Drafting of armed forces is mentioned by Douglas Lute

[Sniper_Zegai]

http://fe29.news.mud.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070810/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/bush_war _adviser_3;_ylt=AoSiUTrpBwxdrDYWHlsTuOdX6GMA

Well guys, I hate to say it but Bush has really gotten my goat on this one. I mean the fact that drafting people into the armed forces is even being mentioned by Bush, is a step too far in my opinion.

Feel free to expand on this discussion.
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[Onimaru]

Doesn't sound so bad, they say we have enough troops already but it remains an option. It doesnt say he is considering this, so I'm not worried. Knowing that a possiblity is there doesn't make it inevitable.
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[Gil-galad]

The beginning of the article certainly seems ominous enough, but the rest of the article makes it seem pretty clear that this is not an option under the current administration, and I cannot imagine it being an option under a president like Clinton, or Edwards, or Obama. I don't know much about the Republican candidates, though.

However, I am prepared to flee to Canada if this ever does occur. =P
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[Sniper_Zegai]

[Tullaryx]

Sniper, I think you've taken the Fox News way of looking at that article. I may not have any love for Bush, Cheney or Rove and any of the so-called "Bushies" but the implementation of a national draft has always been something they never saw as a viable option. his new Wartime Czar, General Lute is new to the group and being an ative military man he would bring it up and even then he sees it as a distant option to be used only when every other means have been used.

Members of the Democrats --- the article even mentions good old Sen Rangel of New York --- have been the bigger proponents of the draft as a way to force an end to the war. These individuals know that if the draft was ever instituted again then there would be mass protests and calls for automatic withdrawal from the region, if not for the head for Bush.

In this day and age the national draft as a way to supplement a military action outside the United States would be political suicide for the person who institutes it and for the party they belong to. There's a reason why the U.S. military is an all-volunteer one and why it has both a standing army and a national guard.

As for the draft being mentioned in reference to the Iraq War, this is not the first time and it won't be the last. It was mentioned by Rangel even before the Iraq War began. The so-called peaceniks in Congress always call for the draft as a sort of terror-tactice to scare the voters into going against the group or policies of their opponent. I mean your reaction to it shows that it works despite the fact you don't even live in the U.S. Trust me, no one here worries about the draft returning and if they do it has more to do of the concept that it might return and not the likelihood that it will.
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[Oppenheimer]

The population of Canada would get a nice little boost if that happened again.
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[Shad]

Yahoo news is about as reliable as a Sun tabloid. I read the article headline, went to BBC, and concluded in about 30 seconds that this might as well have never happened. Yahoo's notorious for taking absolutely worthless minute details and making an eye catching headline out of them. Without fail when you read their articles you discover that, like this one, they're all bogus. Implementing a draft would guarantee a democratic victory in the next election. If the Bush administration doesn't want to be blackballed by every politician in the nation I don't see it happening. Some guy made a vague statement about his personal opinion, nothing more. Most of the article, so quaintly titled "Bush war adviser says draft worth a look", focuses on how Bush and co agree that the draft is in no way shape or form worth a look.

I serve in the active Army and I can't stand Bush, but this sort of slander is just silly. There are a thousand good reasons to ridicule him, so why bother making one up? The only reason I can see is to generate more traffic to the website and make a few extra bucks subsequently. Like Tull said, a draft would end the war quickly, but not as a 'victory'. Mind you the Iraqi 'war' was lost years ago, at least right now they can pretend it wasn't a total failure. A draft would spawn so many protests and riots that we'd be practically forced to pull out, I think. The Republicans aren't stupid enough to consider it and the Democrats won't need to once they're back in power.

[Scarlet Assassin]

The American people would never stand for it. In the last presidential election it was probably the ONLY reason why Kerry didn't get elected. He was much more open to the idea of a draft than Bush was and he lost a lot of votes due to it. No one wants to see that sort of thing ever again, and I don't see any politician instituting it in the United States for a good long while. That being said, I think I could get over it if there was a draft. If my number came up I'd pack up and head out to boot camp like the law, and nationalism would expect.
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Chief of Beat-em-up Honeys Division, Devoted Protector of Lady Tifa Lockhart

[Sailor Sexy]

Yeah, the draft is basically on the books more as a formality. It would never be implemented for the Iraq war simply because of the fallout it would generate. Of course, I dislike the fact that every time I reach the age plateau for the draft, they raise it up again. Used to be it was something like 25, then 28, then 30, now it's up to 40. Guess I gotta stay fat and out of shape for a few more years, then they can raise it up to 50 :P To be honest though, I've never once thought we were in danger of going back to the draft. I'd have to think that the draft would only be utilized if there was a direct danger to the United States, such as a war on our own soil. If that's the case, to hell with fleeing to Canada, I might as well go down with a fight, Red Dawn style! :)
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~Uguu!~

[Tullaryx]

WOLVERINES!

I, myself, do not fear the draft with my age being 33 and all. Even if the draft age has been raised to 40 my age and skill set will most likely mean a higher chance of being put into a support, rear-echelon unit than being in the front-lines. You can call me a REMF and that's fine with me since bullets and bombs would be the last thing I'll have to worry about.

One can't really say that the draft can't be put back into use. As Sailor said, if the US gets invaded the draft will most likely be implemented automatically as a way to mobilize all able-bodied men to protect the nation. The draft as a system is rarely used and the US has been in so many wars that the use of the draft can be counted on one hand.

I do believe that in addition to an all-volunteer military, the U.S. should create a mandatory system for all 18 year olds to be in the military for 2-years. If after those two years they want to stay then they can volunteer for a longer stretch. If they want out after two-years then they're free to go their own way having served their mandatory two years. It's been working well for the Israelis and man-for-man they have the most venteran military cadre in the world and even their civilians have had military training due to the two-year mandatiry enlistment. We need that here in the US if just to toughen up the place.
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[Ezekiel]

Eh, I don't fear the draft at all. Even though I'm leaving the states, I wouldn't even if I was staying. I just don't see it happening. And if word came around that they were seriously considering it, you'd see a lot of people making the move, , breaking their legs, and claiming to be openly gay. We'd quickly become the gayest and most injured country in the world :*laugh*:
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[Amyral]

This isn't the first time he's mentioned it, hell I remember a speech shortly after the New York City bombings that brought it up. I can't recall a single president who was involved in recent history in a major military conflict that didn't mention it somehow. This seems more of an off-the-cuff comment that has been blown out of proportion, like most any mention of the draft nowadays.

Simply put, it's political suicide following the disaster the last time they implemented it. It won't be put into place, but you'll continue to hear mentions of it because there are countries in the world with mandatory military service and it has been implemented in relatively recent history.

If one was implemented, I wouldn't really be afraid. Partially because of a rather strange and otherwise minor leg deformity that makes it impossible for me to run for any decent distance, but even then, I wouldn't really fear one.

[Angelus]

There's plenty of room in my basement, guys!
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[Leb]

O Canada~

[sybillious]

personally, i think the draft should be equal: require women in the same age group to also sign up, instead of just men.

equality means overall, not a selective few areas, after all.

i've served and didn't find it to be so bad; there's always tension between our country and some other country/faction/group, so the possibility of conflict is always present.

not everyone has the ability to serve...
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prinny...DOOD!

gotta gotta get a...SPICE WEASEL!

to paraphrase my fellow mod, parallax:
I hate my job with the passionately burning intensity of a thousand fiery suns.