to join. China and Russia have 3 times the amount of soldiers than we do. We also need to build up our CIA and FBI because hiring private companies to spy and do our dirty work isnt smart and not for the best of the nation. WE MUST NEVER do a draft because chaos will occur throughout the country and whats happening today in Iraq will just add to the fire. I am 18 years old sending troops to Iraq through a draft is wrong and the best thing to do is worry about in the 2008 elections is how to make our military the strongest and largest and smartest in the world. SCREW THE DRAFT!!!

I would fight for our country if we had better military defense. As a sudent I learnd that we are just practice targets to these terrorist because these soldiers are going wandering through residential two – three story homes and them terrorist are just shooting down at our troops from their roofs.

I am an IRR soldier I have deployed once when I was on active duty during the invasion of Iraq I ETS’d from the army in 2007. In 2008 I was recalled on IRR for another tour in Iraq. my Battalion has over 40 IRR soldiers in it we all got out of the army for our own reasons and some were forced to leave. We all are not happy about this tour. All of us have SUCKED IT UP. We all signed the contract and knew the possibility of being recalled.
Whether you are pro-bush or war or not we do it for ourselves, our country and for the soldiers at our sides, not for politicians. You can still support the troops and be against the war/government. It is not our choice to fight, it is our choice to serve our country.