Yeah, but you are not thinking through this Michael Moore logic. What do you want the leaders of the US to do? "Son, I want you to sign up for service to deflect criticism of our war in Iraq." "OK, great idea Dad".
Since when is it up to a parent to force their child to go to war? No Senator can sign their child up for war. It's a volunteer army. It's up to the child.
Where I would agree is that a parent, and a nation, needs to be cautious about recruitment. We should never glamorize war. War is hell, right? Parents should fully explain the benefits and consequences of joining.
In World War II all our congress, cabinet and presidents had kids or relatives in uniform. Not now. That tells me these elite families either think they're too good for military service - - that it's something for the middle and lower classes -- or they don't view the Iraq war as essential for national security the way our involvement in WWII was (and, of course, it isn't).