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Remember when Rock the Vote warned you to be vigilant against the possibility of reinstatement of the draft? Remember when you thought to yourself, “I hear you Rock the Vote, but come on, that will never happen in this day and age?” Well, we're starting to hear some new rumbles from the murky depths below.
During the presidential election, Rock the Vote and young Americans brought this issue to the forefront and forced politicians of both parties, including President Bush, to pledge their opposition to a renewed civilian draft. Unfortunately, despite these bipartisan pledges and commitments, re-instatement of the draft is still a possibility that is very much alive.
The Project for a New American Democracy (PNAC), a Neo-Conservative think tank composed of militaristic bigwigs and Bush Administration advisors, sent a letter to Congress on Friday all-but urging the government to reinstate the draft.
Before you blow off PNAC as just another Washington activist group, you should take note that PNAC’s membership includes members of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board, some of the White House’s closest advisors, and even a member of President Clinton’s National Security Council staff. In fact, the PNAC’s pre-9/11 policy statement “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” is widely believed to be the catalyst of the current U.S. strategies regarding Iraq and the Middle East, including the overthrow of Sadam Hussein.
In other words, PNAC has clout.
Furthermore, PNAC is not alone in considering draft re-instatement. Even the current military leadership in Iraq is beginning to urge a need for more troops than the present “all-volunteer” military can support, this according to the ardently right wing Washington Times. As we told the world back in the heat of the election, the possibility of reinstating the draft has even been officially discussed by members of Secretary of State Rumsfeld’s staff.
The bottom line is our military is already stretched too thin as it is. Not enough new volunteers are enlisting. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have no end in sight. And the possibilities of new wars in Iran, North Korea and elsewhere still loom.
You do the math. More war equals need for more troops. Need for more troops equals increased possibility of a draft (regardless of what the politicians say).
But Rock the Vote does have President Bush and other politicians from both sides of the aisle on record saying they will not support a draft. It is up to us, young Americans who this topic affects the most, to hold them to their word.
-- Miles Granderson
During the presidential election, Rock the Vote and young Americans brought this issue to the forefront and forced politicians of both parties, including President Bush, to pledge their opposition to a renewed civilian draft. Unfortunately, despite these bipartisan pledges and commitments, re-instatement of the draft is still a possibility that is very much alive.
The Project for a New American Democracy (PNAC), a Neo-Conservative think tank composed of militaristic bigwigs and Bush Administration advisors, sent a letter to Congress on Friday all-but urging the government to reinstate the draft.
Before you blow off PNAC as just another Washington activist group, you should take note that PNAC’s membership includes members of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board, some of the White House’s closest advisors, and even a member of President Clinton’s National Security Council staff. In fact, the PNAC’s pre-9/11 policy statement “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” is widely believed to be the catalyst of the current U.S. strategies regarding Iraq and the Middle East, including the overthrow of Sadam Hussein.
In other words, PNAC has clout.
Furthermore, PNAC is not alone in considering draft re-instatement. Even the current military leadership in Iraq is beginning to urge a need for more troops than the present “all-volunteer” military can support, this according to the ardently right wing Washington Times. As we told the world back in the heat of the election, the possibility of reinstating the draft has even been officially discussed by members of Secretary of State Rumsfeld’s staff.
The bottom line is our military is already stretched too thin as it is. Not enough new volunteers are enlisting. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have no end in sight. And the possibilities of new wars in Iran, North Korea and elsewhere still loom.
You do the math. More war equals need for more troops. Need for more troops equals increased possibility of a draft (regardless of what the politicians say).
But Rock the Vote does have President Bush and other politicians from both sides of the aisle on record saying they will not support a draft. It is up to us, young Americans who this topic affects the most, to hold them to their word.
-- Miles Granderson
posted by Anonymous at 6:41 PM
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