Draft Reinstatment

[kahljorn]

I'm probably stupid for posting this and I'm sure somebody else has already gotten to it... but just in case:

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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."


***also there's a large chance it's all bullshit.

Thank God I'm well on my way through a sex change.

[El Blanco]

This gets proposed every session of Congress. There is no way in hell any congressman is going on the record as in favor of this.

There are a lot of bills that propose some way off mainstream idea that always float around but never go anywhere( legalize pot, prostitution, NHC, lower the drinking age etc etc). And your source is a little more than suspect.

[ranxer]

prediction: if bush steals the presidency again i expect to see major pressure on passing of the draft or some kind of new 'incentives' for military enslavements. (like more criminals being given the choice of military vs. prison which already happens daily)

of course private armies as a growing industry may reduce the need for this.

[AChimp]

LAISSEZ FAIRE ARMIES!

[El Blanco]

Originally Posted by ranxer

prediction: if bush steals the presidency again

He didn't do it the first time. Stop whining about this already.

i expect to see major pressure on passing of the draft or some kind of new 'incentives' for military enslavements. (like more criminals being given the choice of military vs. prison which already happens daily)

It isn't enslavement if you voluntarily enlist.

of course private armies as a growing industry may reduce the need for this.

Ya, well, outsourcing is the hot new trend.

[GAsux]

This is the ideal thread for Ranxer to weigh in on. How about I post some links to Bigfoot sightings and alien babies as well?

Let me ask you this. How do you suppose all these "draftees" will be paid? Funny don't you think that Congress would simultaneously vote on several fronts to reduce troop strengths, restructure bases, and reduce spending for military compensation AND vote in favor of implementing an unjustifiable draft which would add MORE to the ranks? Hmmmmmm.

[Bobo Adobo]

Originally Posted by kahljorn

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.

Looks like I'm going to have to apply for my Canadian citizenship early. No way I'm going to fight for that zealous retard in office. Should be easy though, I got in-laws that live there.

If all fails though, I am willing to shoot my foot...seriously.



Edit - I doesn't seem too impracticle that the government will pass this bill, considering that Smart Border Declaration was signed only 3 years ago.

[GAsux]

Sure it seems practical. Im quite sure the members of Congress who will have to justify why they supported the use of force in Iraq will have no problem voicing their support for a "draft" bill because that will be super popular with their constituents right?

[AChimp]

Although it's highly unlikely that anything like this would take place unless there was a really big or long war (IMO, the U.S. is more likely to pull out of a region before the military becomes too exhausted), I wouldn't downplay the implications.

Just because conscription is unpopular, doesn't mean that it can't happen. Conscription is ALWAYS unpopular, but that hasn't stopped it in the past now, has it? Canada had to resort to conscription in both World Wars, but fortunately both of them ended a few months later and relatively few conscripted troops saw action.

[GAsux]

Chimp,
Of course you're right. And again as you alluded to, I think most would agree that the circumstances were quite different. The "anti-draft" movement so to speak has surfaced at virtually every single military conflict since Vietnam, regardless of scale.

In order to implement a draft, we'd have to see a required moblization to a degree we have not seen in 30+ years. Short of a very, very large scale conflict, there will be no need.

Again, what's happening within the armed forces as we speak is the exact OPPOSITE of what's being disucussed here. If the government were in fact planning to implement such nonsense as early as next Spring, I'm positive that the things that are happening now would not be happening.

[Bobo Adobo]

Speaking from my own experince I think the Army is really hurting for recruits. I'm about three years out of high school and recruiters call me about 2-3 times a year ever since i graduated. Every time I tell them the same thing, "not interested". Most of my older relatives tell me they called them after and during there senior year, and thats all.

But my most recent experience was sorta odd. A recruiter calls me and I tell him that Im not interested. But then he continues to talk to me like Im his friend, asking question about college, what I've been up to and ending every sentence with "man". I eventually hung up on him when he started to give me the whole "pay for college" shpiel. He tried calling back, but I have caller ID so I didn't answer(shouldn't have in the first place).

After a few hours later he actually called me from his fucking cell phone! When I answered he nerve to ask me if I hung up on him. So I just said "Not interested" and hung up again, and he hasn't called back since.

So if the Armys going through all the trouble of hiring drug dealers, and con-artists to do there recruiting, is doesn't seem like there too far away from drafting.

[Perndog]

They may be hurting for recruits, but that's only because they expect to keep a dozen times more troops active than they really need.

I doubt there will be a draft before there's a declared war on a particular nation. But if my number comes up before I move to Europe and they make conscientious objectors (read: good liars) take non-combat roles, I'm enrolling in OCS.

[AChimp]

The recruiters down there actually harass people? Damn... the army recruiters here just set up little booths with a TV and stand around for a few hours and say hello to people as they walk by. Parents with small children stop and let their kids wave at the soldiers.

Sure, they'll still lie through their teeth and make the military sound like the best thing that'll ever happen to you (I think it's mostly to convince themselves), but they don't leave the table, and they never bother you.

[CastroMotorOil]

I've never been called once by a recuiter in my life, only thing I've ever done military related was turn in my draft registration.

[AChimp]

Well, see, they already know that they've got you. :P

[kahljorn]

"Looks like I'm going to have to apply for my Canadian citizenship early. No way I'm going to fight for that zealous retard in office."

They are passing some kind of treaty type thing where canada will kick all the americans out of Canada.

[Perndog]

That's why he said he'd do it early. If he's becoming a Canadian citizen before the draft is instituted, they can't kick him out.

[Emu]

Why would they even reinstate the draft anyway? Isn't the "war" over?

[Bobo Adobo]

Not really, more people are dying after the invation of Iraq then during the actual war. Plus the whole "War on Terror"bullshit is probably going to spread to Africa and North Korea if Bush gets re-elected.

[Emu]

North Korea? We won't attack them til we think they have nukes. Even though they do, we have to think they have them.

[Bobo Adobo]

Yeah that seems to be the thing now a days. We have to attack the people who might have WMDs. But the country that admits to having the ability to make them, along with taunting other counties, doesn't concern us.

There honest and honesty goes along way in todays world, even if you have thermo-nucular weapons. :/

[El Blanco]

Originally Posted by Bobo Adobo

Plus the whole "War on Terror"bullshit is probably going to spread to Africa and North Korea if Bush gets re-elected.

Its not bullshit. And we won't go to war with NK because China will keep them in check for us.

Africa? Well, seeing as to how Bekaa Valley was a haven for terrorist training camps those years back, I wouldn't be surprised to find more activity there.

[Emu]

"For us?" I wasn't aware China was our overseas watchdog.

[El Blanco]

No, but they are the closest thing to a superpower that doesn't have the initials USA. They are also NK's main backer and trading partner. Not to mention the mutual defense pacts between them.

China also wants to be big trading buddies with us and also wants to avoid a big fucking war with us.

Now do you see why China wants to make sure North Korea doesn't piss us off?

[kahljorn]

Good luck on the citizen ship stuff, who kn ows what you have to do to be a citizen of canada... every idea i can think of sounds horrible. Marry a canadian!?