Comments on: Thank You for Your Service. Now Draft Me. http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:29:47 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Across the Aisle: The PSA Blog » Bringing the Public to the Table This Thanksgiving http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/comment-page-1/#comment-2144363 Across the Aisle: The PSA Blog » Bringing the Public to the Table This Thanksgiving Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:01:05 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/#comment-2144363 [...] years ago this week, on this blog, I wrote the following about politicians who thank men and women in uniform “for their service” without doing anything [...] [...] years ago this week, on this blog, I wrote the following about politicians who thank men and women in uniform “for their service” without doing anything [...]

]]> By: Allen Weiner http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/comment-page-1/#comment-480059 Allen Weiner Wed, 21 Nov 2007 19:12:15 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/#comment-480059 The question of whether to restore the draft implicates two different sets of issues, namely matters of: (1) operational capacity and (2) political decision-making. On the first issue, it is doubtful that a draft would actually do much to improve operational capacity, since conscripts -- except in countries like Israel where there's a broad and heightened national commitment to promoting national security -- don't make as good soldiers as volunteers do. Indeed, the Netherlands some years ago eliminated the draft and created an all-volunteer force, and improved its military capacity in the process. But a draft could have a positive impact on the political decision-making process, in that it would engage a much broader proportion of our population in discussions about when the "national interest" justifies going to war. I think our present political leadership has been very cavalier about calculating the costs of using force, not only in terms of sacrifices by American military personnel, but across a broad range of issues. If the sacrifices were spread more widely, perhaps we would all think more soberly and critically about decisions to use force. Although in the end I don't support a restoration of the draft, I wish all of my fellow citizens were as thoughtful as Rojansky in considering what the sacrifice of war really entails, and why we shouldn't be so eager to rush headlong into war. The question of whether to restore the draft implicates two different
sets of issues, namely matters of: (1) operational capacity and
(2) political decision-making.

On the first issue, it is doubtful that a
draft would actually do much to improve operational capacity, since
conscripts — except in countries like Israel where there’s a broad
and heightened national commitment to promoting national security —
don’t make as good soldiers as volunteers do. Indeed, the Netherlands
some years ago eliminated the draft and created an all-volunteer
force, and improved its military capacity in the process.

But a draft
could have a positive impact on the political decision-making process,
in that it would engage a much broader proportion of our population in
discussions about when the “national interest” justifies going to war.

I think our present political leadership has been very cavalier
about calculating the costs of using force, not only in terms of
sacrifices by American military personnel, but across a broad range of
issues. If the sacrifices were spread more widely, perhaps we would
all think more soberly and critically about decisions to use force.
Although in the end I don’t support a restoration of the draft, I wish
all of my fellow citizens were as thoughtful as Rojansky in
considering what the sacrifice of war really entails, and why we
shouldn’t be so eager to rush headlong into war.

]]> By: Daniil Gorbatenko http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/comment-page-1/#comment-479684 Daniil Gorbatenko Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:03:20 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/#comment-479684 The article by Matthew is a very interesting and mind provocative one. However, I wouldn't totaly agree that balanced with volunteer army the draft is a virtue. While the draft works in Israel where the jewish people are always on the frontline surrounded by the openly or covertly hostile regimes the situation in Russia is totally different. The draft in Russia is sort of slavery though it is largely because of absense of any order and responsibility. I believe that except for emergency situations the citizens have a right to decide what they are going to do and those who choose military service should fully understand what they are signing up to. This awareness may greatly enhance the professionalism of the military which is measured not only by military expertise as such but also by understanding of those in uniform which values they are going to protect so as not for example to execute unlawful orders. And I am also not sure that the draft may solve the problem of unnecessary military engagement though the resentment of the draftees with such engagement may indeed be greater than that of the volunteers. May be the US politicians could reach this goal by limiting the power of the president to authorise engagement though on the other hand such move could hamper the ability of the US to act effectively where it is indeed necessary to. The article by Matthew is a very interesting and mind provocative one. However, I wouldn’t totaly agree that balanced with volunteer army the draft is a virtue. While the draft works in Israel where the jewish people are always on the frontline surrounded by the openly or covertly hostile regimes the situation in Russia is totally different. The draft in Russia is sort of slavery though it is largely because of absense of any order and responsibility.

I believe that except for emergency situations the citizens have a right to decide what they are going to do and those who choose military service should fully understand what they are signing up to. This awareness may greatly enhance the professionalism of the military which is measured not only by military expertise as such but also by understanding of those in uniform which values they are going to protect so as not for example to execute unlawful orders.

And I am also not sure that the draft may solve the problem of unnecessary military engagement though the resentment of the draftees with such engagement may indeed be greater than that of the volunteers. May be the US politicians could reach this goal by limiting the power of the president to authorise engagement though on the other hand such move could hamper the ability of the US to act effectively where it is indeed necessary to.

]]> By: All American Blogger » Thank You For Your Service. Now Draft Me. http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/comment-page-1/#comment-478749 All American Blogger » Thank You For Your Service. Now Draft Me. Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:18:40 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/#comment-478749 [...] Matt Rojansky over at acrosstheaisle.org has written a great article regarding our attitude toward the war and our troops. Here’s an excerpt. After six years of war, we must pay more than lip service to our gratitude. We must act to ease the burden on our armed forces, and to give strategic vision and moral depth to our national security policy. A handful of politicians, security experts, and even military officers have proposed restoration of the draft as a means of driving home the real costs of war to average Americans, and thereby mobilizing them to demand leadership and meaningful policy change from Washington. If each of us is equally likely to be called upon to serve, then all of us will agree that such service must be absolutely necessary for our national security, consistent with our values, and limited in time and scope. [...] [...] Matt Rojansky over at acrosstheaisle.org has written a great article regarding our attitude toward the war and our troops. Here’s an excerpt. After six years of war, we must pay more than lip service to our gratitude. We must act to ease the burden on our armed forces, and to give strategic vision and moral depth to our national security policy. A handful of politicians, security experts, and even military officers have proposed restoration of the draft as a means of driving home the real costs of war to average Americans, and thereby mobilizing them to demand leadership and meaningful policy change from Washington. If each of us is equally likely to be called upon to serve, then all of us will agree that such service must be absolutely necessary for our national security, consistent with our values, and limited in time and scope. [...]

]]> By: Geo the CEO http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/comment-page-1/#comment-478129 Geo the CEO Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:19:22 +0000 http://blog.psaonline.org/2007/11/20/thank-you-for-your-service-now-draft-me/#comment-478129 Leave us not muddy the political and economic waters with spiritual truths. St. John and Paul tried it and it delayed their Thanksgiving I hear. But God Bless you for trying . . . you never know, the deepest truth behind anything is worth fighting for, to know what it is, and keep stripping the mud of politics and self economic interest from it. "Bye bye Miss American pie, Drove my Chevy to the levy and the levy was dry, And good ol boys was drinkin' whiskey and rye, Singin' this'll be the day that I die" Don McLean Leave us not muddy the political and economic waters with spiritual truths.
St. John and Paul tried it and it delayed their Thanksgiving I hear.
But God Bless you for trying . . . you never know, the deepest truth behind anything is
worth fighting for, to know what it is, and keep stripping the mud of politics and self
economic interest from it.

“Bye bye Miss American pie,
Drove my Chevy to the levy and the levy was dry,
And good ol boys was drinkin’ whiskey and rye,
Singin’ this’ll be the day that I die”
Don McLean

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