News & Politics - US Preparing for Military Draft in 2005

Cantbehrit · 04-08-2004, 11:13 PM

Please forgive me if this has been discussed but I heard about this and found this article on it:

Quote:

Vancouver Independent Media Center
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Original article is at http://www.vancouver.indymedia.org/n.../01/105146.php
US Preparing for Military Draft in Spring 2005
by Adam Stutz � Wednesday January 28, 2004 at 09:50 AM

The current agenda of the US federal government is to reinstate the draft in order to staff up for a protracted war on "terrorism." Pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills S 89 and HR 163) would time the program so the draft could begin at early as Spring 2005 -- conveniently just after the 2004 presidential election!

Reinstatement of the draft

Dear Friends and Family,

I urge you to read the article below on the current agenda of the federal government to reinstate the draft in order to staff up for a protracted war on "terrorism."

Pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills S 89 and HR 163) would time the program so the draft could begin at early as Spring 2005 -- conveniently just after the 2004 presidential election! But the administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed NOW, so our action is needed immediately. Details and links follow.

If voters who currently support U.S. aggression abroad were confronted with the possibility that their own children or grandchildren might not have a say about whether to fight, many of these same voters might have a change of mind. (Not that it should make a difference, but this plan would among other things eliminate higher education as a shelter and would not exclude women -- and Canada is no longer an option.)

Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents.... And let your children know -- it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change! Please also write to your representatives to ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills -- and write to newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story.

The Draft*

$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.
http://www.informationclearinghouse....rticle5146.htm

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 cur-rent semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

*This article by Adam Stutz is from the "What's Hot Off the Press" column of the newsletter of Project Censored, a media research group at Sonoma State University that tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. From these, Project Censored compiles an annual list (more than 20 years running) of 25 news stories of social significance that have been overlooked, under-reported, or self-censored by the country's major national news media. The mission of Project Censored is "to educate people about the role of independent journalism in a democratic society and to tell The News That Didn't Make the News and why."

Cantbehrit [img]smilies/star.gif[/img]

Enigma, I.C. · 04-08-2004, 11:22 PM

Glad I'm all set to start grad school in Canada in the fall.

[ 04-08-2004: Message edited Enigma, I.C. ]

Cantbehrit · 04-08-2004, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Enigma, I.C.:
Glad I'm all set to start grad school in Canada in the fall.

[ 04-08-2004: Message edited Enigma, I.C. ]

But read this paragraph from above:

Quote:

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 cur-rent semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

I'm really freaked out about this...

Silversun · 04-08-2004, 11:30 PM

"Making it more equitable along gender and class lines", does that mean women will be drafted as well? Sounds scary.

Enigma, I.C. · 04-08-2004, 11:35 PM

I'm going in September, so I'd already be in Canada when/if they started drafting.

sum1 · 04-09-2004, 12:41 AM

-Kelly- · 04-09-2004, 02:38 AM

Scary [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

ceilirose · 04-09-2004, 03:59 AM

I've heard this rumbling around and I'm not sure whether it's actually going to pass or not. The sad thing is that we really wouldn't need to reinstate the draft if the US wasn't spread so thin around the world but that's another story.

ETA - I've never seen anything in the news cycle during the primary season which stated that either Kerry or Bush would reinstate the draft. In fact Kerry is for a more international presence in Iraq which would relieve the US military efforts there. Rumsfeld and other military leaders are also against it as well.

Link to John Kerry's page on homeland security which does not discuss reinstating the draft:
http://johnkerry.com/issues/homeland/safe.html

[ 04-09-2004: Message edited ceilirose ]

mh67511 · 04-09-2004, 04:00 AM

What this is concerning is the "Universal National Service Act of 2003." It was introducted in January of 2003 and it's important to point out that it has NOT been voted on. The only action that has been taken is that it has been sent to subcommittees.

Second of all, the "administration" is not quietly trying to pass this. The bill was introduced by DEMOCRATS and is a non-partisan issue as people from both parties support it.

The whole reasoning behind the act is that only ONE member Congress has a child in the military. The idea is that if all youth had to participate, including the children of Congressmen and women, they would be less reluctant to send us to war.

Now let's say the act IS passed. Does that mean we're all going to war? NO. It just means that everyone between the ages of 18 and 26 would be required to serve 2 years in the armed forces or an equivalent program deemed appropriate (Peace Corp, etc.) We would be required to serve in times of war and in times of peace. And it's absurd to think that the United States is going to start sending millions of young people all over the world. That is economically impossible. They don't have the means to do it.

Now let's say for instance this act is passed and we DO go to war. My guess is that they would send men first. Women would probably be sent as well, but my guess is that the majority of people sent over to do fighting would be men.

I personally am not worried about this.

The only thing that worries me is the idea of some of my peers actually fighting for this country...now THAT is a scary thought! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

[ 04-09-2004: Message edited mh67511 ]

mh67511 · 04-09-2004, 04:01 AM

http://www.theorator.com/bills108/hr163.html

That is the text of the bill.

For the record, I was unable to find either Bush or Kerry's official position on this. Yet again, another issue that is apparently not important.

sum1 · 04-09-2004, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ceilirose:
ETA - I've never seen anything in the news cycle during the primary season which stated that either Kerry or Bush would reinstate the draft. In fact Kerry is for a more international presence in Iraq which would relieve the US military efforts there. Rumsfeld and other military leaders are also against it as well.

Link to John Kerry's page on homeland security which does not discuss reinstating the draft:
http://johnkerry.com/issues/homeland/safe.html

See this (from http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/natservice ) :

ceilirose · 04-09-2004, 05:52 AM

That's not a military draft nor does it have anything to do with the Selective Service. I heard Kerry speak about this during the NH primary and it was more in terms of providing social services to those who are in need in return for tuition. He does advocate a plan whereby people would volunteer to provide defense of the homeland during national emergencies but it's not mandatory.

Now I have no doubt that reinstating the draft is something that can never be extinct for any President but I don't see it as something that either candidate is going to endorse this year.

For those who have turned 18 either this year or recently - don't you still have to register with the Selective Service even though there is not a draft? I assumed that was still the law.

coconutlime · 04-09-2004, 07:24 AM

the Bush twins should be the first to be sworn in if the draft is reinstated.

SuperDeluxe · 04-09-2004, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cantbehrit:


I'm really freaked out about this...

Women are not usually drafted..in Fact I only think that MEN have to sign up with that service thing when they turn 18.

AirBear · 04-09-2004, 08:54 AM

Big Bird is in favor of bringing in the draft. Didn't you see how he asked all the children to "come together"? That's damn liberal-speak for "going to war". Just kiddin' with ya [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]. If Kerry truly does support a draft then he will get absolute Hell for it. He's still the lesser of two evils for me, however, and will get my vote.

Anyways, I hope this is brought up in the presidential election this year. Whoever supports the draft will hands down lose.

[ 04-09-2004: Message edited AirBear ]