Lately I've been hearing a lot of sentiment on the media and even this forum on imposing a new draft in America for the upcoming conflict in Iraq, or whatever other future conflict that we will face. Most of the people who are for the draft are either old ("kids these days need to learn honor and respect!") or otherwise unfit to serve in the event of a draft taking place. I know that sounds like a blanket statement, but all the opinions I ever hear about the people who would qualify for the draft are the same crap: kids don't know no respect, getting their heads blown off in a desert would learn them good!
Being a 19 year old male who can run more than 20 feet without collapsing and is able to see his feet, I would probably be one of the first people out there if a draft was called. I'm more than happy to serve my country but being forced to is a completely different story. I only have a limited scope of history right now, but I imagine morale was pretty low in the Vietnam conflict. Being forced away from home to die in a jungle for seemingly no reason doesn't seem like a good way to fight a war. During World War 2 there wasn't a draft that I know of and from what I read about it the war was won largely because of our valiant soldiers, seamen and airmen (well airmen were soldiers back then too but you know what I mean). Having a voluntary force seems like a much more effective way of fighting a war. I think that every soldier in Vietnam was just as courageous, my dad served, but he volunteered to fight, and today has no regrets or bitterness about being involved.
So then why do people think that a draft would be a good idea? I think a better idea - if we actually needed more enlistees - would to be just to pump up the media and offer incentives to potential recruits. Give them something to feel patriotic about instead of forcing them off to war where they would probably just become embittered, if they survived.
One last thing before I'm done rambling; I also have been reading about people who think mandatory service for young people would be a good idea. I kind of sort of agree, but mandatory service is different from a draft and I think they should be considered as seperate logic. Putting every kid through boot camp just raises the same issues that I talked about earlier though, for the kid who just turned 18 and graduated high school to be put through an 8 week camp involuntary is the same as throwing him in jail - nobody really benefits and you'll more than likely have a pissed off kid who won't want to have anything to do with the military in the situation that we need more soldiers.
Being a 19 year old male who can run more than 20 feet without collapsing and is able to see his feet, I would probably be one of the first people out there if a draft was called. I'm more than happy to serve my country but being forced to is a completely different story. I only have a limited scope of history right now, but I imagine morale was pretty low in the Vietnam conflict. Being forced away from home to die in a jungle for seemingly no reason doesn't seem like a good way to fight a war. During World War 2 there wasn't a draft that I know of and from what I read about it the war was won largely because of our valiant soldiers, seamen and airmen (well airmen were soldiers back then too but you know what I mean). Having a voluntary force seems like a much more effective way of fighting a war. I think that every soldier in Vietnam was just as courageous, my dad served, but he volunteered to fight, and today has no regrets or bitterness about being involved.
So then why do people think that a draft would be a good idea? I think a better idea - if we actually needed more enlistees - would to be just to pump up the media and offer incentives to potential recruits. Give them something to feel patriotic about instead of forcing them off to war where they would probably just become embittered, if they survived.
One last thing before I'm done rambling; I also have been reading about people who think mandatory service for young people would be a good idea. I kind of sort of agree, but mandatory service is different from a draft and I think they should be considered as seperate logic. Putting every kid through boot camp just raises the same issues that I talked about earlier though, for the kid who just turned 18 and graduated high school to be put through an 8 week camp involuntary is the same as throwing him in jail - nobody really benefits and you'll more than likely have a pissed off kid who won't want to have anything to do with the military in the situation that we need more soldiers.
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