Non-essential Conscription
As the war on terrorism continues more troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are dying every month. The government is struggling to organize the number of soldiers maintaining the opposition in both Afghanistan and Iraq which brings up a popular topic-conscription (mandatory military enlistment). Senator Charles Rangel of New York was the one that introduced the call for the military draft upon the Senate. The draft was revoked and still hasn’t been in affect since the Vietnam War over thirty years ago. Reinstitution of conscription would not help this country right now, it will just make matters worse. It is not necessary to permit a draft in the United States because our advanced voluntary military should be able to control the defense of our country.
If years from now we are still fighting in operation Iraqi freedom and record numbers of troops are dropping, then congress should start to propose a draft, not now. They probably are pre-warning us right now yet won’t actually pass this mandate until next year or months from today. Who knows, the government can construct a draft tomorrow if they feel that it’s necessary.
A meeting between democrats and republicans took place in January this year regarding conscription. They basically discussed how and when this will take action. “The middle class and lower middle class should not be forced to bear the burden of fighting and dying if, in fact, this is a generational war.” (Senator Chuck Hagel-Republican from Nebraska) He and many other senators made it clear to the press that if there was a draft, then the majority of the upper middle class and upper class would be targeted to fight for our country. I agree simply because during the Vietnam War, many children of the higher social layers of society found any possible way to avoid the draft.
Our military defense has the most advanced weapons and protection system in the world. Ever since Bush took place in office, our taxes were contributing towards the expenses of the military. After watching the Department of Defense spend billions of dollars on military needs these last past four years, I wonder why they have to bring up this non-essential topic. This budget that Clinton actually proposed was $277.5 billion for the Sec...
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...r paying rent and was in the best shape of my life. It wasn’t that bad, also when I was deployed to Iraq I saved a lot of money and came back to the States feeling and living great. The reason why I got out is because I wanted to go to school.
Every person in the U.S. between the ages of 18-26 should be aware of this situation that can possibly happen. They should all have the right to be heard and share their opinions with the rest of the country instead of just the Pentagon, Senate, Legislatures and Politicians. They aren’t the ones who are going to be forced to fight, we are, and we as the young people of society are the easiest intentions. From my knowledge and what I’ve seen while I was in the Army I can say that our armed forces are fine over in Iraq. We don’t need to draft more troops for the war in Iraq. While conscription will ruin our country, another country will be benefited doesn’t make sense.
Works Cited http://grassley.senate.gov/won/2003/won02-01-10.htm http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2000/b02072000_bt045-00.html
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/apr2004/draf-a22.shtml
..., the draft ended and the U.S. converted to an All-Volunteer military. Many people were not in high spirits about the Vietnam War, and thought we should not be involved in it. Lyndon Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, laments “[w]e are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves” (Vietnam-Facts.info). There is a popular picture of a draft protests sign displaying the words “hell no, we won’t go.” I do believe Americans should have a right to choose to go to war or not. Many young men lost their life fighting a battle they didn’t even have faith in. Many soldiers endured personal hardships, loss of income, and leaving family behind. Most of drafted soldiers complied with the draft and served; however, many middle to high-class young men found ways to avoid combat.
During the First World War, Canada suffered a great conscription crisis that divided the nation. The French-Canadian nationalists, led by Henri Bourassa, opposed conscription and felt that they were fighting an English war, and therefore felt no obligation to fight. The vast majority of those who enlisted during the age of voluntary recruitment were Anglophones; in contrast, very few Francophones volunteered to fight. On 17 May 1917, Prime Minister Robert Borden announced that military service was to become compulsory among men of fighting age of all classes. French-Canadians protested; however, despite their best efforts, the Military Service Bill came into effect. The protest eventually led to lengthy riots. Following this, Canada became
I never thought I would say this but I think we should reinstate the draft. It has been years since we have wanted or needed a draft, but in view of the United States being attacked on September 11, 2001, I feel our country must be ready and prepared to defend itself. If being prepared means reinstating the draft, a mandatory summons for military service, then I think we should consider this a reasonable proposal. I think the tragic events of September 11 will evoke most people to agree with me. Since September 11 we have seen a surge of patriotism in this country that seemed hidden for many years. I am so glad patriotism was not lost, and I think most Americans would be willing to defend their country in light of this attack. We are a nation and a people who believe in freedom and democracy. It tells other nations who we are and what we stand for. It is these beliefs that lead me to believe that the people of the United States will do anything to preserve our freedom and democracy even if it means reinstating the draft. I want to prove this notion, but am unsure how to accomplish this. I have not read any recent articles in newspapers or magazines that have dealt with this issue. My textbook was not a source either. So I decided to do two things. First, I went to the Internet for any information, articles, discussions, or statements relating to this issue. Second, I decided to conduct an informal poll. This informal poll consisted of male and female respondents with an age span of eighteen to sixty two. My poll started with classmates in my Western Civilization and Studio Art classes and the professors who instruct these classes. My poll included emailing friends and family who live and work in New York, family currently serving in the Armed Forces, and a family member who is a Veteran of the Viet Nam War. Also included in this poll is a random sampling of the townspeople of Los Alamos. Medical personnel at Los Alamos Women’s Health Services, and the lunch crowd at Café’ Allegro rounded out my poll. This cross section of Americans evoked many feelings and opinions and stimulated many conversations and critical thought. These conversations exhilarated me and the results I obtained amazed me.
Reinstating the Draft To each and every person, war means something different. For some, it is against the things they believe in, but for others it is everything that they believe in. In America, the men and women have the privilege to determine whether or not they are a part of serving this country by going into: the marines, navy, national guard, air force, etc. Previous to this choice being available, they had what was called the military draft. The military draft is where men from the ages 18 to 25 years old legally have to register with Selective Services where you could potentially be chosen to go to war.
“First, conscription doesn’t save much cash. It costs money to manage and enforce a draft- history demonstrates that not every inductee would go quietly. Conscripts serve shorter terms and reenlist less frequently, increasing turnover, which is expensive. And unless the government instituted a Czarist lifetime draft, everyone beyond the first ranks would continue to expect to be paid” (Forbes). Even though “The military not only provides training in a range of specialties; it also offers educational benefits for veterans-- including many from underprivileged back grounds-- that might not be available under a mandatory
Over forty years has passed since the United States inducted the last draftee through the Selective Service System. The Selective Service System is an independent agency of the United States, which gives the President the right or power to conscript men for military service. There have been different Acts passed by congress since 1917 that require men of various ages to register for service. Although, the name of each Act and the age requirements of the registries changed, the Acts were all similar in nature. They all gave the President the right to call men to war when he deemed necessary. In January 1973, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announced the creation of the all-volunteer service, retracting the need for the draft (GAO.gov). Under current law, all men between the ages of 18-25 must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday, however this information is used mostly for recruitment purposes and in case of any future crisis. There has been much controversy over this matter since the Vietnam War, when people started to realize the draft was unfair due to loopholes and draft exemptions making the draft unfair for working men. At one point in time the military draft may have been necessary, but today’s all-volunteer military has eliminated the need for a draft.
The Military draft is the random selection of qualified citizens of the United States, that is put to use when a crisis occurs, like a war. When American citizens reached age 18, they had to sign up for eligibility to be drafted to go to war for their country. Throughout the country’s history, the requirements and limitations of drafting have changed. The draft has been going on since colonial times in America in order to fulfill the country’s military needs when there were not enough volunteer fighters for the military. The total amount of soldiers that one side has fighting for it is an important factor in any type of battle so getting the necessary amount of fighters is crucial. The draft assures everyone that this military need is satisfied at any point in time. Many people feel like the draft is not fair and not “American” and the draft has seen so much conflict since its invention. Throughout the history of the United States, the military draft has been a very important, yet highly controversial topic at the same time.
The draft is something young men fear and crave. Some fear they will lose everything, die or just not be the same if they get picked. I have met young men who cannot be in the military due to family issues, so the draft would come as a blessing. The draft is also very random, so both of those boys' chances of getting picked is also very slim. The draft reminds me of The Reaping from The Hunger Games, we pick your name out of a bowl and the magic of selection will decide if you go or not. Then your skill set will determine how long you live in battle. May the odds be ever in your favor, and don't forget that you're and accountant and have no hand-eye coordination! There are plenty of volunteers in America that will gladly serve our country if we need more soldiers, I personally think the wars have past their expiration date, and there are other jobs people can do
...hletes recruited to attend college come from lower, working-class families. The opportunity to enter the draft early to help their families financially is one that will hardly be passed by.
People who support the military draft will say that it is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 42, to perform a period of national service. Aren?t there many other ways--less deadly ways--to contribute to the country?s well being? Should we, as citizens, be allowed to evade this ultimate obligation by turning it over to the poorer members of society, those who can't find good-paying jobs or training except in the military? In "A War for Us, Fought by Them," William Broyles, a Vietnam war veteran and the father of a young man who is a soldier in the Marines, argues that the military draft should be brought back, and this time it should be done right: everybody should be drafted, not just ?the profoundly patriotic or the economically needy" (Broyles 695).
Ever since the first war involving America started, there have been countless discussions on who should fight for our country. There are talks of age, gender, and if the service should be voluntary or not. In America, serving is voluntary, although, in other countries, it is not. The service should stay voluntary in America because if not, it would go against freedom and it would be a source of newfound problems within our country. Also, if youth took off two years of their lives to serve, they would not gain experience to work in the fields that need more work force.
Now, the U.S. military consists entirely of volunteer soldiers, and the draft has been discontinued, though while being discontinued, Government requests that all citizens sign for national service when they come of age to enlist. In common vernacular this means that government wants all citizens to sign what is essentially a draft form when our draft has been disbanded; this legal document will force some citizens to work for the government in a way remarkably similar to the draft. (Hasbrouck)
I know your belief in conscription is a big thing but in a way it is a cruel thing. Against someone’s will sending him or her away to fight in a war that they may not believe in in the first place. Conscription in a war where fighting for your country is a good cause however fighting for someone’s beliefs is completely different.
...itary conscription in the name of freedom is an illegitimate, criminal organization. A government that is willing to enslave people cannot be trusted to protect your liberty. A government that forces people to fight for its goals, its protection, and its benefit has created a morally perverse situation where there is no free society left to defend” (Boldin). Another thing we must look at is without an overflow of troops; “unpopular wars are very difficult to fight. The ability to use conscription actually encourages politicians to wage even more wars;the massive resources are a temptation that is hard for the war-lover to resist. When the draft was finally undermined in the 1970′s, for example, the Vietnam War ended” (Boldin).
Mandatory military service, which is also known as military conscription, should be mandatory in the United States. Military conscription, a very tentative, subject among our country, have some who are for it, including all the benefits it has to offer and some who are extremely against it wholeheartedly. Many governments in history have used this strategy to build a large and powerful military that will be ready and developed in times of war and distraught. For example, the Qin Empire of China in 221 BC and the France during the French Revolution in the 1790s; Iran, Greece, Russia, South Korea, and Egypt are some of the countries that still use this tactic.