Since the link mentions this as a response to the GWOT - the global war on terrorism - I thought today's story in the NYTimes was interesting. The article starts, "Americans increasingly see the war in Iraq as distinct from the fight against terrorism, and nearly half believe President Bush has focused too much on Iraq to the exclusion of other threats, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. The poll found that 51 percent of those surveyed saw no link between the war in Iraq and the broader antiterror effort, a jump of 10 percentage points since June. That increase comes despite the regular insistence of Mr. Bush and Congressional Republicans that the two are intertwined and should be seen as complementary elements of a strategy to prevent domestic terrorism."

Posted by: Bill McDonald at August 23, 2006 01:36 AM

"Involuntary call-up," is, in the final analysis, just another form of "draft."

We have an "all-volunteer" military with, uh, people being dragged back into service due to an "involuntary call-up." But, heck, since we're waging a "global war on terror" with dysfunctional policies that are creating new terrorists every day (and turning allies against us)...defining reality seems an ever more elusive goal for this administration. The folks who've drunk the cool-aid are really starting to scare me, as their capacity for self-delusion seems limitless.

Posted by: Frank Dufay at August 23, 2006 07:32 AM

of course there is a difference between 'draft' and a person who volunteers for the military and makes a committment to being part of the active or inactive reserve for some of his service.

Posted by: Don at August 23, 2006 10:57 AM

As a former Veteran, the details that you could be recalled to active duty at anytime while serving your inactive military comittment or once on active duty be forced to stay on active duty are clearly spelled out in your contract. Now if the recruiter conveniantly ignores or otherwise misrepresents those details, it is very unethical.

Posted by: Todd at August 23, 2006 11:17 AM

Well, it certainly sounds like the recruiters are coming ever closer to the rapacious press gangs of the past.

Funny.... I seem to see a national military draft as a means of getting us out of crap like Iraq. With an all-volunteer military, they're just doing their job...With draftees, they're sending unwilling cannon fodder to their death.

Plus, a draft would help counter the illegal immigration from the south with a spike in illegal immigratio to the north, out of the US.

Now, there's an idea... All illegal immigrants will be arrested and assigned to active duty in the US Army overseas. We'll just need a few language proficient officers and we're good to go.

Posted by: godfry at August 23, 2006 01:05 PM

I can hear President Bush's proposal now: The Guest Soldier Program. Seriously, is anyone else repulsed that Bush and Cheney, who tap-danced their way out of military service, are now turning to the fine print to supply their badly flawed military adventure with enough young Americans?

Posted by: Bill McDonald at August 23, 2006 02:43 PM

Yes, Bill... I'm repulsed. But then, I've been repulsed ever since Bush v. Gore.

Posted by: godfry at August 23, 2006 06:40 PM

Thanks for the post and the kind words, Jack! Very much appreciated. I'm enjoying the comments from your readers.

Posted by: Steve at August 23, 2006 07:56 PM

Now, there's an idea... All illegal immigrants will be arrested and assigned to active duty in the US Army overseas. We'll just need a few language proficient officers and we're good to go.

Why not, at least they will earn their keep instead of stealing us blind. And afterwards, they get citizenship. Its a win-win deal.

Posted by: Jon at August 23, 2006 10:20 PM

For the heck of it, I turned the dial to Lars Larson the other day... he was invoking our WWII justification for war as a precident for Iraq. I'm telling you, I almost pulled over.

These are the people that glamorize war so much they clamor to recapture glory, only these Neo-Con schemes are dreamed up by History Channel-fed 'experts' and reality-detatched think tanks.

They've tried their damnedest to separates us from the realities and consequences of of our actions, or from the sacrifices of war-time that really hit home. Reintroduce the draft, watch all the chickenhawk Republicans pull a 180...

This country has no choice but to impeach. If there was a more apt time or reason to do it... If you love the law of our land, it's the only right thing to do.

Posted by: TKrueg at August 24, 2006 12:15 AM

Also...
I noticed in the article that the GAO --again!-- called the Administration on the carpet for another fraud. Time and time again, the GAO shows how little accountability there is for Right Wingers claims.

How long until Bush and Cheney move heaven and earth to call out 'THE ACTIVIST ACCOUNTANTS!"

Posted by: TKrueg at August 24, 2006 12:22 AM

impeach

TKrueg, I applaud your sentiments, but . . . Dennis Hastert for President? (I'm assuming, of course, that the Chimp and the Shooter both get taken down -- otherwise, what's the point?)

Posted by: Allan L. at August 24, 2006 12:34 PM

The more I reflect on it, the more I'm convinced that forced labor by illegal aliens is the answer to our military needs. They wouldn't need to be paid. We wouldn't have to put up with all this whining about soldiers being killed or maimed -- who'd care, after all, about the illegal aliens? If they should happen to have families here, we could just ship the under-ten -or-so children back across the border and indenture the rest. After all, they (or their parents) had the unmitigated gall to come here and take jobs at minimum wage or less from our farmers and other saintly and unimpeachable business owners, so they'd just be getting what they deserve. And citizenship afterwards -- what a reward, even if it is posthumous. There might be the tiniest problem of loyalty and motivation, but that can be taken care of with appropriate discipline. A war we don't like, waged on our behalf by people we don't care about. A win-win for sure!

Posted by: Allan L. at August 24, 2006 12:47 PM

[Posted as indicated; restored later.]