Since it’s Veterans Day, I thought I’d point to something written by a veteran. Here’s an article by Bradford J. Kelley, which appeared in the morning paper.
“Election glossed over wars — and warriors”
He begins by noting the lack of attention paid to our current military engagements in the recent election cycle, but notes that politicians can’t really be blamed for failing to focus on a topic people don’t really seem to care about.
The apathy in American society regarding these wars is appalling.
Can anyone seriously disagree with that sentiment?
Kelley argues to an inexorable conclusion.
The current situation is unsustainable and something has to give. Perhaps the cost of these wars needs to be levied upon all Americans in a more direct way, whether this involves increasing taxes on all Americans or reinstating the draft.
Although Kelley goes on to say he favors an all-volunteer force, I disagree. I think we need to go one step further in the other direction. The draft is not enough. We need compulsory service. Two years, with alternative service (Peace Corps, for example) for conscientious objectors.
As a father, this is not an easy thing to say. But I think it would ultimately make us a more responsible nation, and thus create a better future for our children.
So, this Veterans Day, ask a vet what he or she thinks of the idea.
Is the difference between a draft and compulsory service that the former is temporary but the latter permanent?
I appreciate your interest in shared responsibility. However, I disagree with you that either is a good idea, simply because our military is already entirely too large. The US spends as much on its military as the rest of the world combined. Compulsory service would only make our military larger.
However, I do support a special kind of draft. I think there should a law–better yet, constitutional amendment–that, in the event of a war, all 17.5-25-year-old direct descendants of members of Congress, the President and Vice President and the Supreme Court will be drafted into a Marine infantry unit. I’d like to point out that, historically, leaders have always led their people in battle. Even the British Royal family still serves in their military.
>>We need compulsory service. Two years, with alternative service (Peace Corps, for example) for conscientious objectors.
One big problem with that idea, is that we will have to manufacture make-work for the majority of those people. We don’t need that large of a military. Also, the current 4-year enlistments provide a lot more time for better training; we get better soldiers from what we have now.
Maybe it’s a function of age with regard to awareness of the wars; I know quite a few people currently serving and who are reserves in the various services; and I had a couple of people I went to high school with not get to come home. It’s hard to forget. But people more than their early 30s, possibly with a more affluent friend set, may not know anyone involved in the conflict. Maybe.
[…] then I read this over at Editor B’s: [Bradford J. Kelley] begins by noting the lack of attention paid to our current military […]
Compulsory anything gives rise to police-state punks commanding you.
Thank You for your Veteran’s Day note.
My Dad went Air Force in early fifities. It wasn’t exactly compulsory, except
in a sense of social-acceptability in Cold-war, buzz-cut, uptight Western States.
Dad was tested and known to be very high IQ.
….his loyalty to the “compulsory” pressure of confidentiality made him NEVER
mention to me his Service exposure to nuke bomb tests.
How about that? A known 175 IQ type is selected by the Government to be
intentionally exposed with a group of other guys to the direct rays of some
nuke weapon. Here’s a question for ya…? How many of those other guys were also
High IQ American White people, channeled into a death sentence by
high-level military sinister criminals manipulating our Nation?
Thank You to Veterans.
Have compassion and reach out the Veteran who still must cling to
a false security-blanket picture of reality just to maintain his Ego for survival.
Guys who must continue to deny they were trained to be ruthless criminals
because THAT is what the State wanted, not honorable, discriminating, adult
leaders of a Nation under God.
The Post Traumatic Stress is real, and I have to make myself
be quiet rather than insist with my Vietnam Elders a truth of which I am fully aware…
It is PRE-Traumatic Stress that we all are feeling now, and I wish I could Wake up more of our Veteran Elders to the FACTS of how our USA has been already
Overthrown…
Bart, they are busy issuing Cop uniforms to the military gangster murderers.
Be busy polishing up the I’m a Good Guy, Yessir, Nossir, Kow-Tow Act.