I do believe that if the Republicans win in Novermber the draft will not

[eccles12]

be far behind. They will want to continue wars and start new ones. That means they will need much more than an all volunteer military. People who can't see this are nuts!

[vi5]

1. Uh...

Wasn't this same thing said before the '02 and the '04 elections? I just don't think they'd ever have the stones to outright do it, just like they don't have the stones to outright do any of the crap they do. They'll just figure out end runs around everything.

[Kierkegaard]

3. Maybe not so much an end around as a different strategy.

With the current direction of our economy, there has to be some consequence. The job market is shrinking, the poor are getting poorer. Eventually, there will be a landslide of enlistment by virtue of bad economic policy. Make 'em hungry enough, they'll do anything for 3 hots & a cot.

[sazemisery]

8. I know a US Marshall that is going to Iraq to guard the embassy

Is this normal?

[Lowell]

2. Nah, with any luck

they just outsource it to india. The draft would mean their spawn might have to serve, they'd rather have some poor third world people do their dirty work.

[sazemisery]

4. The draft will be the straw that broke the camels back

This is something they need to do to continue their conquest of the evil doers but something that will be their undoing if they exercise this option.

[mmonk]

5. A war to conquer such a big area as the middle east

and to garrison it will require a draft no matter which party wins in '06.

[Options Remain]

6. They dont need to win to spend money

in fact the more wars they lose the more they will spend.

[sendero]

7. That is their third rail..

.. and they know it. Can you imagine how unpopular this "war" will become if there is a draft?

The shit-for-brains Republicans didn't learn much from Vietnam, but they learned THAT.

[peacetalksforall]

9. I was just thinking about the same thing. It is a solid equation -

A Bush win = draft. Why? PNAC has not yet succeeded. Succeeded in what? A successful invasion and takeover for the control of the Middle East for a variety of purposes that are very important to them as they were born unable to negotiate except with each other for a division of the spoils, sharing of or passing on of blame, sharing of strategies, sharing of covering up tactics.

[CrispyQ]

10. I think we'll see an immigration policy that promises citizenship

to aliens before we see the draft. They know the draft will bring their never ending war to an end. The backwash may support bushco with their votes & their voice but they are not giving them the blood of their sons & daughters.

[FormerDittoHead]

11. It would be worth losing in '06 to see that happen...

It would poison young voters for many, many years to come.

They would probably open up military service up to violent criminals... (they're 1/2 way there already)

[waiting for hope]

12. I don't think so ....

That would mean all their friends children will have to sign up - and a new wave of scandal if any dodging goes on. Putting their money where their mouth is one of their weakest points.

[zbdent]

13. I have an idea ... if the Dems win the House, they should put forth a

proposal re-introducing the modified draft ... everybody who is on record as supporting the war and is of recruitable age should be drafted ...

[malaise]

14. The Republicans will be routed in

November.

[RangerSmith]

15. They aren't going to implement a draft..

this is one issue Dems that keep sayng this truly and clearly don't understand..

If we had a draft today, we wouldn't be in Iraq today... period, end of story.

When the people with money in this country have to actually back these clowns with their childrens lives... well, it won't happen.

They do know this, too.. I promise you that.

[zulchzulu]

16. Repugs starting the draft after 2006 would guarantee utter rout in 2008

Repugs that I know who still don't quite see the light are absolutely against a draft. Even they know it would be a disaster.

But if the Repugs want to drum up the draft, I'm all for it. They would get utterly destroyed in 2008.

[bdamomma]

17. if we have anything to do with November we will get our butts

out there in massive numbers and get the Dems in, no matter what, either in the Senate or in the House.

[TornadoTN]

18. Interesting Dynamic - A Great Deal to Consider

The draft is a lose-lose for the Republicans. It's all about make someone else do the sacrificing but not their own. The draft would be the single-most devastating thing that would affect ALL Americans - the six degrees of separation rule, if you will. Right now, the "volunteer" military has the unfortunate mantra of "you asked to be in it, so do what we say and don't complain" attached to it, so people are more willing to accept military losses as a consequence of our flawed international policy.

Think about it, average Americans probably don't think much about Iraq because they percieve it as not affecting them directly. They go about their lives, paying little more than lip-service to the war(s) and attaching yellow ribbon magnets to their vehicles. That's how the war is affecting them day to day (they don't realize all of the associated costs and consequences they have or will affect them). Now imagine if those same people were asked to send their children -involuntarily - to fight these wars. I would wager that the vast majority wouldn't be so supportive of these military actions if they were asked to make a sacrifice that directly affects them.

There are now only two options to increase recruitment or at sustain it at current levels - First, drum up the fear and trumpet fierce nationalism. This is already happening, but it remains to be see how effective it is in the long run. My local news just did a show last night about all of the local high school kids that lived through 9/11 and are now enlisting. It was a pure fluff piece that trumpeted the usual talking points, but the most striking thing to me was that the kids had absoloutely no idea about anything that was going on in the world.

The second, and most disturbing option for the Republicans, is to hope (or stage, depending on your philosophy) for another terrorist attack to ratchet up the drums of war. Remember all of the people that wanted to enlist after 9/11 and their stories? Yeah, the Republicans do too.