Green Gaia
Veteran Member
$28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (SSS) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. SSS must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation.
Please see website: http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the SSS Annual Performance Plan - Fiscal Year 2004.
The Pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of Congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.
Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and H.R. 163 forward this year, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the Committee on Armed Services.
Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era remember. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the US signed a "Smart Border Declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley, and US Homeland Security Director, Gov. Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.
I have been reading articles such as this one for months now on various independent media sights. Even mainstream publications such as Time and USAToday have reported on the idea of resurrecting the draft. It is not out of the realm of possiblity.
I think that if the draft is announced, the reactions of citizens (even ones who support Bush) will be very telling. To some, it is OK to support the troops, and the conflict itself, as long as it is from the comfort of home. This will no doubt bring about controversy. However, it may also fuel a larger movement for true peace.
I am not an advocate of the draft. To me, forced armed service is an abhorrent form of slavery, especially when the war is an illegal and immoral one. I do support using brains, rather than bombs. There are countless ways to serve your country and better the lives people (nationally and globally) without taking part in violence and oppression.
I do think we can expect to hear more about this soon after the 2005 election.
Many citizens' views change upon the prospect of actually being involved in the fighting - I've spoken to a few Bush supporters who have supported the war up until now, but when faced with the possibility of being drafted, they balk at the idea and say they would try their hardest not to go to war. As far as I'm concerned, this is typical of the same kind of American hypocrisy that got us into this fiasco in the first place.
The fact that women would be included in the draft will also no doubt factor into the election, which I for one will be really interested to see. Women in combat has been such a long-standing debate. It's interesting that the same type of politicians who oppose women in combat for reasons such as physical strength would be the ones backing the draft reinstatement.
Anyway, this is, of course, just my opinion! I'm interested to hear how everyone else feels about it. Do you think this a real possibilty?
Please see website: http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the SSS Annual Performance Plan - Fiscal Year 2004.
The Pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of Congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.
Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and H.R. 163 forward this year, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the Committee on Armed Services.
Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era remember. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the US signed a "Smart Border Declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley, and US Homeland Security Director, Gov. Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their current semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.
I have been reading articles such as this one for months now on various independent media sights. Even mainstream publications such as Time and USAToday have reported on the idea of resurrecting the draft. It is not out of the realm of possiblity.
I think that if the draft is announced, the reactions of citizens (even ones who support Bush) will be very telling. To some, it is OK to support the troops, and the conflict itself, as long as it is from the comfort of home. This will no doubt bring about controversy. However, it may also fuel a larger movement for true peace.
I am not an advocate of the draft. To me, forced armed service is an abhorrent form of slavery, especially when the war is an illegal and immoral one. I do support using brains, rather than bombs. There are countless ways to serve your country and better the lives people (nationally and globally) without taking part in violence and oppression.
I do think we can expect to hear more about this soon after the 2005 election.
Many citizens' views change upon the prospect of actually being involved in the fighting - I've spoken to a few Bush supporters who have supported the war up until now, but when faced with the possibility of being drafted, they balk at the idea and say they would try their hardest not to go to war. As far as I'm concerned, this is typical of the same kind of American hypocrisy that got us into this fiasco in the first place.
The fact that women would be included in the draft will also no doubt factor into the election, which I for one will be really interested to see. Women in combat has been such a long-standing debate. It's interesting that the same type of politicians who oppose women in combat for reasons such as physical strength would be the ones backing the draft reinstatement.
Anyway, this is, of course, just my opinion! I'm interested to hear how everyone else feels about it. Do you think this a real possibilty?
I for one won't be going anywhere; I have scoliosis AND asthma. Minor... but it was enough to get my dad out of Vietnam and it should be enough for me as well.
