Whether or not we should reinstate the draft is a controversial issue for most Americans. My belief is that our democratic form of government and the security of our nation are in real danger because we no longer have a draft. I contend that if our military had consisted of a large percentage of draftees in 2001, because of concern for their safety and that of other sons and daughters coming of age, we would not be in Iraq today. The public would have demanded more proof of a direct threat to our nation before committing the lives of their loved ones to the horrors of war.
When I was a young man this country required all able-bodied young men to serve in the military for a minimum of 2 years. Instead of waiting for the draft I enlisted and served four years in the Air Force, a choice I made rather than be drafted into the Army. I have often questioned the decision to put my private life on hold for four years instead of only the two years required by the draft, but now that I look back I don’t regret the decision. I learned a lot about who I was, I gained good experience and developed a set of skills that still serve me today. And, as a result of four years exposure to the military culture, I have an insight into how the military functions and thinks which helps me understand what we face as a nation in time of war.
Ever since the US ended the draft and changed to an all volunteer military I have been concerned. Even though I now have grandchildren whose lives could be affected, I fully support a return to the draft. I applauded Rep. Charlie Rangel when he called for a reinstatement of the draft. His concerns are the same as mine.
First, an all volunteer army can come to have no conscience and can be easily moved to venture out on reckless missions. They can also be more easily persuaded to serve special interests or convinced to follow a would-be dictator. They become essentially paid mercenaries. They are career warriors with a mindset for war and many among them crave action. The loyalty of a mercenary or volunteer army tends to be first concentrated towards its leaders and not necessarily to a nation or its people. It's the nature of the beast.
Second, Democracies are formed around the idea of citizen armies that represent the will of the people and a nation's spirit. It follows that an all volunteer military does not represent a full spectrum of a nation’s people or the will of the people. Individual families from all walks of life are not fully invested because sons and daughters from all levels of society are not equally at risk. Under these conditions the general public can be too easily whipped into a hawkish, patriotic frenzy, and coerced and coaxed into supporting an illogical war when no members of their immediate family are directly at risk or otherwise affected.
When we have a member of our immediate family subject to death and dismemberment most of us will have a different view regarding any supposed threat to our nation and the reasons given for entering into war. If every family in this nation faced the prospect of having their sons and daughters subject to being drafted and sent to war in Iraq or to some other arena of conflict, there would have been a completely different public attitude concerning Iraq and entering into any future war.
In today’s NY Times there is a good example that bears out what I’m talking about.
Matthew Dowd, a former chief political strategist and ex-aide to George Bush, Karl Rove and both Bush campaigns, and a former senior advisor to the Republican National Committee has admitted to a recent come-to-the-alter experience regarding the Bush presidency and the war in Iraq. Dowd is feeling remorseful that he came over to the Republican side and worked hard to get Bush elected – not once, but twice. While there are a
number of reasons for his change of heart, primary among them is the fact his oldest son was sent to Iraq as a member of the military. He now has someone dear to him at risk of losing life or limb in what Dowd now thinks is a misguided war.
According to the NY Times report, “His views against the war began to harden last spring when, in a personal exercise, he wrote a draft opinion article and found himself agreeing with Mr. Kerry’s call for withdrawal from Iraq. He acknowledged that the expected deployment of his son Daniel was an important factor.”
Chalmers Johnson, author of
Is the American Empire on the Brink of Collapse?, his most recent book,commented on the draft and the citizen army vs. the all volunteer army.
“That is one reason the military so much prefers the volunteer army, since 1973, as distinct from conscription. Conscription does mean a citizen army. You know why you're there. When I was in the Navy in the Korean War, it was an obligation of citizenship, it was not as it is today. Service today in our armed forces is a career choice, a decision about how to make your living. That alters things a great deal.
It makes it easier for the officers. Everybody who was ever in the armed forces knows that, with a citizen army, the people are very sensitive to whether the officers are lying, or whether they know what they're doing, whether the strategy makes any sense or not. There's a degree of fairness at work. The Vietnam War was certainly a working-class war. The total number of Yale graduates killed in Vietnam was one, and that is a fact.”
It angers me that Bush, Chaney, Rove and the rest of these arrogant chicken hawks so eager to send our troops to war have never served themselves (Bush’s AWOL stint in the ANG doesn’t count) would eagerly send your grandchild or mine to face the horrors of war but would never allow their children to be placed in harm’s way.
The people of this nation should demand that the draft be reinstated and that the wealthy, the privileged and politically well-connected are no longer allowed to avoid military service. Americans who have amassed money and power are no better than average Americans when it comes to serving our nation. They and their children should be required to pay the same price and face the same dangers as those average Americans that make this nation prosperous and keep it strong.
Where’s the outrage?
Beginning tomorrow, April 24, the army leadership is being grilled by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (gently warmed and coddled is more likely) over the lies they told regarding the cover-up of the death of Pat Tillman and the manufacturing of the Jessica Lynch rescue story.
