najeena
War Child
I never thought I'd see the day when we'd consider having to impose the draft to force our young people into combat again. How many of us know kids who would have to go, should this take place? Are your children safe?
Hagel raised eyebrows Tuesday when he suggested the United States may need to reinstitute the draft.
On Wednesday, he said he was not advocating a return to military conscription, which ended in 1973 -- but the government "should start realistically exploring what our options are" and should consider some mandatory national service.
"If we, in fact -- as the president says and I agree -- are in a generational war here against terrorism, it's going to require resources. The mission must match the resources," said Hagel, who was an infantryman in Vietnam.
"The second question here is: Who is doing all of the fighting? This is also a societal issue. Should we continue to burden the middle class, who represents most all of our soldiers, and the lower-middle class?"
But House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, said the chances of Hagel's proposal passing Congress were "none -- absolutely none."
Biden, who supported the 2002 congressional resolution that gave Bush the authorization to go to war, said the conflict so far is "not a shared burden."
"The biggest problem we've had from the beginning of this war is the president goes to war saying that it was going to be a major war, gives the largest tax cut in history, says to everybody, 'Don't worry, be happy' -- but by the way, we are going to send all of these reservists and all these National Guard folks for a lot longer than we thought," he said.
RockNRollDawgie said:Draft for a war based on lies...oil interests, false intelligence, Halliburton, greed, etc.
I agree; it ain't gonna happen. Anti-war protests would be
rampant, if that idiot Bush started a draft.
Originally posted by Bono's American Wife
Both of my sons (19 and almost 17) would eligible if there was a draft...but I don't think its going to happen. I'm totally against it and I would do everything in my power to keep them from being forced into the "war on terror"
Seabird said:The thing is, how do you define your country 'needing' you? Do you think you should be forced to fight and die for questionable causes you might not support, that most of the world is against, that really have nothing to do with America at all, just because 'your country' tells you to? If this country were invaded by someone we would all fight to defend our homes, but I can understand people not wanting to potentially lose their lives for things like Vietnam and the current situation in Iraq. It is also true that not every person is they type who would be compatible with military service or battle and no one should be forced to go against their will. My son is not the kind of person who would make any kind of a soldier, and what good does it do anyone to send a person like that to their certain death when there is some other good they could do at home?
Seabird said:How can you expand the all volunteer force without conscripting new volunteers?
If anyone would not even defend their own home, they're going to see violence anyway, their own demise. Ever see The Blue and The Gray, where John was the son who would not take sides and would not bear arms, but in the end when his parent's home was being attacked, he did pick up a gun. That's how I feel, that's what I think most of us would do, even pacifists.