Draft is inevitable if Iraq war continues?

[Infernal Dave]

I have read off a website about a draft for the war in Iraq. I'm not that type of person who believes everything in the media, but this made me think. I do not take credit for doing this, so I will quote it. The guy who wrote this was longer than what is shown, so I have summarized some of it/took out some things.

Someone has requested the url, so here it is: http://media.www.temple-news.com/me...Inevitable.If.Iraq.War.Continues-733915.shtml

Do you feel a draft? I do. Every day I read the news, and there are more troubles to report. United States casualties in September are already higher than they were for August, and I am growing more convinced that something has to give. The United States is running out of soldiers to send to Iraq, and if the U.S. is going to stay there it will need to find new troops to dodge the car bombs. I see no alternative.

There are bills before Congress that could reinstate the draft for everyone between 18 and 26. Yes, everyone. In this draft, both men and women could be sent together to fight and possibly die in a far-off place.

Further, unlike Vietnam, college deferments will not be available. The United States has also negotiated an agreement with Canada that will close the border to draft resisters, including those who want to avoid service in Iraq.

Will these bills become law? Who can say; but let me make this clear: the supply of troops is going to run out. The Pentagon has already extended the tour of duty for 21,000 soldiers who were scheduled to leave Iraq. In addition, National Guard units from Michigan have been told they must stay in Iraq for a full year. How long these sources can be drawn on is anyone's guess, but certainly there is a limit that will at some point be reached. One day, the soldiers will have to be allowed to go home. Although that time can be extended, within a few years it will likely be reached.

While the casualty list increases, thousands of soldiers are becoming unfit for combat due to injury. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine claims that as many as one out of six soldiers returning from Iraq suffer some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder. Certainly some of these people will be able to return to duty, but how many? As long as the United States is involved in active military operations inside Iraq, there will be a need for soldiers to carry out the mission. But where will they come from?

The bottom line is that the troops are likely to run out before the war does. If George W. Bush is reelected, there is every reason to believe that U.S. armed forces will be fighting the "war on terror" for years to come. He will need troops, and he will get them.

Who will he get? Maybe you. Regardless of how the personnel needs of the Pentagon are met, it is safe to say that those who are highest on the economic ladder will escape the burden. It may not be the same kind of draft that was in use before 1973, but you can bet that something will be done.

Likely, it will be some form of economic draft. Do not be surprised if in the near future student loans are tied in some way to military service. It will be sold as a wonderful way for those who otherwise cannot afford higher education to finally be able to attend the college of their choice.

What do you think?

 

[Shredderbeam]

I have read off a website about a draft for the war in Iraq. I'm not that type of person who believes everything in the media, but this made me think. I do not take credit for doing this, so I will quote it. The guy who wrote this was longer than what is shown, so I have summarized some of it/took out some things.



What do you think?

The United States Army is falling apart, but it is not quite dead yet. It can certainly hold on in Iraq, and, since a Democratic candidate is likely to win the 2008 Presidential election (and all of the candidates that I know of have promised to withdraw from Iraq), the pressure on the Army is extremely likely to decrease.

Also, I don't feel that a draft will be necessary unless we decide to initiate a large military conflict in Iran. Yet, if the draft was reinstated, the average person would suddenly become much more aware of news and politics, and much more keen to avoid pointless wars. I think that the Bush administration would be removed from power, or action taken so that the draft would not be reinstated.

 

If we get a Democratic President, we won't have to worry about the Draft.

Please also give the link to the site you're quoting, I'm curious why they think woman will be drafted too.

 

[The Supreme Intelligence]

I would tell you to wait and see, but you probably won't have the chance to wait and see, because the US will be outta there in time. Iraq is really pounding them.

 

[Square]

If we get a Democratic President, we won't have to worry about the Draft.

Please also give the link to the site you're quoting, I'm curious why they think woman will be drafted too.

Because *shock* woman are equal.

 

[Shredderbeam]

Because *shock* woman are equal.

Not physically.

 

[Cornflake]

The war has been /phail ever since sudam hussane died, but we tried...

 

[Square]

Not physically.

Then why are there woman in the military now? We've gotten over the whole "Woman are weaker so they can't be in the military" thing.

 

[Shredderbeam]

They fulfill the role of technicians, support, etc. They are currently not allowed to fly combat missions or serve as front-line troops.

And, women ARE physically weaker. On average, if a man and a woman struggle physically, the man will prevail.

 

[i is cool]

There will be no draft in The U.S. for the rest of its existence. If a draft was incurred many people would flee the country, mass revolts would occur, and many assisnations of United states delegates would occur.

 

[belbn]

Bullshit. Bush has said many times he will not draft. Only time a draft will happen is if the democrats fuck the world up in 2008 and we end up needing crazy defense.

 

[Tyranic]

Yeah I agree with the people above, if we do indeed get a democratic president the stress on the US army would be relieved.

 

[GrinGo]

Ok.. I'm going to enlighten you on some current events. Being an active member of the U.S Army, I'll tell you somethings that you might like to know.

1) You don't know the current situation in Iraq. You see what you see online and what you see on the 10 o clock news. You see the worst things that happen there. You don't see the things we do, such as teach Iraqi children how to brush their teeth, teaching Iraqi's how to defend themselves against insurgents. Why? Because this doesn't sell newspapers or get good ratings.

2) I don't understand why you people think there will be a draft. There are currently over 1.3m active soldiers in the U.S Army alone. That's just the Army. This is JUST a volunteer army. NOBODY is forced to join the U.S Army.

Right now my unit is being deployed to Iraq shortly (Right after new years) and mainly we'll be working with the Iraqi government as a finalization process so we can successfully start withdrawing on a mass level.

 

[Gekkostate]

It's not a war anymore, it's an 'occupation', as in all the U.S. is doing there is occupying turf.

 

[Shredderbeam]

such as teach Iraqi children how to brush their teeth

Great. I'm sure they all appreciate their clean teeth. Isn't that worth the 750,000+ lives we destroyed in the invasion?

2) I don't understand why you people think there will be a draft. There are currently over 1.3m active soldiers in the U.S Army alone. That's just the Army. This is JUST a volunteer army. NOBODY is forced to join the U.S Army.

First, the entire army cannot be deployed at one time, for national security purposes. Second, to keep a constant presence of soldiers in the army, they need to be rotated. I believe the ideal scheme is done by threes: One third fighting, one third resting, and one third preparing to re-deploy. So, only about a third of the army can realistically be deployed. Third, the United States Army is falling apart. They're not meeting their monthly recruitment quotas, they are experiencing record desertation numbers, etc.

Right now my unit is being deployed to Iraq shortly (Right after new years) and mainly we'll be working with the Iraqi government as a finalization process so we can successfully start withdrawing on a mass level.

Haven't we been doing that from almost the very beginning? But wait, this time it's for real, right?

 

[kandymann12]

Much respect to Gringo he wasn't a pussy and actually joined the military (so he says). lik eveyrone else i think draft aint gonna happen.

 

[jaamal]

It can certainly hold on in Iraq, and, since a Democratic candidate is likely to win the 2008 Presidential election (and all of the candidates that I know of have promised to withdraw from Iraq), the pressure on the Army is extremely likely to decrease.

Hillary Clinton is aganist the war and says she will withdraw. (But she also says she will build up forces in Iraq, and help strengthen the Iraq forces. She is going to send more soliders like BUSH...)

Because *shock* woman are equal.

Yes they are now, and there is no way that a draft will ever take effect again with-out taking women as well. Thats the price to be equal isn't it lovely.

They fulfill the role of technicians, support, etc. They are currently not allowed to fly combat missions or serve as front-line troops.

And, women ARE physically weaker. On average, if a man and a woman struggle physically, the man will prevail.

Thats hand to hand combat... In war i doubt there will be much man to woman or man to man combat anyway.

 

[GrinGo]

I never said there were 1.3m deployed. I said being active as in being a soldier, not going through the soldierization process.

As for what my unit actually does in Iraq, we go all over the country meeting with owners of banks, schools, police stations, local governments, train them and give them good business relations with each other and fund them so they can stand on their own two feet and govern themselves.

Also, I don't know where you're getting your information on fatalities in Iraq, but it's far smaller than your number of 750,000+ people. Also, the confirmed number of US deaths is 3888 just to make it clear. I don't know where you all get half of your "information" but you act like we're actually fighting people. We don't go raiding home to home looking for insurgents, we don't go village to village pillaging everything we see. There is no "front line" and there is not an IED going off at every given moment.

Nothing makes me laugh more than civilians talking about Iraq.

 

[Shredderbeam]

Thats hand to hand combat... In war i doubt there will be much man to woman or man to man combat anyway.

It also holds true in terms of physical endurance, general muscle mass (which correlates to speed, etc.), etc.

I said being active as in being a soldier, not going through the soldierization process.

And currently tied up. If another conflict arises, we would need to reinstate the draft, or reallocate our current soldiers.

As for what my unit actually does in Iraq, we go all over the country meeting with owners of banks, schools, police stations, local governments, train them and give them good business relations with each other and fund them so they can stand on their own two feet and govern themselves.

The military is moderating economic issues? What on Earth...?

Also, I don't know where you're getting your information on fatalities in Iraq, but it's far smaller than your number of 750,000+ people.

I wonder if you can back this up.

There was actually a fairly large study done last year that assessed the total amount of lives that were lost due to violence, generally poorer conditions, etc.

Also, the confirmed number of US deaths is 3888 just to make it clear.

There are more people involved than the United States Army, you know.

We don't go raiding home to home looking for insurgents

Some of you do. As an example off the top of my head, in June of last year, there was a large U.S.-led airstrike against a base that killed the leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

There is no "front line" and there is not an IED going off at every given moment.

I don't seem to remember making that claim.

Nothing makes me laugh more than civilians talking about Iraq.

Nothing makes me more worried than the fierce patriotism of some.

 

[GrinGo]

I never once said I support why this country is in the war. I never once said I believe in my president. I'm just merely stating facts and doing it by an educated point of view.

All 1.3m of our soldiers are not tied up. Again, where do you get this bullshit?

I never said we were handling their economic issues. No. We do however make sure their schools, police, governments are all funded so they can operate on their own.

Next, you can't call those deaths war casualties. Poor conditions? It's a fucking developing country, there is going to be poor conditions no matter what way you slice it. Violence caused by their own citizens? That's murder, not a war casualty. The motives may have been because of this war, but that doesn't call it a war Casualty. All of those deaths were done by foreign soldiers and insurgents killing iraqi citizens.

As for that U.S. lead airstrike, that wasn't at an insurgent that was against a terrorist leader. Big difference going after a known person than just going on a random witch hunt for suspects.