The New Military Draft.

[Catlover]

Oh...Crap!

http://www.vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2004/01/105146.php

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5146.htm

http://g0lem.net/portal/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9

Would they really put this through? Is there anything we can do to stop the draft?

All this, just to get the rich kids to serve in Iraq.

[Carolina Red]

I wouldn't treat this story seriously, as I haven't heard anything official about it before. If the government officially announced it I'd believe it.

And if it's true (which i highly doubt), then Kerry would definitely get my vote.

[Eddie G.]

I am against a draft in general, but I am really against the draft for 18 year olds. You see I am seventeen meaning I cannot vote, however next year I will be eighteen so I can be drafted. I just don't see it as fair that I would have to fight for Bush if I had no say against Bush being re-elected.

And Carolina you just answered the question why Bush and his company will never say they're thinking of bringing back the draft.

[Avery]

Thsi *definitely* makes me nervous. However, I'm not going to jump to conclusions. I'll keep my eyes open for more information regarded this, that's all. But it will put me on gaurd- the fact that it's being reported on three differnt sites is a little disconcerting. We'll see.

[Delthayre]

I generally doubt this will actually happen. I don't think that enough votes could be mustered in both houses for this to pass.

But if there is a draft and the unlikely situation of me being drafted occurs (I'm not the type who's well *ahem* built for soldiering *sigh* and I have miserable eyesight in my right eye) I will do as my father did. I shall simply refuse the draft and submit to the legal consequences.

[Griever]

I think that the Fritz Hollings draft bill should be instituted.
He proposed:
-Expanding Selective Service to women
-Drafting all those who turn 18 into public service for 2 years
-Sending those qualified to military service
-Sending conscientious objectors and those disqualified from military service to the peace corps, americorp, or usa freedom corp


Even though it was only to try to get Bush to back off the Iraq war, I think it's a good idea. I got no problem with forcing people to serve their country.

[randomguy]

Expanding Selective Service to cover women? Wow... that's a kooky idea. I don't mean to sound like a misogynist (always a bad way to start a sentence), but I think that's wrong on a whole multitude of levels. I don't like the idea of women being drafted and forced to participate in the military. Every fiber of my reasonably traditional upbringing stands in pretty staunch opposition to that idea.

[Griever]

I don't wholly support it either, but they can join one of the civilian corps.

[Griever]

-Sending conscientious objectors and those disqualified from military service to the peace corps, americorp, or usa freedom corp
Most people that want to join the military can't- the physical requirments are too high.

I would guess that the majority of 18 year olds couldn't run anywhere close to 3 miles in 18 minutes, or 2 miles in 15 minutes.

And if you have to go to any branch, go to the Navy- no slight to the Navy, they have no equal in the world, or anyone even near their level, so the chances of death are pretty damn slim nowadays.

[MJC]

If there's a draft, I say draft the people who supported the war in Iraq, and see if they change their opinion about unnecessary wars when they have to do the fighting. :p

[Boomhauer]

"You must register with Selective Services.
Life is not a game. Have you done it yet?"

Except for the life is not a game, they inform people in that matter.

[Delthayre]

Life is not a game. Have you done it yet?".

Whomever wrote that's obviously never considered going into politics.

Truthfully, I don't mind the selective service much. I've long thought it was largely symbolic. I almost wish we'd create a non-military civilian service corp that made use of it.

I think if there were a war of such consequence and severity that a draft was called, I would join voluntarily. I might be a liberal, but I have a sense of duty to the nation, though one with stringent and cynical standards.

[Fone Bone]

The thing that discredits those articles is that they say nobody is talking about the draft. I've heard speculation on it for months. Bush should be asked point blank if he has any plans to start the draft after the election. Though after last Tuesday's press conference I sincerely doubt he wouldn't evade the question.

[RogueMartian]

Actually, i've been hearing subtle rumors about the draft for quite some time. It was actually about six or seven months ago that I heard that Bush wanted to reinstate the draft boards. Not actually draft anybody, just reinstate the boards and get stuff organized.

As for whether women are drafted or not. I am a female, I HATE HATE HATE BUSH, I think this war is ridiculous and was in protest marches a year before it happened, and if women are not drafted alongside men, it shows how sad this country still is. It is completely mysoginistic not to draft women if men are. Most of my friends are guys, and I'd hate to think that I'd have to be that wet rag on the train platform as they all get crated off to die in the stinking desert for rich oil barons. I believe in equality, and all the responsibilities that go with it.

While it's not impossible, i think the draft is...unlikely. Our army has been strictly volunteer for a couple decades now and the Vietnam war had way more support when they were drafting than this war does. Not to mention, i'm not sure if Bush has the support to do it...even in his own party. If Bush wins the election....who knows....

Here's some more reputible sites if you want them:

http://hollings.senate.gov/~hollings/press/2003124C22.html
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/
http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/sourcetree.jsp?EVENT_SOURCE_TREE_ID=108

[RZetlin]

The call grows louder:

Senator says US may need compulsory service to boost Iraq force (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040420/pl_afp/us_iraq_military_draft_040420163408)

If there's a draft, send the following groups to battle in this order:

-White House adminstration sons and daughters
-Neo Conservatives
-Republician supporters
-American public

[FredNash]

Unfortunately (for me at least) The US Selective Service System is drawing up plans (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/13/MNG905K1BC1.DTL) for a 'special skills draft (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/164693_draft13.html)'.

The San Francisco Chronicle (http://sfgate.com/) and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/) are both real, major market newspapers... plus, this is kinda old news, so there's probly way more articles out there about this now, I'm just too lazy to look. Another reason I don't wanna be drafted...

[Obi]

It'll never happen unless we get involved in a World War III. It's political suicide.

[RogueMartian]

It'll never happen unless we get involved in a World War III. It's political suicide.
Bush's fundamentalist leanings make me think that he possibly believes that WWIII or armageddon aren't so far away.

[Catlover]

It'll never happen unless we get involved in a World War III. It's political suicide.
Some people do belive we are in the middle of WWIII. Though I don't think we are, Bush may have the same train of thought.

[RogueMartian]

Well the real question is whether or not congress agrees that WWIII is around the corner. Bush may be a rabbit whipping fundamentalist, but I don't think most democrats or republicans are. Not to mention, this war just doesn't have the support that it needs to get a draft reinstated.

If women do get drafted, think the bush twins will suddenly be in the air national guard?

[wrenchien]

im going on 35. in only fairly healthy. i tire easily. i'm way overweight. i have attention deficit disorder and maybe diabetes and exhaustion. i have a bad back. i'm too old to be drafted by about 9 or 10 years even at the most extreme as selective service usually went up to 18- 26 .

i'm sooooooooooo glad to be alive and OLD right now! :eek:

please do a favor. tell your congressman you don't want to murder for your country and return a murderer and oppose this draft and do not vote for anyone running for reelection, ever again.

[Senbei Norimaki]

Since I have no interest in dying for a Bush\Sharon empire I'll move to Canada if I'm drafted.

[Stewie]

Somebody should make a thread asking "What would you do if a draft were instated?"

I'm curious to see the results now.

[Catlover]

Since I have no interest in dying for a Bush\Sharon empire I'll move to Canada if I'm drafted.
From what I have read, Canada won't let you in if you're a draft dodger. Thank Tom Ridge for that.

[Delthayre]

From what I have read, Canada won't let you in if you're a draft dodger. Thank Tom Ridge for that.Yeah, they've closed that loophole. So you'd have to do something a little more drastic in order to escape the draft.

As for me, I would do as my father did for Vietnam and as I have pledged to do before. I would simply refuse the draft, comply with the arrest and go on trial then accept the consequences.

[shogunthethird]

I'm no fan of bush or cheney or any other world leader with delusions of messiahhood I mean forget God's work, do the work of a president, not whoever it was that started the crusades, I forget who....any rate I'm medically exempt from service, and besides you can't just draft someone and ship them off to Iraq with a gun and expect them to win, it takes training to make a soldier, unless it's one of those guys at Cheyenne mountain or whatever who run the communication lines from the US to the middle east, I mean why the hell would someone who's main purpose is to keep the networks running at the bases need to undergo field training? call me nuts but in Nam they didn't send the mechanics out to fight

[FredNash]

It's political suicide.True. Why do you think they're waiting untill next year? We'll never hear anything about this from the administration except for denials untill conviniently (for them) after the election.

[EinBebop]

It'll never happen unless we get involved in a World War III. It's political suicide.I wouldn't be so sure. One senator is talking publicly about it, and I don't think any experienced politician would start throwing ideas like that out there unless he had at least two or three guys silently agreeing with him.

[RZetlin]

You can breathe a sign of relief for now.

Rumsfeld Sees No Need for Military Draft (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040422/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/rumsfeld_draft_1)

[FredNash]

You can breathe a sign of relief for now.

Rumsfeld Sees No Need for Military Draft (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040422/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/rumsfeld_draft_1)
Has anyone been paying attention? Why would he "see a need" for a military draft this close to the election?