Minster: Military activity should be voluntary
Draft damages morale and hurts efficiency.
Monday, October 22nd, 2007
Reinstituting the military draft will accomplish no military objective.
Since the War on Terror’s beginning on Sept. 11, 2001, it has been political. Republicans generally favor proactive foreign prosecution, while Democrats generally favor defensive domestic protection. While the presidency and both houses of Congress were Republican, the war was fought in foreign theaters like Afghanistan and Iraq. (Yes, Iraq, where Al Qaeda-backed terrorists attack our troops, instead of attacking our office workers in New York.)
Opponents of America’s military involvement in Iraq thought the Congressional elections of 2006 were their deliverance: the president’s party had lost control, and it was only a matter of swearing in the freshmen before our troops would be coming home.
Of course this hasn’t happened, because a Congressional majority understands the difference between campaign rhetoric and sound government policy. While campaigning against war might bring in votes these days, voting against the war is selling out America’s security.
The only reason for a draft is to undermine the morale of military forces fighting the war. While domestic war support drops, military war support remains high.
Since 1973, America has had a volunteer military. Fewer than 160,000 of 1.3 million active duty and 1.1 million reserve personnel are in Iraq. America does not need the draft for a lack of soldiers.
While military service is inherently dangerous, a volunteer force handles it best. Volunteers have felt the call of duty and regard their country and fellow-citizens so highly that they willingly risk their lives for them. Drafted soldiers are, by comparison, less effective. By definition they’d rather not be there. America does not need the draft for volunteers being less effective.
The only reason for a draft is to undermine the morale of military forces fighting the war. While domestic war support drops, military war support remains high. American support for involvement in Vietnam was undermined by soldiers who came home to oppose the war and draftees who refused to go. The opponents of involvement in Iraq are desperate to create a similar situation, hence the support for a draft among the very people who don’t support the war itself.
This is despicable. To discuss a draft before committing troops may be a debate of tactics, but once troops are in battle, it does nothing but distract and endanger. Some war opponents don’t seem to mind who gets hurt, however. Witness the support garnered by phony soldier Jesse MacBeth, who, according to the Seattle Times, claimed to have killed over 200 Iraqis, some while praying in mosque, only to be exposed for a fraud. His claims were amplified by war opponents and even translated into Arabic.
As long as opposition to war trumps soldiers’ safety, the draft will have support. But it is unnecessary and even dangerous to reinstitute an American military draft.
Minster is a Lawrence senior in economics.
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