[amc] Draft??
- From: "Ray Gingerich" <RGingerich@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 21:48:43 -0500
Nature
Most of the following argument will apply to WHOEVER becomes the next
president, it seems to me. Ray
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Hidden Agenda: A National Draft in the Future?
By Howard Dean
YubaNet.com
Monday 20 September 2004
A key issue for young Americans and their families to consider as
they prepare to cast their votes in the upcoming presidential election is the
real likelihood of a military draft being reinstated if President Bush is
re-elected. President Bush should tell us now whether he supports a military
draft.
Here is the evidence that makes a draft likely:
a.. The U.S. Army has acknowledged that they are stretched thin and
that finding new recruits is challenging. They recently placed 300 new
recruiters in the field. Bonuses for new recruits to the Army have risen by 67
percent to a maximum of $10,000 and $15,000 for hard-to-fill specialties.
a.. The extended tours of duty have made service less attractive
for both the regular armed forces, and particularly for the National Guard and
Reserves. To meet this year's quota for enlistees, the Army has sped up the
induction of "delayed entry" recruits, meaning they are already borrowing from
next year's quotas in order to meet this year's numbers.
a.. Reservists are now being called away for longer periods. In
2003, President Bush dramatically extended the length of time for the Guard and
Reserves deployment in Iraq. Extended tours of up to a year have become common.
a.. In a further sign of a lack of adequate staffing, the armed
forces are now in the process of calling up members of the Individual Ready
Reserves. These are often older reservists usually waiting retirement. They are
typically in their mid-to-late forties, and have not been on active duty and
have not trained for some time. Traditionally, they are only supposed to be
called up during a time of national emergency. In 2001, President Bush
authorized their call up but never rescinded this order even after he declared
"Mission Accomplished" in Iraq in May of 2003.
a.. The Armed Forces are already chronically understaffed. In 2003,
General Eric Shinseki testified before Congress that an additional 50,000
troops would be needed beyond what the Bush administration said would be
necessary to stabilize Iraq after the invasion. The President ignored him. We
do not have enough troops in Afghanistan to be able to stabilize the country,
as shown by the continual putting off of elections well past their announced
date. In an effort to free up yet more troops in the coming years, we are
moving troops away from the Demilitarized Zone in Korea and reducing the number
of troops on the Korean Peninsula at a time when North Korea poses more of a
danger to the U.S. - not less. Because of the President's military adventurism,
our Armed Forces are under enormous pressure. The only place to go for more
troops is a draft.
a.. Selective service boards have already been notified that
20-year-olds and medical personnel will be called up first.
President Bush will be forced to decide whether we can continue the
current course in Iraq, which will clearly require the reinstatement of the
draft. The Pentagon has objected to a draft but, the President has ignored
other Pentagon recommendations in the past.
American families and young people are owed an explanation about
the President's plans. Will the President withdraw from some of our military
commitments or will he reinstate the draft? We need to know that before we
vote, not afterwards.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont, is the founder of
Democracy for America, a grassroots organization that supports socially
progressive and fiscally responsible political candidates. Email Howard Dean.
-------
Jump to TO Features for Tuesday September 21, 2004
Today's TO Features -------------- William Rivers Pitt | Your Media
is Killing You Republican Senators Sound the Alarm over Iraq Whispered in
Russia: Democracy is Finished Fury as U.S. Bomb-Grade Plutonium Sets Sail for
France Hu Takes Full Power in China, Gains Control of Military War-Gaming the
Mullahs U.S. Blocking Arctic Report Eric Fottorino | "Bushery" Candidates Play
on Fears of Attacks, Wars Classic Guerrilla War Forming in Iraq Colin Brown |
Second Iraq War FBI's Anti-Terror 'October Plan' Howard Dean | Hidden Agenda: A
National Draft in the Future? John Kerry: "The World is a More Dangerous Place"
An Privilaged Young Man Safe from Combat Marc Ash | Bush v. Rather et. al.
First Enron Criminal Trial Begins Today t r u t h o u t Home
(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. t r u
t h o u t has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor
is t r u t h o u t endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
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