(no subject)
My speech for Speech Class tomorrow... for Erica and anyone else who wants to read it. It's from an article from the current issue of Rolling Stone.
FEEL FREE TO EDIT, I need all the help I can get, haha.
The Return of the Draft
How many of you know someone who has served or is currently serving in the military? Well, whether you like it or not, the person you know may soon be you.
President Bush has declared that the US Army will remain an all-volunteer force, and there are no plans for a draft in the future. However, the Army and Marines are currently very overextended by the war in Iraq. The "weekend warriors" of the National Guard and Army Reserve now make up nearly half the forces on the front lines, and they are retiring early in droves. The Army is now enlisting 25% more high school dropouts than before, and the Marines are offering as much as $30,000 to anyone who re-enlists. Overall, the US is devoting almost $300 million dollars to incentives for new recruits, nearly as much as they contributed to international tsunami relief.
During his campaign last year, President Bush declared the idea of a second draft as nothing more than "rumours on the internet." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has insisted that "the idea of reinstating a draft has never been debated, endorsed, discussed, theorized, pondered or even whispered by anyone in the Bush administration." However, that assertion is absolutely false. A memo from the Selective Service Agency was made public by the Freedom of Information Act, which revealed that the agency's active director and two of Rumsfeld's undersecretaries met in February 2003 to discuss the possibility of a draft. The memo did state the administration's aversion to a draft, but also noted that the armed forces are seriously lacking military professionals with special skills such as medical personnel, linguists, computer network engineers, etcetera. So while a conventional draft may not be in order, a specialized draft of men, and for the first time women, ages 18 to 34 who possess these skills may be on the horizon. Young adults would have to provide the Selective Service Agency with details of their specialized skills on a regular basis until they passed out of draft jeopardy at age 35. The first draft in the works would be of health care workers such as nurses and doctors. In the future, this process may be slightly modified to include any other skills the armed forces are lacking at the time. In other words, if you are needed by Uncle Sam in the future for your special skills, Selective Services has the means to draft you faster than you can say "Canada."
But experts say that drafting personnel with special skills misses the larger point, which is that the military is lacking manpower in general. If the US is drawn into another war, a draft would become unavoidable. For example, in the event another Korean War breaks out, the US has already commited a force of 700,000 soldiers to South Korea... half of America's entire military. Surprisingly, many people who are opposed to Bush's war in Iraq are all for a draft. They believe that a draft would force every level of society to participate in military service, making it more difficult for politicians to commit troops to battle when it may be their own children or grandchildren being sent to war. As of right now, fewer than a dozen members of Congress have children in the military. Instead, the burden is being placed on the working class and minorities. African Americans make up 13% of the civilian population, but account for 22% of of the armed forces. The Army is trying to attract urban youth to enlist with a new ad campaign entitled "Taking It to the Streets," featuring a pimped-out bright yellow Hummer and a basketball exhibition. President Bush has signed an executive order allowing legal immigrants to apply for citizenship immediately, rather than waiting, if they volunteer for active duty. This basically forces many people with limited education and limited job opportunities to enlist, as they have no other choice.
In the end, it may simply come down to a matter of math. Bush has already told America's soldiers that "much more will be asked of [them]" in his second term, and has also openly threatened war with Iran. Another war would push the all-volunteer force to its breaking point. So pack your bags and get ready to go, because a draft is definitely possible and may come sooner than you think.
hazyraindreams: could you imagine hearing that John Mayer just got drafted!?
angielovesyou: i'd become a nurse and join the military just in case he was injured.
<3
FEEL FREE TO EDIT, I need all the help I can get, haha.
The Return of the Draft
How many of you know someone who has served or is currently serving in the military? Well, whether you like it or not, the person you know may soon be you.
President Bush has declared that the US Army will remain an all-volunteer force, and there are no plans for a draft in the future. However, the Army and Marines are currently very overextended by the war in Iraq. The "weekend warriors" of the National Guard and Army Reserve now make up nearly half the forces on the front lines, and they are retiring early in droves. The Army is now enlisting 25% more high school dropouts than before, and the Marines are offering as much as $30,000 to anyone who re-enlists. Overall, the US is devoting almost $300 million dollars to incentives for new recruits, nearly as much as they contributed to international tsunami relief.
During his campaign last year, President Bush declared the idea of a second draft as nothing more than "rumours on the internet." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has insisted that "the idea of reinstating a draft has never been debated, endorsed, discussed, theorized, pondered or even whispered by anyone in the Bush administration." However, that assertion is absolutely false. A memo from the Selective Service Agency was made public by the Freedom of Information Act, which revealed that the agency's active director and two of Rumsfeld's undersecretaries met in February 2003 to discuss the possibility of a draft. The memo did state the administration's aversion to a draft, but also noted that the armed forces are seriously lacking military professionals with special skills such as medical personnel, linguists, computer network engineers, etcetera. So while a conventional draft may not be in order, a specialized draft of men, and for the first time women, ages 18 to 34 who possess these skills may be on the horizon. Young adults would have to provide the Selective Service Agency with details of their specialized skills on a regular basis until they passed out of draft jeopardy at age 35. The first draft in the works would be of health care workers such as nurses and doctors. In the future, this process may be slightly modified to include any other skills the armed forces are lacking at the time. In other words, if you are needed by Uncle Sam in the future for your special skills, Selective Services has the means to draft you faster than you can say "Canada."
But experts say that drafting personnel with special skills misses the larger point, which is that the military is lacking manpower in general. If the US is drawn into another war, a draft would become unavoidable. For example, in the event another Korean War breaks out, the US has already commited a force of 700,000 soldiers to South Korea... half of America's entire military. Surprisingly, many people who are opposed to Bush's war in Iraq are all for a draft. They believe that a draft would force every level of society to participate in military service, making it more difficult for politicians to commit troops to battle when it may be their own children or grandchildren being sent to war. As of right now, fewer than a dozen members of Congress have children in the military. Instead, the burden is being placed on the working class and minorities. African Americans make up 13% of the civilian population, but account for 22% of of the armed forces. The Army is trying to attract urban youth to enlist with a new ad campaign entitled "Taking It to the Streets," featuring a pimped-out bright yellow Hummer and a basketball exhibition. President Bush has signed an executive order allowing legal immigrants to apply for citizenship immediately, rather than waiting, if they volunteer for active duty. This basically forces many people with limited education and limited job opportunities to enlist, as they have no other choice.
In the end, it may simply come down to a matter of math. Bush has already told America's soldiers that "much more will be asked of [them]" in his second term, and has also openly threatened war with Iran. Another war would push the all-volunteer force to its breaking point. So pack your bags and get ready to go, because a draft is definitely possible and may come sooner than you think.
hazyraindreams: could you imagine hearing that John Mayer just got drafted!?
angielovesyou: i'd become a nurse and join the military just in case he was injured.
<3