iCitizenForum by Colonial Williamsburg

I suppose I would be considered “ultra-liberal” to Mr. Ellis, but any type of national service qualifies as nothing more than slavery to the state. I am flabbergasted by his unqualified comment that the “younger generation”, of which I am a part, is thirsty for this concept. If that is true, we are in serious trouble. If he doesn’t like the Iraq war, a draft seems a really silly way to deal with the problem. There is a solution: drastic reduction of the size of the standing army or outright dissolution. If a war is truly worth fighting, the American people will volunteer.

I would offer one counter argument. I think that if a draft was in place right now we would no longer be in Iraq. The power of the executive branch to wage wars of convenience such as Iraq would be constrained by the reality of an opposed populace if more of the country was actually having to make a sacrifice. For most of the country Iraq is simply a discouraging news item. Spend the Fourth of July with a maimed vet as I have (he is a relative) and you will quickly see that the country has no appreciation for the sacrifice being made by a small few.