Should there be a military draft? I have always been a firm believer in no, it should be voluntary only. But I watched something today that changed my mind. This is what was said by a retired US diplomat, been around since 1965.
Viet Nam freaked the powers that be out because public opinion is what stopped that adventure. That this is the reason that Nixon made the popular decision to get rid of the draft into military service. It helped stopped people protesting war because they were no longer invested in it. The military was now 100% volunteer. So foreign wars were tolerated.
So, if you want your government to not be aggressive in their use of the military for non national defense reasons, bring back conscription.
People will support their soldiers but only if you are putting their lives in danger for bloody good reason. Especially when soldiers are not volunteers, instead they are forced to join by accident of birth. So it better be a bloody good reason eg defending their home. Otherwise, their families and friends will protest vigorously if the government sends them away to danger.
So from being a free love, tree hugging "No draft!!!" hippy, I've flipped today. Re-introduce the draft I reckon, as it will stop our governments promoting military solutions rather than diplomatic ones. Because the peasants, us the public, will rise up again in protest and that scares them.
Ironic that a forcible military draft may help ensure peace. Bring the reality of the violence of armed conflict home to voters.
(Deep down still don't like the idea of conscription, but can see how it would help ensure the military is the last resort considered by governments, rather than the #1 go to action plan every time).
This, of course, would also only work if your own people are the ones getting killed in the conflict. So rather than just enable conflict, would have to actually participate.
Good having new perspectives. Any others other's may have................
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5 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.If I got drafted I would or wouldn't go depending on whether I believed it was just or not. I'm not going to go die for a war I don't believe in, idk what that makes me.
Tejas
Level 8
Mar 17, 2024
1
puff:
That's the idea, only use the military for a very good reason/ justification otherwise many will refuse to go. People protesting by avoiding drafts makes war unpopular as many sympathise with them aka Viet Nam eg "I would avoid conscription too if that's where I'm going". Makes politicians unpopular and it unites all equally which they like to avoid; left/ right, ethnic lines and the "sex's" will unite as all will protest conscripts fighting in unjust wars..
How fair is a draft process that allows rich draftees to be exempted for fake bone spurs.
Science-guy
Level 8
Mar 16, 2024
4
puff:
No exemptions.
There are many other countries where there is not a military draft, and they don't have endless wars of choice, like ours does. But the diff, is that those countries have a functioning democracy, which we don't. And they also don't have a huge MIC, like we do, that owns and runs our fed govt. So, I am not in favor of a draft, but since in our present and long time system, of the last several decades, the only way to prevent endless wars of choice, is to put the children of all economic classes on the line for serving, dying, and being damaged by those wars, then yes, I am in favor of a draft, with no college deferments this time, if that is the only way to stop endless wars of choice, and make middle and upper class voters opposed enough to those wars, to stop them from being waged. And another provision I propose, is that the draft age children of our elected fed officials, are the first ones subject to induction to the military, with no deferments of any kind being allowed, before the children of the general public would be subject to the draft. Let's see how they like their kids being on the firing line first, and no allowing their kids to be hidden away in safe assignments in the military, instead of being right on the front lines in the infantry of the army..
TomMcGiverin
Level 8
Mar 16, 2024
4
I think there should be a mandatory 2 year public service for everyone, where, except in times of war, the military is just one option.
snytiger6
Level 9
Mar 16, 2024
5
I did not explain it very well. I think college education should be free, but in return people serve a mandatory two years of public service. In short, giving back to the community in some way to make a better society by making people feel like they have an investment in society and making a better country. With the exception of times of war, a person should be able to work for any government service or agency to fulfill their service requirement.
Too many people look at government as the enemy, when in fact government is needed to make society work. Rather than just preparing people via education to be busy workers for corporations, we should be teaching community responsibility and make people more aware of how our country and its future are shaped by our attitudes about ethics, community and responsibility.
People help to shape the community they live in.
I know it all seems like pie in thy sky thinking. I do think about it though, and I try to think of ways where our future, or rather the future of the human race, can look more like Star Trek instead of Star Wars.
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