Wow - local FOX news ran a story about the draft

[nonconformist]

Lexington station.

Talked about how there are two bills already for reinstating the draft, talked about how the government has put $28 million dollars into the draft board - and why do that if there are no plans to bring it back. Went to the Ohio State campus, and talked to a couple of students - one said they'd go if they had to but they wouldn't be happy about it, another said he could get deferred because he's in college and plays a sport. Then they disproved that, saying that while college deferments were available during Vietnam it wouldn't be the case this time. They ended the piece talking to a Republican rep from Ohio (sorry, didn't catch his name) and he said that there is no reason for the draft at this time, but that he couldn't rule out that it wouldn't be implemented later (read: after November).

It was a good piece! I'm impressed! Sadly I think far too many people are unaware that a draft is very likely - stories on the local news about it help tremendously.

edited for typo

[squidbro]

1. Draft is all but a certainty

The draft is indeed on its way.

Unless, of course, the nation finds a way to extricate itself from Iraq and avoid a full blown Middle Eastern conflict. (It will be much more than a civil war if we leave Iraq in chaos as Turkey uses the Kurd issue as an excuse to invade and Iran uses the issue of Shia solidarity. It certainly doesn't hurt for the Turks and Iranians to gain Iraqi oil resources in the process.)

What a horrifying mess that shrub has gotten us into. How in the world are we going to afford to fix the mess?

No matter what happens, though the draft will once again be a part of American culture. Even if we manage to leave, we will have to conscript our young to fill in for the reservists who will be leaving. But we will have to conscript far more to serve and die in the sand of a foreign desert. I just hope that none of them become POWs.

[Tears4fear]

3. Wow, think again

You would think that some evil Republican senator would have brought this up, but nope, twas Congressman Charles Rangel of New York (a Democrat). Apparently, the military is too colored and needs to be "whitened up" a bit through a draft.

[nonconformist]

4. If we 'stay the corrse', we need more troops

The Republicans are the ones that got us into this mess, and while they're silently setting up draft boards and funneling millions of dollars into what was supposed to be a defunct program, they'll act like we don't need a draft until after the election. It's abundantly clear that if we don't leave Iraq soon, a draft will be necessary.

[Tears4fear]

5. Nope, not Republicans

The draft movement has nothing to do with Republicans, or even the Iraq War. It's just a member of the Black Caucus' latest upheaval over some kind of trivial inequality.

[nonconformist]

6. UH... explain to me why there'd be a draft if we WEREN'T IN IRAQ???

I suppose the Black Caucus was the one that restaffed the defunct draft boards and put $28 million dollars into it, no?

Meh. You'll be gone soon enough, I won't bother.

[SpartacusSC]

10. Duuuuude....you lost your star thang with the cool olive drab background!

Where could that have gone?

[mountainvue]

11. Rangel

floated that at the begining of IraqNam to drive home a point that everyone should be eligible if we were getting into this fight-including girls. Hmmm, who has two daughters that would be perfect draft age?

[SpartacusSC]

8. I'm afraid you've nailed it squid.....

I hope you're wrong, but if I were a betting man.....

[Robbien]

2. There was also a draft piece on the Christian Broadcast Channel

While flipping through channels I noticed the news story and was surprised it was on the CBC. It does seem they were preparing the religious right for the possibility of a draft.

[SpartacusSC]

9. I'm just wondering why they don't volunteer......

Their religious convictions aren't an impediment. Most of them have few job skills. They love conformity and guns. AND they could save their clueless leader from an embarrassment in Congress if they showed up in sufficient numbers.

Someone call the am talk shows and Fox! Call the PR folks and tell them "Don't waste your ad dollars shilling for a Medicare plan that's not catching on! We've found our demographic!"

[FARAFIELD]

7. YEAH IF THERE WAS NO NEED

FOR A DRAFT THEN THE SELECTIVE SERVICE WOULDNT HAVE A SIGN UP FOR THE DRAFT BOARD EMBEDDED ON THE SELECTIVE SERVICE SITE.