Should the US government reinstitute the military draft?

Hell, No!

Absolutely not! Nobody should be forced into a potentially life threatening situation by a government that has proven time and time again, that "noble causes" have nothing to do with many of the conflicts they get involved in. Too many times politicians have used the lives of young men (and now women too) as mere tools to serve their own political ambitions first, and their country a distant second!

Toward the end of the Vietnam war, L.B J deliberately prolonged the war for no other reason than that he "..just darn well didn't want to be shown to be wrong!" An obscene number of people died on both sides, simply so he could try to salvage his reputation. Tape recordings of his telephone conversations about it, reveal the sheer arrogance of him and others in power, who seem so able to reduce the concept of living, breathing human beings down to abstract statistics. How many people wake up and just think, "Wow, I'm in a state of war!" ? No! We are always told by our leaders what to think and feel about other countries, and like good little robots we all whip ourselves into a frenzy of hate and violence. Our governments would be powerless to start these useless conflicts in the first place if we were a little more discerning about what we allowed ourselves to believe.

I used to think that the draft was wrong and didn't benefit anyone. But a few days ago I read an article on newsweek that changed the way I though about the draft.

Here is a link to the interview for those that are interested:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20478293/site/newsweek/

I think that a draft would make all the rich Senators push for better funding because their sons would be in Iraq. Our troops would have more armored vehicles and kevlar vests. A much larger fighting force goes without saying. I think that the draft would end the war faster and safer.

To force people to enlist and undemocratic.One should be able to intelligently choose on their own.The draft causes citizens to dislike their own country.That happened in the draft during the Vietnam war.

Not at this point in time. The US is making plans for withdrawal from Iraq. A draft would only work if we were making plans for further occupation.

Yea, but only of the children of the executive and legislative branches of the US government.

duplicate

Ditto, absolutely not! The only time I would agree to a draft, is if we are attacked.

Well at this moment the draft isn't necessary. Not until WW3 breaks out or something like that, we don't even need it.

Only if the combined manpower of the US Armed Forces (active, reserve, National Guard) is proving insufficient for warfighting and other national security needs.

The reported attitude of the US population at large since 9/11 has shown that it no longer has the will to engage in protracted combat unless victory is guaranteed with little or no cost of life.

Conscripts are generally the last resort for militaries.