Do You Support a Military Draft?

Off Topic
1

It looks like the resistance in Iraq is more than just a little ‘flare up’ as the White House would have you believe. Is it a majority uprising? I don’t know how to measure that, since the largest segment of Iraqis are children, to my knowledge.

Also, it looks like we are seriously over-extending our troops over there, with a disproportionate number of National Guard and reservists being forced to extend their service.

We have something like 110,000 troops over there. If my information is correct, the Sunni Triangle is roughly the size of Viet Nam. At the height of the Viet Nam war, we had something like 500,000 troops in Viet Nam, compared to the 110,000 troops we have in Iraq.

The generals in Iraq have not asked for more troops, however it is not their job to request more troops.

Anyway, there is a chance that a draft might be necessary, in order to achieve stability in Iraq. How would a mandatory draft affect your feelings about our invasion of Iraq?

I have been against the war from the beginning, because it was unnecessary. Iraq was destroyed during the first Gulf War and the sanctions prevented them from rebuilding. They were never a threat to us, not even a threat to their neighbors.

I would personally be okay if a draft would be reinstated though. Why? Because it will be ‘put up or shut up’ time for the warhawks in our government and in the public sector. Lots of people are fine with the war because it doesn’t seem to affect them in any way that they can see. Other people are fighting and dying. A draft would mean that their family, their friends, their children might be called up to service. I suspect that would be a different story. Just like nobody wants to support this war by actually paying taxes to pay for it, I don’t think anybody actually wants to serve in this war, except for a very few. A draft would be a chance to see a lot of loudmouthed war hawks drink a tall glass of shut-up juice. I think a draft would end the war faster, because I don’t think the public will stand for it.

How would a draft affect your feelings about the war in Iraq?

2

i don’t support the draft because technically it is ‘involuntary servitude’ aka slavery, which is illegal, but if i got drafted i would go.

i really don’t think its going to come to having the draft reinstated though, so i’m not worrying about it.

3

A volunteer army is always the highest motivated. Screw the numbers, we need solid troops left after they come back. Not dirt bags that drag everybody else down.

As for the war, better to have every extremist terrorist massing in one country than attacking here. We just need to do a heavy recruitment that involves no bonus or college benfits, but patriotic duty instead. Like WWII, have war bonds and everybody backing the troops instead of whining.

Would some find they like the military with a draft that never would have joined otherwise? Possibly. But I think the gem-to-dirtbag ratio wouldn’t be good.

The draft isn’t anything new. They’ve been talking about it for years. After the cold war, number slowly dropped off. I left active duty a couple years ago and the said at that time that the military had the lowest numbers and lowest morale in history. Recruitment sucked, and what they did get in were the bonus babies. All they cared about was cash and college, they had no interest in actually serving their country.

Nathan
Oh and the generals have requested more troops.

4

Well I am 19 so the draft would effect me. I would rather not go to Iraq because in my mind the reasons arn’t there. The only way I would want to go to war/serve is if I felt it was needed. With iraq I don’t know whats the truth is and whats bull shit.
I guess thats my answer. I just got back from doing a major project so I am a little out of it.

5

As long as Avoids Roids were brought out of retirement for the rescrotumization process of the Bad People on the forum, I would be willing to be drafted and get shot at just for the chance to watch.

6

The draft will not be re-instated. No way. The masses wouldn’t stand for it. So, I too am not worried about it. But, for some reason (for the sake of argument) it is enacted then I’ll go just like everyone else, or be sent to jail. Besides, I’m almost done with college. I’d go in as an officer after training.

Lumpy, why do you refer to people who were behind the war as "warhawks"? Their opinion, like yours, is just as important. That does not mean that these people (myself included) are war mongers. For once though, you ask a good question.

Dustin

7

I’m with lumpy on this one. I am between the ages of 18-25, and in good health, and I have a chacnce of being called up. Until people realize that their loved ones are being forced to fight a war that really does not directly affect us, there can’t be change. The people need to organize, and believe me they will once their son or brother or husband is yanked away to go fight.

8

I would never support a draft. I volunteered for service, but I would dodge a draft. A country that cannot raise up the men necessary to defend itself is a country that SHOULD fall. Just as it was said earlier, mandatory military service is damn near slavery.

mikeyali

9

The war in Iraq is unfinished businness from Desert Storm. It could have affected us indirectly or even directly.
I do agree with Lumpy on the main point.

Since I am already a military man, I may go at any time (to Iraq).
I do know that the all volunteer nature of our current armed forces is way better than a mandatory draft, for reasons already stated by previous posters.

10

It’s not needed. A couple of days to evacuate all women and children, followed by a couple of Daisy Cutters and the insurgent problem is solved. It’s time to stop pussy-footing with these people. Truman knew what the fuck he was doing.

11

You really think the family of senators will go fight? Look at Bush or any numerous other rich or powerful sons during Vietnam. They find a way to get out of it thats “legal”

This wasnt an attack at bush, hes just an easy example.

12

You pukes. Dodge a draft if it were instituted? Moronic pansy. If the US ever falls, it will be because of attitudes such as that.

I’ve got news for all of you, freedom has a price. You may not agree with a cause that your elected officials have decided to undertake, but you are obligated to support and sustain those people regardless of whether you voted for them or not. That is a price of democracy that many have forgotten (or have chosen to ignore). We have grown to be such a haughty, selfish generation, with no sense of country. Makes me ill to hear talk such as this.

You can’t have your cake and eat it to folks.

Stone

13

I agree with stoneDog on this one. Although the draft is a thing of the past, I believe that if your country calls upon you, it is your duty as an American to serve your country in her time of need. Why shouldn’t you have to defend your very way of life just like any one else out there? I believe though, that an all-volunteer military would perform better, and it’s a shame that we would ever have to stoop to drafting in order to find support. There is strength in numbers though. Without the draft in WWII we would probably be a bunch of goose-stepping Nazis, so we know it was a good idea then. I disagree with Mikeyali on the statement that a country that has to draft people to fight should fall. I would never let this country fall while I wore this Ranger tab, and neither would any of my other Rangers. Is the draft slavery? I don’t think so. If your country asks you to bear arms and kick some ass, then go do it. It is your duty as an American and we should all do our part when needed. RLTW

rangertab75

14

generals do have the right to request troops, it is up to the top brass to determine if they get reinforcements. I do not think there will be a draft as there are currently almost two million military members serving (admittingly not all infantry). However, if there were a draft, I would not disagree with it. I feel this country has gotten too soft since they did away with mandatory military service. But that’s just my opinion.

15

I think it should be mandatory that young adults do two years of military service. Whether before or after college.

16

First off I think here on the t-forums, allmost everyone is going to say they will go if they are called. I know I would. I almost went in on two separate occasions but my family business kept me from making the choice. The thing is for most guys with test running through thier blood, being a soldier and kicking ass on the bad guy is cool. I’m not afraid of putting myself in harms way, I could really care less. I don’t think the draft is a good or bad thing, obviously it is bad in a way because that means we are getting our asses kicked pretty bad somewhere. Other than that our young men get called to do what most of them do anyways, fight.

17

Let me take the official stance that if I were drafted, I wouldn’t go. It’s ludacris to expect someone to sacrifice their life for something they don’t believe in.

And you can say it’s chicken, but I never thought what Muhammad Ali did was chicken.

18

Seriously, if it was a war or reason that I thought was just, then I would go. I have no problem with that. I have so many questions about the war in iraq that are unanswered making it hard for me to say ok I will go.
I have read the book war in iraq and someothers and even did my senior project on saddam. None of it answered why we went to war with them though. This should have been taking care of a long time ago IMO.
Whatever it most likely won’t happen anyways

19

The draft is very questionable in todays times. With the draft reinstated, you will get many people who have no desire to join the military nor fight. Then you have some that would be ready for the challenge. However, do you take kids fresh out of high school or take kids enrolled in college already? This is just the tip of the iceberg…corey

20

Flashpoint,

You said:

“A volunteer army is always the highest motivated. Screw the numbers, we need solid troops left after they come back. Not dirt bags that drag everybody else down.”

I agree that a professional, volunteer military provides the highest quality service. However, the implication here is that draftees are “dirt bags that drag everybody else down.”

I don’t think my father thought of himself as a dirt bag when he was taking flak in a B-17 over Germany, nor my uncle when he was captured out of Patton’s 3rd Army at the Battle of the Bulge. I don’t think another uncle who served in the Navy in the Pacific during that same time frame felt like a dirt bag. My grandfathers, who got pretty dirty in the trenches in the Great War, generally weren’t considered dirt bags by their peers.

I believe that a statement like yours does a grave disservice to the rather large number of draftees who have seen service in this country’s wars.