Bring back the draft

The Volunteer Army has been a boon for neo-conservatives, war mongers, defense contractors, and “security” companies (mercenaries). It has been a disaster for this country. Defenders of the volunteer army will no doubt argue that it provides great opportunities for those enlisting and it ensures that our armed forces are composed of people who want to be there. Sounds good, but on balance, it appears the negatives may outweigh any positives:

the negative effect on society that enables young people to avoid public service.
the provision of willing cannon fodder for cowboy adventures.
providing a refuge for scoundrels that allows them to justify continuing wars to “honor the troops”.
enabling a bypass of public resistance as average citizens have no skin in the game.
enabling a bypass of Congress as public outcries are minimized.
allowing for easier extolling of war supporters as “patriots” and the muzzling of dissent.
easing the ability of moneyed interests to play strategic political games.
enabling the well heeled to keep their offspring away from any heavy lifting for their country.
easing the votes of Reps and Senators as their children are safe from maiming and dying .
easing political concerns as fighting forces are made up of mostly minorities.

Administration hawks will say that the volunteer army is wonderful, more capable, more skilled than ever before – let's not go back to the bad old days of conscription when morale was poor. As the volunteer force was created after Vietnam: Nam = morale problem = connection? The volunteer army is the way policy makers can wage war without having to justify it to America's citizenry. It is the neo-cons carte blanche for ill conceived ideas and actions (witness Iraq).

Consider these statements by Melvin Laird in the Nov/Dec issue of Foreign Affairs:
“American soldiers will step up to the plate, and the American public will tolerate loss of life, if the conflict has worthy, achievable goals that are clearly espoused by the administration and if their leadership deals honestly with them. As the secretary of defense who ended the draft in 1972, I see no need to return to conscription. As long as service people -- current and future -- know where their president is leading them, the enlistments will follow”.

I takes truth and honesty to mobilize the American citizenry, but maybe PR slogans, lies, and phony pleas to patriotism are all that is required for utilizing the volunteer army.

Rep Charles Rangel introduced a bill in Jan, 2003 to reinstate the draft (it got nowhere) stating “I truly believe that those who make the decision and those who support the United States going into war would feel more readily the pain that's involved, the sacrifice that's involved, if they thought that the fighting force would include the affluent and those who historically have avoided this great responsibility. Those who love this country have a patriotic obligation to defend this country. For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance." He's right.

More thoughts on the draft here, here, and here.