Bring back the draft

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http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/....ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.

New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel said Sunday he sees his idea as a way to deter politicians from launching wars. He believes a draft would bolster U.S. troop levels that are currently insufficient to cover potential future action in Iran, North Korea and Iraq.

"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.

Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War who has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation on conscription in the past, said he will propose a measure early next year.

In 2003, he proposed a draft covering people age 18 to 26. This year, he offered a plan to mandate military service for men and women between age 18 and 42. It went nowhere in the Republican-led Congress.

Democrats will control the House and Senate come January because of their victories in the November 7 mid-term election.

At a time when some lawmakers are urging the military to send more troops to Iraq, "I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft," said Rangel.

He also proposed a draft in January 2003, before the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Standby Reserve, said he agreed that the U.S. does not have enough people in the military.

"I think we can do this with an all-voluntary service, all-voluntary Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. And if we can't, then we'll look for some other option," said Graham, who is assigned as a reserve judge to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.

Rangel and Graham appeared on "Face the Nation" on CBS.
Polls show most Americans oppose a draft

Rangel, the next chairman of the House tax-writing committee, said he worried the military is strained by its overseas commitments.

"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," Rangel said.

He said having a draft would not necessarily mean everyone called to duty would have to serve. Instead, "young people (would) commit themselves to a couple of years in service to this great republic, whether it's our seaports, our airports, in schools, in hospitals," with a promise of educational benefits at the end of service.

Graham said he believes the all-voluntary military "represents the country pretty well in terms of ethnic makeup, economic background."

Repeated polls have shown that about seven in 10 Americans oppose reinstatement of the draft and officials say they do not expect to restart conscription.

Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Congress in June 2005 that "there isn't a chance in the world that the draft will be brought back."

Yet the prospect of the long global fight against terrorism and the continuing U.S. commitment to stabilizing Iraq have kept the idea in the public's mind.

The military drafted conscripts during the Civil War, both world wars and between 1948 and 1973.

The Selective Service System, an agency independent of the Defense Department, keeps an updated registry of men age 18-25 -- now about 16 million -- from which to supply untrained draftees that would supplement the professional all-volunteer armed forces.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[DiscGo]

I know a lot of older people who are all for the draft. I have no way of really backing this up but I have heard that when the draft was dissolved gang populations increased because the younger generation lacked focus.


I think as a "free country" you should not have to join the military but speaking as someone who served an LDS mission, I think that every young man after high school should have to do something besides college to gain life experience and experience some culture (study abroad, religious missions, military, etc). A side from the religious benefits and spiritual growth I had in my mission I really changed and grew a lot as a person.

Anyway, I don't know how you can do it to make everyone happy, but I think if most everyone had to spend a couple of years doing something without thought for themselves, we would be a better country.

[tanya]

That's just wrong!

[Sombeech]

Even if the Draft comes back, it won't prevent politicians from going to war.

[TreeHugger]

I say bring it on.... as soon as we end up at war with Iran, and North Korea, while we continue fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and at some point we'll probably have to start actually saving some military around to protect our own borders, we're gonna need 'em!..

(spoken with a bit of sarcasm and jest, but not much)

[DiscGo]

I'm not in favor of mandatory military service, I would just like more of the youth of our country to be active in something better.

[HEADHUNTER]

I think as a "free country" you should not have to join the military

Freedom isn't free. Someone has to pay the ultimate price for all of us to enjoy our freedom.

Mandatory military service is not too far off. I have no cold hard facts to back this up - other than the on-going strife with Iraq and Iran. Don't forget No. Korea - they are more than happy to shutdown their nuclear reactors - they have what they need and to keep everyone happy and off their backs they agreed to this.

Also - why does an oil RICH country like Iran need nuclear power? Hello! Do they think the world is stupid? They are the next country that will get the People's Elbow. We attack them - they attack Israel. Do you really think the US will let that happen? Nope. How will we make sure that doesn't happen? You guessed it - up the military presence in the middle East.!

[donny h]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.

C'mon folks, are any of you really buying into this?

Do you believe Rangel really wants a draft?

He's just making political hay out of the issue, he doesn't actually want a draft, what's the upside for the democrats? They would be despised by 70% of the public, it's a non starter, dead in the water.

It would be political suicide for Rangel, just as he becomes one of the most powerful men in D.C., he's not gonna' risk Ways&Means on that particular hot potato.

They'll push it through committees, kick the issue around, get some good sound bites, and the thing will probably never see a vote.

The republicans don't want to be the ones who bring back the draft, it would be a public relations disaster, and they know it.

Both parties would double the wages paid to G.I.s before they went to a draft.

So who REALLY wants to bring back the draft? No one. It would be slightly less popular than bringing back jim Crow laws.

[Rev. Coyote]

If you truly value freedom, you do not support a draft.

[Sombeech]

There is absolutely no shortage of volunteer troops.

If the draft came back, this would mean we were REFUSING volunteers.

[Rev. Coyote]

There is absolutely no shortage of volunteer troops.

If the draft came back, this would mean we were REFUSING volunteers.

I'm not trying to be a smarty-pants asking this, but do you have a source for this information? What percentage is being turned away? I've been curious about the issue, since I've heard, too, there was no shortage.

[DiscGo]

I think the Government should be able to draft during very difficult times (like WWII) but in most cases I do not think military service should be mandatory.

What would you guys say to criminal offenders (between the ages of 14-18) having to serve or attend some sort of military academy to learn discipline... kind of like the Hitler youth

[Rev. Coyote]

What would you guys say to criminal offenders (between the ages of 14-18) having to serve or attend some sort of military academy to learn discipline... kind of like the Hitler youth :haha:

I think they should be strictly disciplined and taught to read. Also, they should work their asses off growing their own food, learning a trade, etc. No TV, no video games. No slack time for stupid gang activity. This goes for adult offenders too. Hell, put the worst offenders on treadmills to generate electricity.

I'm not kidding.

[DiscGo]

I like your ideas Rev. I think if you took away the free time of the trouble makers and added discipline to those who seem to lack it, we would be headed in the right direction.

[Sombeech]

There is absolutely no shortage of volunteer troops.

If the draft came back, this would mean we were REFUSING volunteers.

I'm not trying to be a smarty-pants asking this, but do you have a source for this information? What percentage is being turned away? I've been curious about the issue, since I've heard, too, there was no shortage.

Just because the military is completely made up of volunteers right now. Enlistment numbers are still high.

[nefarious]

I say bring it on.... as soon as we end up at war with Iran, and North Korea, while we continue fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and at some point we'll probably have to start actually saving some military around to protect our own borders, we're gonna need 'em!..

(spoken with a bit of sarcasm and jest, but not much)

Roger that!

[nefarious]

Even if the Draft comes back, it won't prevent politicians from going to war.

Which proves what a sanctimonious and hypocritical ass Chuck Rangel really is. Having a draft won't make it any less likely we will go to war and he knows it. Basically, Rangel is pulling a "John Kerry" here, he is both supporting and opposing war all at the same time.

[DiscGo]

I believe we live in the greatest country on Earth, but it is problematic that the whole world seems fed up with us. Australia is about the only vocal U.S. supporter we seem to have left. Iran & North Korea are able to do things now that they couldn't have gotten away with 5 years ago because the U.S. approval rating is so low.

I think we should pull out our military bases from any country that does not appreciate us and our bases in their countries. If we bring those troops home, to U.S. bases we will not only have to close less bases but we would have more jobs in the U.S.

[JP]

I think we should pull out our military bases from any country that does not appreciate us and our bases in their countries.

Can't do that.

[donny h]

What would you guys say to criminal offenders (between the ages of 14-18) having to serve or attend some sort of military academy to learn discipline...

Plenty of places do this now, boot camps instead of jail for youthful offenders, and deferred sentencing for petty criminals who enlist.

The problem with doing it on a bigger scale is that criminal charges above a certain level means the armed forces will reject the applicant.

Maybe the answer is a stateside program for lower-level offenders to perform community services?