For a long time until about the end of the Vietnam War, this country had a draft. As a teenager required to register for the draft by law. You could be pulled into the Army at anytime with no legal choice. You could end up in combat or be stuck peeling potatoes for at least 2 years.
In those days, I thought it was horrible. How dare they take young boys and get them killed off with no choice in the matter? And that, they did, by the thousands. During Vietnam almost 59,000 young people were killed. The vast majority of them were drafted. But having said that, millions of Americans were drafted which never saw combat since WWII. One thing that made the draft so heinous, was if you went to college and maintained a passing grade, you could be exempted. (see Dick Cheney) Or if your family had pull, you could join the Air National Guard, the National Guard or the Reserves and stand an extremely good chance of never leaving the US and in some cases never leaving your home area. (see GW Bush) This enables millions you to stay safe while the less fortunate were turned into cadavers. (in those days you had to pay out of pocket for college and not very many people could afford it).Or you could go and join the Navy and stand a good chance of staying out of harms way.
It took a lot of support people to keep our military going in those days. The military did everything themselves, no contractors to speak of. This provided a lot of draftees with relatively safe duty most of the time.
Being a veteran myself, and seeing what went on in the military, taught me not to feel so hard toward those who dodged the draft. After all, if you were drafted you stood a fair chance of coming home in a box. After being in combat, I really couldn’t hold it against anyone who managed to avoid it.
But as it changed over to a voluntary military, I began to see a vast difference in the military. In the beginning it looked very positive. No one served that didn’t want to.
It was a welcome thing for an old veteran like me to see. You began to see more professional military personnel. They were smarter, more confident and had a good attitude about their service.
As time went on though, it became obvious that things were not as good as they appeared. We developed a far smaller military, way more dependant on technology and the easy way to do things than human skill and tenacity. Stories began to appear about white supremacist groups, etc., in the services. (something that would never be allowed before) and ill treatment of female service members. We keep finding out lies told by the military after it was too late. In a draft military you had people who spoke out and righted a lot of wrongs. Now its in ever service members best interest to stay silent.
The next thing I know, service people are no longer providing for themselves, they are being catered to by very expensive “contractors” and a draped in luxuries. (at least what would have been luxuries in our day)
I began to rethink my position on the draft. We could have saved a ton of money and corruption by having drafted military personnel carry out the routine upkeep and maintenance and support functions, was my first thought.
However, the real problems came to society, not our military, or its cost of operation.
Military experience has always provided extremely beneficial to people who serve.
I breaks everyone, rich, poor intelligent, gifted, and the less bright down to a common denominator. They all share a common experience with each other unlike anything available in civilian life. They share extreme hardships, obstacles and triumphs together just in boot camp. By living in such close proximity with others from all walks of life, races and cultures, they are enlightened and develop vast new understandings. Not only do they live together, but they are forced to depend on each other in a very real manner than could eventually determine if one lived or died in combat. As they move through the system together, they jointly experience accomplishments, both as a team and as individuals. Military training has always seen to it you never fully succeed, without help from your fellow service men. It teaches loyalty beyond race, class or culture and it drives home the fact we are all in some things together. There still is no experience in civilian life that builds character and human understanding like this.
Because of an all voluntary military, we no longer have leaders who have been forced to experience people from all walks of life, at such a deep level, like the draft produced.
So now, almost NONE of our business, religious and government leaders have the fortitude and understanding that was found in draft era military personnel. All they have to draw on is what they were taught or experienced in civilian life.
So what’s so wrong with this you say? If you have never experienced what I have been talking about, its hard to explain. But humans have a natural tendency to move about in groups or cultures. If they are not made to, they generally will spend their whole lives trying to be around only people they are comfortable with. This breeds bigotry and racism and a general lack of real understanding of out differences as people..
Oh yes, they can learn from text books and observation, but it is only an intellectual understandin. Not the things that make good and just leaders and politicians, or even citizens for that matter.
This I believe, has helped us lead to a country of people who not only fail to understand the differences in ideas and cultures, but people that despise them without ever seeing the error in it.
Do I want the return of the draft? Only if we remove all military subcontractors and the military provides for its own maintenance, upkeep and support. AND only if there are no exceptions.. everyone must serve at least 2 years and go thru the same, basic training. AND if only volunteers are sent in or close to combat.
What do you think? What are some of your own observations?
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Comments: 68
My husband was saying something very similar a few weeks ago.
I think if we had the draft now we would see less flag waving and more real support for our troops that goes beyond lip service.
I think if we had the draft now, we would see less flag waving - yes - and I think we would see very fast withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans are very hawkish, as long as it is someone else (or someone else's son/daughter), who is doing the fighting.
In the days when the draft was still in force, there was always the belief, whether accurate or not, that the military was the place where problematic young men would get "straightened out" by the rigors of basic training and military life. Today that phenomenon is absent in society, for better or for worse. Is that a good thing? I couldn't say; I just remember from the way the adults spoke during the years of my youth and childhood that it was a common belief. I tend to feel that parents relied too much on the military to finish up the job that they should have done themselves with their children as they reached adulthood, and military service was not necessarily the miracle drug that was needed.
I have my own selfish reasons for hesitating to support the idea of returning to the draft that involves a disabled child of draftable age, so perhaps I'm not the best person to consult on this topic.
In the Meantime we have the GOP and now Obama waving their Chinese made flags and spouting patriotism while they sit back and collect their profits at no risk or expense to their corporate undertaking.
Health care or no health care we are on the edge of the cliff ready to fall off if the public does not wake up soon.
America is a young country in the world of countries and making all the mistakes of the old world. America is a violent country that has not learned to use or control the power it wields. This violence extends to the rest of the world and causes all the problems associated with empire building.
America does not learn from its mistakes and just keeps the corporate scam moving forward supported by government hacks that think about nothing but profit.
Obama has signed onto this domination plot to his own detriment and is the reason he is losing his popularity. Soon the public will loose all their faith in Obama and turn on him as well as the Congress. We installed a democrat president and congress to straighten out the mess we are in and all we got was more Bush and cronyism.
Anyone who goes into a combat zone is changed for the rest of their lives, and not always for the good.
In someways, these kids serving today have a hhorrible problem that is rather new in its intensity,, that is being in constant fear fo being blown up at any second , 24/7.. We at least had the opportunity of somewhat of a peacful refuge now adn then...It also different whensome is shooting bullets at yoru than it is when you live with teh constant threat of an explosion.... I forsee this generation kids is goingto have a HUGE problem with PTSD, in later years like we have never seen.
The point is, that democracy is not a gift, it is a responsibility. Or as JFK said: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
" Military training has always seen to it you never fully succeed, without help from your fellow service men. It teaches loyalty beyond race, class or culture and it drives home the fact we are all in some things together. There still is no experience in civilian life that builds character and human understanding like this." Spot on, Dexter. This "Band of Brothers" experoience is invaluable.
Actually, the all-volumteer armed forces is not as successful as it might seem. The standards for entry keep going down, & the "Back-door" draft of extending enlistments still doesn't keep enough boots on the ground. We can't win any conflict by just sending in drones to blow up people. Hiring of those contractors hides the real cost of our military.
They make twice as much serving mashed potatoes as our G.I.'s who are thus free to be cannon fodder.
This is right wing thinking and as much as I liked Kennedy he was wrong to make this statement. People have to control a free republic or they loose it like we are now but people also have to remember that government is created to serve not be served.
But one of the Governments purpose it to serve the COMMON good, which results in it serving many for the benefit of all.
True the service made kids grow up fast, but when I look back at the planning I did to stay in school, and get into the college I, not my parents wanted, I think the draft forced maturity on every 18 year old.
It really hit me about 15 years ago at a campground at a lake when a medivac chopper came swinging in over the hill to set down yards away. Then suddenly at the next campsite, one man who thought the jungles of 'Nam had faded years earlier locked up in a catatonic grip on a tree branch, broke into a deluge of sweat and began hyperventilating. Thank God there were a couple of other vets a few campsites down who'd been through that war. They had to talk him back, until he could let go of that tree. He was back there, and not here. I would not have believed that possible had I not witnessed it.
What little I learned was he and a wounded buddy were the only one's to make it out from a patrol that day. He'd never told anyone about the day he carried a half dead buddy to a chopper that swooped in under fire, he'd turned and seen all of the others disappear in a rocket or mortar blast. Then almost 20 years later, a chopper swoops down and he was back there.
His wife went down to the other campsite, and the three vets were up most of the night over in the next campsite, just quietly talking. Occasionally weeping.
Dexter, I know only those who were there develop that kind of bond.
I do think that the military does have some benefits, as you mention, with regard to experience of differences and building the ability to work with others as a unit. But I also think that the military also involves the strategic training in sociopathic skills. That is why combat veterans must be "debriefed" before returning to society.
I think so-called "leaders", who are so ready to send young men into war, should have to fight themselves - by themselves.
Finally, any young person, who reads this (it could happen), might first consider entering the Peace Corps, or a similar organization. It is entirely voluntary, and IF there is a draft in the future, it will document why your claim of conscientious objection is valid. The Peace Corps will also provide you with the benefits that the author of this article cites for military experience - without the ugly underbelly that comes with military service.
It would have worked. He wore the same outfit to high school.
My draft board recognized my claim on the first round - as opposed to appeals, which a few people I knew had to go through. The reason was, as I said above, my life already reflected values associated with an active pursuit of peaceful occupation. People, intending to file for a conscientious objection status, have to be reflecting it in their lives, long before applying.
Now, has that "cost" me over the years? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely.
I don't know if you intend to demean conscientious objection status. If enough people applied for it - and reflected those values in their lives, irrespective of any consideration of the draft - then perhaps we could end war for good.
For those, who would consider CO status, I would recommend American Friends as a resource. They were helpful to me in the application process, and in preparing for my interview with the draft board.
Dexter, I appreciate this post.
Thanks Leo
www.zlspublishing.com
As a Vet myself, I can relate to your comments on life's lessons and the camaraderie that never leaves you...
Take care.
I particularly feel that having most of our congress and senate not having served influences our foreign policy. I would support a draft with no deferments for education or influence.
BTW: " Do I want the return of the draft? Only if we remove all military subcontractors and the military provides for its own maintenance, upkeep and support. AND only if there are no exceptions.. everyone must serve at least 2 years and go thru the same, basic training. AND if only volunteers are sent in or close to combat." <--- i completely AGREE