My rant about the draft has generated more comments and more "blog traffic" than I ever anticipated, so a follow up.
I am a firm believer in the old maxim of "put your money where your mouth is." It's very easy to put a bumper sticker or magnet on the back of a car, or wear a purple heart band-aid. However I believe that such choices should only be made if the consequences are taken on as well.
An annonymous comment on my rant begins:
How does the draft = if you support the war then fight in it.
Um, it does. If you support the war, you should be prepared to fight in it. During World War II (the gold standard of wars) people over the age of 18 fought. People over the age of 40 organized the black-out drills, Victory Gardens, administered rationing, etc. Dropping a box of wet wipes into a collection box at Kroger isn't the same thing.
There are alot of young people who do not support the war and I don't see how making them join the war is going to help anything.
Huh? Did you actually read what I said? These are not the folks I want to be drafted. The people with the bumper stickers get drafted, not the people who oppose the war. By the way, "a lot" is two words.
I say NO to the draft. If they need troops then offer good incentives for young men and women to join......like a living salary, better benefits and combat pay.
No disagreement from me on that point.
Americans have always responded when in need at war time. They will continue to do that into the future.
Ah, but that response takes many forms. Again, consider the WW II ration program and imagine trying to implement it today. Wouldn't happen. Apart from the inevitable lawsuits, Americans are not willing to be restricted, even if it means supporting the troops. Yes, we'll respond, but where are the 60, 000 additional soldiers going to come from? There aren't enough volunteers for the present need and to carry out the present need well. We're going to see troops serving multiple tours of duty ever longer and closer together.
All branches of the military have exceeded their quotas and will continue to do so. Young people do not have to join the military to get an education. If they did it's because their parents & guidance counselors did not take the time to advise them of what's available. Joining the military for money for college is a cop out. There is money available if you're willing to sacrafice and work for it.
This connects to my post how? I said nothing at all about this. I'm actually all in favor of giving educational credits to military folks, but I have no idea how this is related to my argument that we need 60, 000 additional troops and should get them from the bumper sticker people.
Why do I think Americans should be held to a higher standard? Two reasons. 1) We're the last super-power and 2) because we're Americans. If we are truly the greatest nation on Earth, we should prove it - in other words, put our actions where we've put our words.
here endeth the rant revisited.
5 comments:
Although I agree with most of what you say, I see one major problem with it:
"The people with the bumper stickers get drafted, not the people who oppose the war."
At least around here, the people with the bumper stickers are invariably old enough that they wouldn't have qualified for the draft in the first Iraq war, much less this one...
So... draft their first-born. If that person is too old, then draft his/her first-born, etc
Anonymous - How do we know his/her first-born isn't already serving?
Well, there you have it! A little bit of the refresher I just requested in Rant A. I guess that is what happens when you get behind on blogrolls. And thank goodness I was making the right points!
You are right alison, many of those bumper sticker people have family memebers serving in the military, but just as many would probably blanche at the idea. Well, I am sure GWB would probably do so if Jenna was drafted. As well as many of his peers. That was a very well made point made in Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11.
I do know people with the stickers and/or ribbons who have family serving. Excellent. Alas, I seem to know far more who have the emblems and laud teh war, but do not have any personal investment in its continuence. Until we bring back, for example, WW II rationing, the war doesn't quite carry the same power.
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