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Old November 6, 2002, 09:33 PM   #1
NJQuick1
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Draft

If the War with Iraq ever comes to be, do you think there will be a draft?? My initial thought is "No" since we didnt need one in Desert Storm. Your thoughts.......
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Old November 6, 2002, 09:38 PM   #2
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No. It would not require the large numbers of people that participated in WWI, WWII and Korea and would not last as long as Vietnam where thousands of troops were shipped in for one year intervals. There would not be enough time to set up a draft program, draft, equip, train and deploy the draftees.
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Old November 7, 2002, 01:09 AM   #3
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No, I think they'll be able to handle all the surrendering Iraqis just as well as they did before.
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Old November 7, 2002, 01:15 AM   #4
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No. If they need more, they'll call up active reserves, then inactive reserves.

I know I wouldn't want a conscript with me in a fighting hole.
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Old November 7, 2002, 05:53 AM   #5
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This will probably be a small affair with Marines and elements of the 1st Cav, 101st Airborne, some armor, and mechanized infantry. I don't think they have any plans to do a mobilization as large as they did during Desert Shield. Hell, most of the toys they need are still over there in storage from the last time we kicked Iraq's ass.
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Old November 7, 2002, 07:08 AM   #6
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Draft.

No, not against Iraq. However, if we ever go at it with the Chinese...

If there is a draft I would like to see the ages expanded as I am a father with sons. The birthrate has been so low in recent decades that the percentage of the population of draftable age is much lower than it used to be. Also, why not make more men elligible for the draft -- you might see less support for wars? Also, I'd like to see Clinton given the opportunity to be able to serve in the U.S. Army as he made himself scarce during Vietnam. And one last thing, it was the baby-boomers who didn't have many kids, why force the ones who did to shoulder the burden of protecting their fat -----?
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Old November 7, 2002, 08:26 AM   #7
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No. There is never a "need" for a draft. If a society's members will not voluntarily defend it, then it isn't worth defending.

Conscription = Slavery
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Old November 7, 2002, 08:55 AM   #8
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Nope.
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Old November 7, 2002, 10:40 AM   #9
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I think No unless things go really bad. You can never tell with war. Things happen that you can't project.

I registered for the draft in 1973 and fully expected to get sent to Viet Nam. I was put into the lottery system and got 86. If the war had continued as it had, I was sure to go. However, Nixon stopped the draft that same year. I lucked out timing wise. My Dad did the same in WWII. He was 29 when WWII started and was a Chemical Engineer. He worked on the chemical side of the Manhatten Project and was considered more valuable to the war effort here than overseas.

I would have gone if called, but at that time, the Vietnam war was incredibly unpopular. My older brother (12 years older) went. He said it really sucked there. Very hot, and bugs everywhere. He told me not to volunteer to go there even if I could because it was such a rat-hole.
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Old November 7, 2002, 10:41 AM   #10
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Never say never. (Unless used in Churchill's context.) Might not need a draft for war in Iraq, might need it for war elsewhere.
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Old November 7, 2002, 11:13 AM   #11
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No, I think I'll have mine in the bottle. They taste better that way.
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Old November 7, 2002, 11:53 AM   #12
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"I was put into the lottery system and got 86. If the war had continued as it had, I was sure to go."

Yup. IIRC, the year before they went up to 125.

Now, if they require women to register for the draft (uh-huh, been waiting for more than 30 years for the libbers to make that happen), the size of the pool would double and only half as many guys would be tapped for the honor.

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Old November 7, 2002, 12:05 PM   #13
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Quote:
Now, if they require women to register for the draft (uh-huh, been waiting for more than 30 years for the libbers to make that happen),
Well, speaking as a "libber" , I firmly believe that if there is to be a draft, it should include women as well.

Most of the anti-women-in-the-military arguments that I hear come from guys.
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Old November 7, 2002, 12:21 PM   #14
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In The Patriot, people get a "that's just not right" attitude in the scene where Tavington tells the black free men that they can have "the privilege of serving in the King's army". But yet many people are for the conscription of our own sons, cousins, friends, etc.? And now apparently, since men will be conscripted, women want to be conscripted too? Imagine if my wife gets conscripted and has to fight in some foreign county and I don't get conscripted...
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Old November 7, 2002, 01:57 PM   #15
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No.
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:09 PM   #16
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I never saw the movie The Patriot, so I can't comment on that.

Quote:
And now apparently, since men will be conscripted, women want to be conscripted too?
For me, it's about equal rights and responsibilities. I don't want women to be drafted; nor do I want men to be drafted. But if women are demanding equal rights in everything else, we should also be demanding the right to fight and die for our country. We can't only have the happy parts; but the not-so-good aspects of What It Means To Be An American Patriot.

Quote:
Imagine if my wife gets conscripted and has to fight in some foreign county and I don't get conscripted
I imagine it would be roughly the same as if you were to get conscripted but she didn't. What am I missing here?
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:17 PM   #17
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WyldOne- What you are essentially saying is that if men are being served an injustice like conscription that women should be served that injustice as well. You would change the law so that everybody is screwed...but screwed equally? This is ridiculous. Also, conscription has nothing to do with being a patriot.

Quote:
I imagine it would be roughly the same as if you were to get conscripted but she didn't. What am I missing here?
The difference is that currently, my wife has no chance of conscription...why would I want to change the laws so that she has a chance? Its bad enough that one day I may be considered for the draft, so I wouldn't want to add even more members of my family and friends.
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:22 PM   #18
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Please understand. I am not in favor of the draft. Heck, I have major issues with the military in general.

BUT. If there is going to be a draft, it should include everyone who is physically capable of fighting. (I'm not sure of what kind of limitations there are on draftees--my understanding is, that it is every male who is physically capable.)
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:25 PM   #19
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If you're not in favor of the draft why the heck would you want it expanded?
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:28 PM   #20
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There's no way a draft will be called any time soon. Americans want clean, high-tech wars they can watch on TV. They want the "cheap" oil. (Not counting the billions of tax dollars spent on the military.) They want to tie plastic American flags to the aerials of their SUVs and shoot at Osama targets and put "United we Stand" bumper stickers on their pickups.

They do NOT want to take time off work (bad career move), or Johnny (or Janey) coming home in a box. The politically ambitious can always enlist.
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:30 PM   #21
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I'm not saying, "Let's expand the draft!!!!!"

But. IF there is to be a draft, it should include men and women. THAT is equality.

Edited/changed for clarification. (I hope )
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Old November 7, 2002, 02:55 PM   #22
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Malone,

Do you really believe all that?! If so, might I suggest you escape CA and experience actual America where the reast of us live? I think it might do you a world of good.
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Old November 7, 2002, 03:51 PM   #23
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We already had this discussion a year ago and it proved more divisive than any other topic we've seen on TFL. I recommend searching the archives first.
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Old November 7, 2002, 03:51 PM   #24
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WyldOne,

I think that what Ronin is saying is that just because 50% of the population is getting the shaft, we don't improve the situation by giving 100% the shaft.

Soviet Communism did the same thing by making everyone poor as opposed to a fraction of the population. In situations like these equality is not a good thing.

Our end goal, hopefully, would be to make it so that there is as little injustice and oppression as possible. When we expand the draft we are also expanding the amount of injustice being perpetuated.

Sacrificing justice on an altar of equality is not a good thing.
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Old November 7, 2002, 04:21 PM   #25
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ahenry,

I'm talking about the REST of America, of course.
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