Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Bring back the Draft

[Ghogiel]

The letter I got basically said because I hadn't been a US resident for so long I was removed from the register. I never had to pick anything.

[HeyYou]

There currently is no draft in the US, yes, when you turn 18, you have to REGISTER.... but, not like you are going to get a draft notice in the mail. Ever.

 

Even if the draft did come back, the folks that make the decisions to fight the wars children would still be pretty much exempt, for whatever reason the legislature could come up with, and get passed...... it's the poor/middle class that fight wars. Not the rich. (unless they volunteer....)

 

Currently, I don't know what the military is whining about. If they are so desperate for warm bodies, why are they so picky in whom they accept? If you don't have a high school diploma, or a GED, and TWO YEARS of college... they don't want you. What the hell? How smart do you have to be to know which end of the rifle gets pointed down range?? Not to mention, what does a funny piece of paper mean, when the military has their own battery of tests, to determine which jobs are open for you? Seems to me, if you score well on their tests, nothing else should matter. (aside from a criminal record.)

[mizdarby]

As an outsider looking (english), I view the USA as an already awesome military machine, with seemingly endless numbers of troops with the very best equipment, so am not entirely sure why a draft would be necessary.

My own country has been toying with the idea of reintroducing National Service, where young people spend the late teenaged years in the armed forces. This is most likely due to elections being in the pipeline, and it's a vote winner with people who are older than teenaged. And considering that successive governments have reduced our armed forces, to a handful of SAS marines, and a few tugs to catch deal smugglers, it seems just a little hypocritical. A good example of the perilous state of the UK's defences, is we currently have 1 aircraft carrier, which unfortunately is unable to use current aircraft technology (something to do with steam catapults), so doesn't have any aircraft.

So I guess the UK will get a 'Draft' with nowhere to go, whilst the USA has somewhere to go but no need for a Draft.

[Aurielius]

As an outsider looking (english), I view the USA as an already awesome military machine, with seemingly endless numbers of troops with the very best equipment, so am not entirely sure why a draft would be necessary.

My own country has been toying with the idea of reintroducing National Service, where young people spend the late teenaged years in the armed forces. This is most likely due to elections being in the pipeline, and it's a vote winner with people who are older than teenaged. And considering that successive governments have reduced our armed forces, to a handful of SAS marines, and a few tugs to catch deal smugglers, it seems just a little hypocritical. A good example of the perilous state of the UK's defences, is we currently have 1 aircraft carrier, which unfortunately is unable to use current aircraft technology (something to do with steam catapults), so doesn't have any aircraft.

So I guess the UK will get a 'Draft' with nowhere to go, whilst the USA has somewhere to go but no need for a Draft.

The Royal Navy is in process of building the HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will use STVL F-35's . Slight wait but she will be in service soon enough, providing there are not new budget cuts I believe that there are plans for a second of the same class. A Royal Navy without a single carrier would be ridiculous (remember the Falklands) and short sighted..

[Lisnpuppy]

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." President John F. Kennedy

[Aurielius]

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." President John F. Kennedy

Praiseworthy sentiment and one I can hardly find fault with but that still leaves your position somewhat ambiguous as it relates to a renewal of the draft or supplementing it with compulsory Civil Service. Care to enlighten me?

[tetradite]

As an outsider looking (english), I view the USA as an already awesome military machine, with seemingly endless numbers of troops with the very best equipment, so am not entirely sure why a draft would be necessary.

My own country has been toying with the idea of reintroducing National Service, where young people spend the late teenaged years in the armed forces. This is most likely due to elections being in the pipeline, and it's a vote winner with people who are older than teenaged. And considering that successive governments have reduced our armed forces, to a handful of SAS marines, and a few tugs to catch deal smugglers, it seems just a little hypocritical. A good example of the perilous state of the UK's defences, is we currently have 1 aircraft carrier, which unfortunately is unable to use current aircraft technology (something to do with steam catapults), so doesn't have any aircraft.

So I guess the UK will get a 'Draft' with nowhere to go, whilst the USA has somewhere to go but no need for a Draft.

 

(IIRC we sold the aircraft that did work with the current tech to the Americans, and are now in the process of negotiating to buy them back, at a loss. Great bit of business there!)

 

The UK will not get a draft. Not unless our territorial integrity is seriously threatened (and I don't include the Scottish independence referendum in that!). Absolutely not a chance. Any talk of reintroducing military National Service is nothing more than political grandstanding.

 

As for the depletion of our forces, we still have enough bodies (inc part-timers/reservists) to assign more troops to the Olympics than are currently in Afghanistan. This is before the latest announced cuts bite though. And it baffles me how they're still finding cash to renew the utterly pointless Trident while they can't afford to keep soldiers employed in a time of mass unemployment. Presumably because no-one in Government has any friends who would profit from keeping the soldiers on, but they do have friends who will profit from renewing Trident, and friends who will profit from farming the soon to be unemployed soldiers through bogus welfare to work programs.

 

 

 

[Lisnpuppy]

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." President John F. Kennedy

Praiseworthy sentiment and one I can hardly find fault with but that still leaves your position somewhat ambiguous as it relates to a renewal of the draft or supplementing it with compulsory Civil Service. Care to enlighten me?

 

Though I would hate to see it I would not necessarily oppose a draft though I would wish to keep the "pros" at it as much as possible. The unwillingness to accept the draft is greater now as the wars or military actions we are involved since Vietnam are much more morally ambiguous than they were in the World Wars. I should note that I have a daughter and perhaps my feelings would be different if I had a son...I can not say. However if you expect your country to protect you, having the expectation that you must also protect your country should be a matter of course. Civil disobedience and conscientious objections aside.

 

As for the argument of no democracy would implement a draft...need I remind everyone the United States is not a true democracy...but rather a republic. We vote in the lawmakers who write the laws. If you disagree with a draft then vote or encourage your congress-folk to make law that removes that possibility.

 

I am however 100% for compulsory civil service for all Americans after school or while in school (University level). It doesn't have to be the peace corp version but public service should be a part of all our lives as much as possible and performing this not only would help out whatever services were being performed but would add a sense of community and pride which is sorely lacking today. It could be anything from the tradition services (that require physical labor or something like this) or teaching people to read....building or repairing homes or community centers, Ycleaning the same, planting crops or assisting smaller farms in harvesting, youth programs....I could go on all day here.

[Aurielius]

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country." President John F. Kennedy

Praiseworthy sentiment and one I can hardly find fault with but that still leaves your position somewhat ambiguous as it relates to a renewal of the draft or supplementing it with compulsory Civil Service. Care to enlighten me?

 

Though I would hate to see it I would not necessarily oppose a draft though I would wish to keep the "pros" at it as much as possible. The unwillingness to accept the draft is greater now as the wars or military actions we are involved since Vietnam are much more morally ambiguous than they were in the World Wars. I should note that I have a daughter and perhaps my feelings would be different if I had a son...I can not say. However if you expect your country to protect you, having the expectation that you must also protect your country should be a matter of course. Civil disobedience and conscientious objections aside.

 

As for the argument of no democracy would implement a draft...need I remind everyone the United States is not a true democracy...but rather a republic. We vote in the lawmakers who write the laws. If you disagree with a draft then vote or encourage your congress-folk to make law that removes that possibility.

 

I am however 100% for compulsory civil service for all Americans after school or while in school (University level). It doesn't have to be the peace corp version but public service should be a part of all our lives as much as possible and performing this not only would help out whatever services were being performed but would add a sense of community and pride which is sorely lacking today. It could be anything from the tradition services (that require physical labor or something like this) or teaching people to read....building or repairing homes or community centers, Ycleaning the same, planting crops or assisting smaller farms in harvesting, youth programs....I could go on all day here.

Thank you for the clarification, I like you prefer as you put it to have the 'pros' be our military arm but would be amenable to some sort of Disaster Relief Corps that would utilize a draft for those that could not find it in their hearts to volunteer for other options. We definitely are on the same page as to serving the country in some capacity for all Americans in their early majority.

[HeyYou]

Congress would probably put some clause into it that would allow you to "buy out" of the obligation.... if you had enough money..... so the rich folks wouldn't be held to the same standards....