Purely as a response to the last post, I have an interesting thought for you to consider. I recently saw a lecture by Chalmers Johnson, author of "Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic". He suggests that the problem is not the draft but rather the imperialistic way in which America conducts its foreign policy. Johnson refers to World War II, in which many people were drafted. The difference was that it was clearly a just war. People were willing to be sent to the front lines, to truly die for freedom. In the modern day, however, people would be sent to die for principles they may not agree with. He proposes that a volunteer standing army only creates problems, and has led to the creation of the military-industrial complex that plauges our nation's foreign policy and the world. A conscripted army acts as a check against the system; the caveat is that it should never be deployed to an unjust war. Anyway, for the most part I agree with you; Johnson does raise an interesting point, though.
Purely as a response to the last post, I have an interesting thought for you to consider. I recently saw a lecture by Chalmers Johnson, author of "Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic". He suggests that the problem is not the draft but rather the imperialistic way in which America conducts its foreign policy. Johnson refers to World War II, in which many people were drafted. The difference was that it was clearly a just war. People were willing to be sent to the front lines, to truly die for freedom. In the modern day, however, people would be sent to die for principles they may not agree with. He proposes that a volunteer standing army only creates problems, and has led to the creation of the military-industrial complex that plauges our nation's foreign policy and the world. A conscripted army acts as a check against the system; the caveat is that it should never be deployed to an unjust war. Anyway, for the most part I agree with you; Johnson does raise an interesting point, though.