It's getting a little DRAFTY in here

After the November midterm elections, Representative Charlie Rangel, who will soon be the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means committee, offered his own solution of how to handle the war in Iraq. Rangel, a Democratic Congressman from NY, is planning on introducing legislation next month that will bring back the draft for all men and women from ages 18-41.

"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," Rangel said.

Is Rangel on to something? Few disagree with the assertion that our military is spread very thin. If Iran goes nuclear (which it probably will), and situation in Iraq isn’t settled (which it probably won’t), where else would the U.S. get their troops if we needed to defend ourselves?

Here’s what we do know: The Selective Service System, an agency independent of the Defense Department, keeps an updated registry of men age 18-25 (now about 16 million) from which to supply untrained draftees that would add to our all-volunteer armed forces if needed.

In other words, they know where to find you.

It’s worth examining the history of the draft in this country. The draft was used during the Civil War, both world wars, and between 1948-1973. Both the Civil War and the War in Vietnam, much like the War in Iraq, were incredibly unpopular. During the Civil War, men could avoid the draft by paying a certain dollar amount to the federal government, or by getting someone to serve in his place. In the 1960’s, a man could get out of serving in Vietnam if he was furthering his education. In other words, in these cases, the well-born were able to avoid battlefield.

Rich man’s war, poor man’s fight.

If conscription were brought back, a change would have to be made. College would no longer be an excuse. Stevenson students (Rangel wants both men and women) beware. Uncle Sam may demand your services in the near future.

So is a draft in the best interest of our republic? Patriot of ’76 asked two of Stevenson’s brightest scholars to weigh in on this issue. We got both the liberal and conservative perspective.

We welcome in two first time bloggers. Angry Young Republican vs. CrewU. Well, who do you think came out on top?


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--Angry Young Republican---

Currently, the United states, along with limited support from other allies is fighting a war in Iraq. This war is not against the Iraqi army, or any specific enemy, but something called an insurgency; defined as an insurrection against an existing government, usually one's own, by a group not recognized as having the status of a belligerent.

Our intentions going in to Iraq have shifted from defeating a Tyrant, and discovering weapons of mass destruction. Now we are in Iraq for different reasons. We are trying to keep the region safe, so it does not become a breeding ground for terrorist activities. Along with that, we are installing a democratic government for stability.

No matter if you believe if our cause is noble or not we started this mess, it is on our heads to get out of it. A recent Gallop poll indicates that a whopping 59% of Americans are already sick of Iraq. As reasonable American people we need to find a solution to get us out of Iraq quickly, while making it safe for the future. The Army has missed its recruiting targets since February and last month unexpectedly lowered its benchmark from 8,050 to 6,700 recruits and still only reached 75 percent of that downsized goal. The National Guard and Reserve have suffered a similar 25 percent shortfall. The army is desperate for solders they are now taking Applicants who score in the 10th to 30th percentile range on the military's standardized aptitude test are now being accepted at higher rates. Making matters worse, junior Army leaders are quitting after their enlistment.

With the army having enlistment problems, and the Iraq conflict going downhill, it is now necessary to reinstate the draft. With more troops on the ground, it would be possible to use a tactic called overwhelming force. This would enable us to shut down the insurgency, and give the military the ability to select the most suitable people for combat instead of scraping the bottom of the barrel. On top of that, with more smarter solders, the conflict would end more quickly.

Army captain Phil Carter wrote in the Washington Monthly in March. "It can be the world's superpower, or it can maintain the all-volunteer military, but it probably can't do both."

--CrewU--

There are many reasons why there should not be a military draft. My main problem is it will force people that are against the war to fight and die for cause for which they don’t believe. If someone has a religious or moral objection to shooting someone, I think that it’s unfair for the government to force them to do so.

Another reason is because of the don’t ask, don’t tell law. If a person that was draft went into the recruitment office, and then all they have to do is say out loud that they are gay and then they would not be allowed to go into the military.

The next reason is because of the bill that is going in front of Congress right now has major problems. The bill is stating that there should be a draft for people to serve 2 years over seas for people between the ages of 18-41. There are a couple of problems with this proposal. What happens if a student is in college at the particular point of time? Are people not going to be able to go to college in the off chance that they are going to be called upon? The problem with this is that nobody is going to know when they are going to be called and cannot make any commitments. What are people going to think of the government then? Think about it. A draft will lead to mass protests and a decrease of patriotism.

The last problem with the draft is the medical aspect. A lot of people these days have medical deformities, what is the government going to do with them. Citizens will think that it is unfair that the government is not taking those people into the military. Those people are then going to go have surgery or something to show the government that they are not capable of being medically fit to join the military.

In my opinion the military should be completely voluntary.

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