Posted on 09/15/2004 4:27:18 PM PDT by 68skylark
This issue has been circulating around campuses since the spring causing a rampage among parents and coddled kids because they think this is the President's idea. It's the old "VietNam-ization" of the Iraq war. Don't kid yourself, the Draft is as unpopular now as it was during Viet Nam era and could seriously sway young votes.
Well maybe you're right. I don't really have a lot of interaction with high school and college age kids these days -- except for the ones I see at military drills.
If there are kids out there who are genuinely scared of the draft I just wish I could talk to them and put their mind at ease. I'd say to them, "Believe me -- if you don't want to be in the military then don't worry, 'cause we don't want you in the military either."
OK pretty boy, on the off chance that you get lucky enough to have enough dead people voting and you guys win, I am going to hold you to your words. So when the Arabs and the EU attack us, you won't do it. Whatever. You guys are pandering to all the cowards the patriots protect.
Edwards better clear that with Hillary's Black Caucus mouth piece Charlie Rangle.
Of course, it's been the Democrats in Congress (and their media allies) that have been harping for the past year that we need to bring back the draft. All to cast aspersions on, and turn the sheeple against, Bush and the War on Terror.
That's a pretty strong way of putting it, friend. I agree with your strong statement.
The neocons want us to invade Iran, and then Syria. That'll take a draft, friend. I don't want my kids going. I'm voting for Bush, but this is one thing that scares me. Bill Kristol wouldn't sent his kids - but he wants mine to go.
Fear anyone?
I expect that if Bush is reelected and puts in a draft (so we can finally have enough troops to pacify Iraq -- and then maybe invade Iran), many freepers who are snarling at Edwards now, won't complain that Bush is instituting a draft. I will, though. And there will be BIG protests nationwide. Folks who aren't affected by the mess in Iraq now will go ballistic if Bush and the neocons try to send their kids into that hell hole.
This is "fear tactic" that the DP's (democrat party) are using. The problem for them, is that the only people who are scared of a draft are the cowards, and the only ones who will not defend the country are the loony left.
What the Dem's are doing is using what is a normal,routine national security contingency plan, and it's annual review of procedure, to scare people into thinking that there are plans to implement a draft.
this review happens every 5 or so years.
This isn't the first time this has been used as a scare tatic. I think back in march someone brought this up.
If Kerry/Edwards would happen to make it I think that the re-enlistment rate will drop substantially, and in order to protect ourselves around the world we WILL have to institute the draft. Think about it.
Well, thanks for sharing your opinion.
The tactic only works because the neocons are talking about many more wars - - invasions of Iran, Syria, Lebanon. Can't do that without a draft, friend. If the neocons would give up on this scheme to take over the middle east (a crazy idea, because we can't even pacify Iraq), the Dems wouldn't be able to wave the "draft" flag.
When you say that - you imply you're for a draft. And that implies that this is more than a "scare tactic" -- there are people who are understandably concerned that folks like you want their children conscripted and sent to the hell hole in Iraq.
So, if somebody doesn't want to go to an elective war - one where the US wasn't directly threatened - he or she is a "coward"? Was Cheney a "coward" for declining to be drafted in the 60s? I'm opposed to a draft. I'm not a coward. The GOP platform is opposed to a draft. Was it written by cowards?
Oh so true but Charlie has been running that dog ever since. Even funnier is that he's (and his followers) are using the exact same justifications to restart it as the left used to end it.
I think someone commenting on this thread seems to have gone off his meds.
Our son, who hasn't graduated H.S., yet wants to join the Marines. HE tells them that he doesn't want the likes of them diluting the pool! To be fair, these same college students (that we've spoken to) say they would enlist if another 9/11 type attack faced us. They are clear they are not anit U.S. or anti- Military, they just want to be the ones making the choice.
We tell them to talk to Rangel and co-sponsors, Hollings and their Dem Congresspeople whose big bright idea this is. It's another Dem disinformation campaign!
We should all be spreading the word.
I don't know that I'd call Iraq a "hellhole". Maybe one of the circles of Hell, but not the Big Taco itself. Seriously, I was on the ground over there during Gulf War I, and in a few other places over there over the years, and my experience with the military (being a retired officer, I consider myself qualified to speak on it) is that we're still not quite there on what we call "MOUT" (Military Operations in Urban Terrain).
One needs to have perspective on military operations. Swift moving forces, executing manuever warfare at a high level, conquered a vast country with hundreds of thousands of armed troops so quickly that it was not able to prevent the mass exodus of those same men and arms into areas of the country where said men and arms would receive aid and comfort (most cities and towns in the "Sunni Triangle" make up these areas).
If we find fault anywhere in the original warplan, it's that we were too pessimistic as to how far and how fast the Iraqi military structure would fall. This left a gaping power vacuum that we've basically had to fill stopgap and as best we could. After all, the alternative would have been to abandon the country to anarchy and chaos, which, outside of certain areas in the Sunni Triangle it most certainly is not experiencing.
As to the magical figure of 1000 troops killed in Iraq, well, it is true that every death is tragic, but one must also take out of that 1000 figure about 244 members who lost their lives through accident or illness. Extrapolation of the expected casualty rate in a large major combined arms exercise (a so-called "CAX" or named major exercise such as "Team Spirit" or "Bright Star") would show a relative same amount of killed or injured or sick over a proportional amount of time.
Lastly, we've had to plot for the total reordering of a society that had been completely antithetical to the aims of our country and other countries in the free western world. No easy task for any coalition (of which we currently comprise one nation out of sixty).
I cannot find fault in a president who, when given intelligence by every U.S. agency, by Russia, by Israel and by other so-called "contractors" chooses to preempt an attack coming from "down the road", so to speak. I also remind everyone that it was Saddam who continued to posture as if he did indeed have weapons of mass distruction, in a perhaps vain attempt to convince those countries in his neighborhood (a very dangerous neighborhood at that) that he was still a tiger who had teeth.
Friend, you sound like you're seeking an argument, and I don't wish to argue. But you asked a question and it deserves a civil reply.
The people who are opposed to a draft have very wide-ranging opinions. Yes, some are cowards. Others (like me) don't want a draft because it's militarily ineffective -- it hurts our ability to find and kill the enemy. I'm sure there are other people who have other reasons to oppose a draft as well.
The statement from Edwards is silly because no one is advocating a draft. He's just trying to scare some young people, and it's a laughable effort.
I'm sorry if I've been impolite to you on this thread. Even though we may disagree, we all want to be civil. I hope you'll accept my apology, and hopefully we can have a good discussion.
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