James Baker Backs Reinstating the Draft

US News and World Report ^ | 5-3-09 | Paul Bedard

[Mr. Silverback]

However, I believe one of the things most strongly missing in this society is a sense of civic responsibility. Too many Americans enjoy the benefits of this society, and not enough ‘pay’ for them.

Great, then become a youth pastor. The fact that we've got some ingrates around isn't a reason to do something that damaged readiness and harmed domestic tranquility when we did it before. The volunteer military performs fantastically, and using it to solve a societal attitude problem isn't any better an idea than any other for of social engineering.

[PzLdr]

The voluntary military is stretched to the breaking point, and requiring someone to serve their country isn’t ‘social engineering’.

If you’re so enamored of all volunteer forces, move to the Vatican. They hire their’s in Switzerland.

[Candor7]

This Serve act is what I call the "Bend Over" act.

Thats a pretty accurate name for it. I wonder if we could organize a boycott and protest when they try to sign people up.

[katiekins1]

An army of mindless ideologues to do Obama’s bidding.

To market a draft in this manner,is equivalent to involuntary servitude.

[Mr. Silverback]

Whether you want to call it that or not, what you're offering is indeed social engineering. You identified an attitude prevalent in a certain segment of society and you want the government to enact a certain policy in order to change that attitude to a more positive one. If that's not social engineering, then the phrase "social engineering" has no meaning whatsoever.

Some of the stuff about the military being "broken" or "stressed" is hooey, some is accurate. But it's worth noting that recruiting and retention targets are being hit. It's also worth stating once again that the draft harmed combat readiness and damaged domestic tranquility in the Sixties and Seventies. Solving a "stretched" military with something that harmed their readines and discipline before is like trying to cure gonorrhea with an injection of herpes.

There's a reason the military wasn't interested in the draft even when some of the services were missing their marks and the Guard and Reserve were overtaxed. There's a reason that even Congresscritters in safe seats won't vote for it. It's because it's a rotten idea.

If you’re so enamored of all volunteer forces, move to the Vatican. They hire their’s in Switzerland.

The gratuitously insulting suggestion that I leave my country because I disagree with you on military policy is noted.

When I was in during the early Nineties, the senior NCOs still shuddered at the prospect of a draft...and that was in the Air Force, the service that received by far the fewest draftees and experinced by far the fewest draft-related problems! Like I said, if you want to improve the attitude of youth toward serving their country, become a youth pastor or high school guidance counselor.