Fred Kaplan of Slate.com is not my famous person. He was gung-ho for invading Iraq circa 2002-3. After the invasion, he blew a few gaskets when it didn’t go perfect and hasn’t had one kind word for anyone involved in the Bush administration since.
Yet this article in Slate by Kaplan contains a beautful summary of the argument against a draft.
There are plenty of arguments for or against [the draft], but they’re not worth the waste of bandwidth, because it’s just not going to happen. Military commanders don’t want a draft; they’re happy to have, in the All-Volunteer Army, the best-educated, best-tempered, most easily trained soldiers in American history. Politicians don’t want a draft, because they know it’s the surest route to losing the next election; millions of supportive voters will turn into raging protesters if their little Johnny””?or, worse yet, Janie””?gets forced into battle.Almost no one in the executive branch wants a draft, because it would instantly give every American family a stake in U.S. foreign policy. With a volunteer Army, issues of war and peace are almost abstract; only a tiny portion of the population is directly affected. With a draft, everybody’s life is on the line””?a turbulent state that can energize and unify a country under serious threat but tear the same country apart in a war of stalemate or dubious motive. President Bush could not possibly want the intense debate that even the prospect of a draft would inspire.
And yet, draft or no draft, the country is headed toward that debate. Does America want to be””?can it be””?the world’s policeman, colossus, liberator, call it what you will? If so, with what resources? By itself or with allies? Through international law or by whim?
Everyone actually involved in keeping the peace in the 21st century wants the draft like they want a kick in the face. The only people I’ve heard argue for a draft are Democratic politicians (Lautenberg and Rangel) and the occasional public intellectual. And their reasons are just what Kaplan notes in the second paragraph quoted above: they want to give American families a stake in US foreign policy. And in a delicate time like this, that would be a disaster for the implementation of our foreign affairs.
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COMMENTS / 9 COMMENTS
Dan added these pithy words on 07 Jul 05 at 1:07 amBefore the election, Senator Kerry supported mandatory national service, which is another way of saying “draft, or work for the government for free.”
Mike added these pithy words on 07 Jul 05 at 2:27 amThe only way the draft is coming back is if we get into a shooting war in East Asia and enough people don’t sign up. Other than that, it will be a part of history.
Dan added these pithy words on 07 Jul 05 at 2:34 amOr if we decide that the current approach to the GWOT is taking too long, and decide to military occupy the Gap a la the British model…
lirelou added these pithy words on 07 Jul 05 at 7:06 amI agree with you on kaplan’s arguments. Well stated. Yet I believe that Americans should understand that they do have a stake in foreign policy. Just as they have a stake in ensuring that the United States does not enter into a war without going through the process of obtaining a declaration of war from the Congress. The politics of that process commits the entire country, however harsh the dissidence. We should go further and limit the President’s contingency forces for operations short of war to regular serving forces and a specifically designated slice of the Reserve, without the authority to orrder up the national guard for service outside the country. This may seem to undo the reforms wrought by Elihu Root back at the turn of the last century, but such a re-look appears necessary to avoid the employment of draftees and reserve personnel who have not specifically volunteered for such service in situations of undeclared war.
snow added these pithy words on 07 Jul 05 at 8:03 amWas Iraq an undeclared war? Sorry if I’m mistaken. And are reserve soldiers being used in any undeclared wars (assuming Iraq was declared)?
I’ve never heard a peep out of the Bush administration about instituting a draft, besides a comment by Rumsfeld that there was no way it would happen. And the Democrats said the Republicans ran a scare campaign last time! If bringing up the spectre of a draft wasnt a scare tactic, I don’t know what is.
Dan added these pithy words on 07 Jul 05 at 10:06 pmSnow,
The last time the Congress issued a Declaration of War was World War II, so every “war” since then has been “undeclared.”
Of course, given the modern habit of calling wars “operations” (which in a way they are—a mid-level struggle fought below a grander strategy), you can say we’ve had no wars at all since World War II —only violent conflicts.
IJ added these pithy words on 09 Jul 05 at 12:49 pm“Does America want to be””?can it be””?the world’s policeman, colossus, liberator, call it what you will?”
An important question for the Pentagon, in the quadrennial review. The answer is crucial for the future of NATO, the European Security and Defence Policy, and the defence budgets of nations all over the world. How should anarchy be minimised?
The defence budget of the UK is among the hostages. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2005-07-06.9WS.1#c1472
IJ added these pithy words on 09 Jul 05 at 3:55 pmMultilateralism is a tricky business.
Last week the Shanghai Cooperation Organization agreed to ask the United States and its allies to leave Cental Asia when ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ in Afghanistan is complete. The organization was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan,Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; member states that cover about three fifths of Eurasia. This information comes courtesy of a link from Registan.
heirabbit added these pithy words on 10 Jul 05 at 1:16 pmThose who think that it’s impossible for another draft to be instituted are quite mistaken, I think. I’m just as averse to doomsaying as anyone, but, consider the following: 911 was a provoked (military bases around Mecca), and easily preventable (plenty of forwarning). The government only seems to be continuing down this path of ignoring true security intrests and getting the country knee-deep in s**t. The logical outcome of this is another large-scale terrorist attack. It’s good for Bush’s power prospects, and it could certainly tip the scales of public opinion in favor of a draft. (Would you have believed the Patriot Act was possible before 9.11?)
