-- I see a need for a voluntary 'rite of passage' type draft in America..Extremely bad idea, for four reasons.One tied to becoming a full voting citizen. -- Call it a boot camp for the franchise. -- No service, no vote.
1) It puts those who resent being there into the military. There's a reason pretty much every military professional in the US prefers an all-volunteer force.
2) It will get those currently apathetic kids interested in politics in a very non-constructive manner.
3) It allows politicians to skimp on military pay, military equipment, and military preparedness in order to pay for welfare or pork barrel projects.
4) It allows politicians to fight half-ast wars of attrition using an endless supply of cannon fodder rather than fighting wars to their conclusion as quickly as possible.
If you want to play social engineer, don't mess with the military. It's too important.
-Eric
That is a valid point, but maybe put them in for 2 years rather than 4 years. Just my opinion, but I think military service benefits a person no matter what career they eventually choose. If anything it makes them appreciate all the blessings of US citizenship.
2) It will get those currently apathetic kids interested in politics in a very non-constructive manner.
Again, I don't think it hurts them to become more aware of the importance of electing good leaders. Most people in the military see first hand the effects of certian policies.
3) It allows politicians to skimp on military pay, military equipment, and military preparedness in order to pay for welfare or pork barrel projects.
Maybe true in the short run, but one of the reasons politicians have been able to skimp on military pay is because there's no large constituency of military , ex-military and military famlies to raise hell when conditions get bad. When most everyone knows someone in the military you have to believe that politicians will think twice before cutting military pay.
4) It allows politicians to fight half-ast wars of attrition using an endless supply of cannon fodder rather than fighting wars to their conclusion as quickly as possible.
Again, for the same reasons as above, I'm not so sure of this one. As long as we elect amoral leaders they'll throw us into amoral wars. Personally, I don't think Clintoon would have plunged us into the Balkins, Hati or sold out the troops in Somolia if there was a large pro military constituancy. Bubba was if nothing else, a master politician who knew which groups (like the military) he could afford to dump on, and which groups (homosexuals, feminists etc) he dare not offend.