Military draft?

[Paddy]

Only if Congress enforces the War Powers Act, or otherwise restricts POTUS using the military as his own private army.

Bush War Adviser Says Draft Worth a Look     
Aug 10 06:25 PM US/Eastern
By RICHARD LARDNER    
                  
WASHINGTON (AP) - Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, President Bush's new war adviser said Friday.

"I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."

"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another," Lute added in his first interview since he was confirmed by the Senate in June.

President Nixon abolished the draft in 1973. Restoring it, Lute said, would be a "major policy shift" and Bush has made it clear that he doesn't think it's necessary.

The repeated deployments affect not only the troops but their families, who can influence whether a service member decides to stay in the military, Lute said.

"There's both a personal dimension of this, where this kind of stress plays out across dinner tables and in living room conversations within these families," he said. "And ultimately, the health of the all- volunteer force is going to rest on those sorts of personal family decisions."

The military conducted a draft during the Civil War and both world wars and between 1948 and 1973. The Selective Service System, re- established in 1980, maintains a registry of 18-year-old men.

Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has called for reinstating the draft as a way to end the Iraq war.

Bush picked Lute in mid-May as a deputy national security adviser with responsibility for ensuring efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan are coordinated with policymakers in Washington. Lute, an active-duty general, was chosen after several retired generals turned down the job

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QUECGG1&show_article=1

[wmenorr67]

A draft will not work unless you still maintain the ever lowering standards to be in the military.  Plus I think now if you are going to have a draft women need to be included.

[longeyes]

A draft is coming--unless we can win this war from the mall.

[thebaldguy]

I don't see a draft in the future; there is too much risk that rich politicans will have their sons and daughters called up. Many politicans avoided the draft using deferrments during their life.

The general public would not stand for many exemptions in a modern draft.

Most would rather have someone else's kid serve. The wealthy and rich will try to pay to have someone else do the dirty work, or ship their kid overseas.

[HankB]

I see no draft.

In these days of "don't ask, don't tell" there would be a lot of draftees pulling a Cpl. Klinger routine.

Plus, Vietnam is still remembered . . . a conscript today is less likely to be willing to go and risk getting his head blown off if he sees the powers-that-be are insisting on political correctness in combat, and don't themselves see the situation as being important enough to fight a no-holds-barred fight to WIN, no matter WHAT CNN and Harry Reid say.

[Monkeyleg]

It won't happen. Bush doesn't have the political strength to pull it off, Republicans in general don't want to tick off the American public over Iraq anymore than they already have, and Democrats won't be the ones to push the notion.

[kermit315]

I hope they never reinstitute a draft.  we have enough disgruntled people that "only signed up for school money" to deal with now, let alone trying to force someone that doesnt want to be their anyway to do something they dont want to do.

JMO

[wooderson]

Never happen, if for no other reason than the party that takes the fall is absolutely screwed for multiple election cycles.

[Gewehr98]

Advisors suggest all sorts of inane things with each and every administration.

There won't be a military draft.  We'd need a global-scale conflict, with casualties approaching those of WWII, before a draft would replace the volunteer military we have now.  We're not even close to the Vietnam casualty rate now.  Tactics, medevac, and field hospitals are doing a wonderful job of saving troops these days.

I'd worry more about RKBA and 2nd Amendment issues, truthfully.

[Perd Hapley]

A draft is coming--unless we can win this war from the mall. 

No politician is going to commit career suicide by supporting a draft.  Politically, it would be much, much easier to simply withdraw from Iraq.  A draft will only happen during a war that has more popular support. 

[Ron]

The Republicans will not attempt to reinstate a draft.

I believe that was made clear last time this rumor started. Like was mentioned C Rangel is the only one who consistently talks about it.

[Jamisjockey]

I don't see a draft in the future; there is too much risk that rich politicans will have their sons and daughters called up. Many politicans avoided the draft using deferrments during their life.

The general public would not stand for many exemptions in a modern draft.

Most would rather have someone else's kid serve. The wealthy and rich will try to pay to have someone else do the dirty work, or ship their kid overseas.

That's the point.  The thing is a political stunt to get congress to find a way to end the war (probably by yanking funding). 

[Vile Nylons]

But wait!  Shouldn't the draft, in true bipartisan comraderie and spirit, be reinstituted "for the good of the children"?     

What a marvelous opportunity "for the children" to learn to read and write; learn American history; get "buff"; and even commune with Gaiea up close and personal.   

[ilbob]

There is no draft coming. It is not even under serious consideration. Few are in favor of it - not the military, not the government, not the people. And few congress critters would vote for it. This guy is just speaking typical bureaucratic gibberish so ten years down the road no one can say he told the world there would be no draft but it happened anyway.

[drewtam]

Laying aside the politics and the effectiveness.

Consider the merits. The small surge in Baghdad seems to be effective. If we want to win this war sooner rather than losing later. I have been convinced that we need to surge the whole country (except maybe Kurdistan) in a BIG way.

During the run up we were constantly told that we had insufficient troops for the occupation. At the time it was a sound bite for the opposition. But now it has become evident that there was truth to the argument.

Drew

[Perd Hapley]

I don't see a draft in the future; there is too much risk that rich politicans will have their sons and daughters called up.

Aren't there already some rich politicians with kids in the military? 

[The Rabbi]

I don't see a draft in the future; there is too much risk that rich politicans will have their sons and daughters called up.

Aren't there already some rich politicians with kids in the military? 

Yes, plenty.  It is a canard.
There will be no draft because we do not need a draft.  A draft is very expensive.  The military has limited resources.  They do not want to spend them on citizen/soldiers who will be there 2 years at most.  The whole thing is a canard, mainly propagated by Charlie Rangel et al.

[tyme]

If there's a draft, the first people who should be drafted are all the employees of the BATFE, DEA...

[drewtam]

If there's a draft, the first people who should be drafted are all the employees of the BATFE, DEA...

Well, they are the only ones professional enough to handle...  nevermind.

Drew

[Balog]

If there's a draft, the first people who should be drafted are all the employees of the BATFE, DEA...

Well, they are the only ones professional enough to handle...  nevermind.

Drew

We need a post of the week award, just so we can give it to Drew for this post.