Lest anybody think it's just liberal Democrats who want to bring back the draft to make a political statement. This guy actually wants a draft to feed the war machine more warm bodies.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/rossmackenzie/rm20040812.shtmlThe Pentagon apparently has no plans to request a return to the military draft; the White House apparently doesn't either. How odd. The nation is at war. Recruitment is struggling. The Army is (1) extending service commitments, (2) recalling to active duty 5,600 recently departed service veterans to help address personnel needs in Afghanistan and Iraq, and (3) swearing in enlistees scheduled for 2005 induction early so as to meet 2004 recruitment goals. The Senate has approved increasing the Army's strength by 20,000. The Navy and Air Force, although cutting overall complements, often cannot fill designated billets.
If not a draft, then how about a program of compulsory universal service for all men and women 18-23 - no exceptions but the severely handicapped, one year, with a front-end military component of several months followed by non-military civilian service? Not only would it help meet military shortages; it also would broaden understanding of the military in society at large. And it would build a sense of give-back service in this culture of the young.