Bring the draft back! Let's see if the US goes to war in other countries so cavalierly.

Make the sons and daughters of the one percent all serve.

I have mixed feelings about a drat; however, I believe we need shared responsibilities, shared experiences, for a democracy to function.

This means: no private prisons. No private military. And public schools need to be funded and staffed so that people are happy for their kids to get an education there.

Commie

Private military, in the guise of contractors, Halliburton, etc., present a risk to public safety. Imagine if Trump had a private Army at his disposal.

I found it annoying when the US tried to contract-Out the security force in the Baghdad embassy, in lieu of the usual Marine guard.

I actually think bringing back the draft is a great idea.

It could function on the Swiss or Israeli model where it was mostly a time of national service, e.g., teaching in underpriviliged areas, building roads, etc., but with military training. Both males and females would need to serve.

It would serve two important purposes:

1. It would make everyone very aware of what goes into an army and a war, that it's not just some video game with drones

2. It would instill a sense of national service and patriotism in young people, foster independence and the children of the upper middle classes (the top 20%) would be forced to interact with everyone else as equals--and vice versa--which would help break down barriers and promote understanding.

It could also serve as a technical training program for many jobs so that college, especially the for-profit colleges that rip off the working classes--would not be as necessary to get a job, and those kids would not be in debt.

Send Jr and Tonto first.

You make way too much sense, r5.

r5 is Mayor Pete

No, I do not agree.

R4 A country's security should not be answerable to a company's shareholders.

R5 is right. Right now, the military goes to war. The rest of the country goes on it’s merry way.

A draft would not solve the problem of rich people and government relatives getting all the deferments they want. Because why should any of them go fight a war with the common folk?

Otherwise, a resounding no to a draft. Do you think people should have been forced to go fight in Iraq, even when they knew it was based on lies? And what would it have accomplished? More casualties.

A more rational idea would be to increase volunteering in this country. High school kids should be required to spend a certain number of hours doing volunteer work in order to graduate. Work in soup kitchens, homeless shelters, volunteer at crisis centers, GLBT centers, work with veterans. It would expand their frame of reference and get them to develop empathy with others.

Required volunteerism? An oxymoron?

Not forgetting that DeVos' brother created Blackwater.

2002 called.

It needs your brilliant observations.

R12 Simple. Make it required - everyone, male or female, straight, gay, trans, rich or poor does a gap year or something like it. Except they do it in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, or USPHS.

Bone spurs? No exceptions.

Rich? No exceptions.

Social Media Influencer? No exceptions. (and your phone is going in this locking plastic bag. You can have it back when you leave.)

You should all read Rachel Maddow's book Drift.

She quite nicely articulates a cogent position regarding the draft and how eliminating it actually had far reaching impacts on policy.

R12 go back and rethink.

You make the case for a draft but say you're against it. And then suggest a rational solution that is irrational.

You must be hilarious to hang out with if you don't get violent when you're off your meds.

[quote]You must be hilarious to hang out with if you don't get violent when you're off your meds.

The inbreeder is getting clever! Been learnin' dem fancy words, eh?

Now go masturbate in your 'Mercian flag as you read R16.

Rational, indeed.

R12 just repeats R5 without using the word "draft" and including "LGBT Centers" as places needing government handouts.

A private military is anti-Democratic and will eventually end in a police state.

R20 seriously doesn't know the difference between military action in another country and volunteering ones time in LGBT center and or working with other people at need or at risk.

Uh, for one thing, you're not armed with weapons when you're going to volunteer your time.

The sad part is that this doesn't seem like trolling.

Yum.

Should gays be exempt? Lesbians to the head of the line of course. I'd feel safer with hairy muscular lesbians guarding my country.