Republicans think starting the draft is a good idea

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/11980763.htm

WASHINGTON - Most Americans don't want to see the return of the military draft, although men, older Americans and Republicans were most likely to say it's a good idea, an AP-Ipsos poll found.

I know why the Republicans think its a good idea. Its because they have the money and/or connections to keep their kids from being drafted. It is our kids they want to turn into bullet catchers.

[ailsagirl]

1. Big surprise. You just know one is imminent...

I hate to say it!! But they just don't have enough people.

Thanks, chimp, for making our country, hence the world,
a far happier place.

:puke:

[cprise]

2. I know why older people think its good.

...to start a massive backlash against the Republicans.

:)

[bluestateguy]

3. I can already hear it:

"All those poor people that just live off of welfare and all those illegal immigrants that cost the taxpayers money need to start earning their keep in America. They should have to serve this country"

[gaia_gardener]

6. I've been on the Yahoo Discussion list for this story

and that's EXACTLY what they said. Welfare, homeless, jobless, convicts (in or out of jail) and outsourcing to Mexicans, Indians and Chinese.

[FreedomAngel82]

22. Indians?

Uh don't these people know their history of this country? We did the same thing to them as we're doing to Iraq. Only thing is I don't think anybody is moving to Iraq except maybe a branch off of Halliburton so they can get all the oil they want and not be sued.

[gaia_gardener]

41. I'm pretty sure they meant people from India

It took a lot of reading (my skin is still crawling) but it kept being coupled with outsourcing, so I'm pretty sure that's what they meant.

[DanCa]

4. Dont republicans support the troops?

Than why if a great and glorious chimp is doing a good job over there are recruitment numbers dropping. Hell if the war is truly a noble and good adventure our widdle wight wingers would be linning the streets. Oh for any of you damn freepers out there who are not sure on how to enlist www.goarmy.com heres the website. Go and enlist please. Ill pay for your transportation down there.

[FreedomAngel82]

23. I've heard the excuse

that just because the recruitment numbers are down doesn't mean there's not enough people to support the war. People have other priorities (like jobs and whatnot). :eyes: Like those in the military don't have lives and jobs?

[realFedUp]

5. Bring back the draft...

I want rich Republican kids to feel the heat again, especially
those who who think pre-emptive invasion is a good thing.

[DanCa]

7. Viet Nam

The same thing is going to happen today as it did back then. The rich republicans would be given special privilages like the chimp and they'll draft kids again for the low income areas. Rich Republican scum raises to the top you know?

[NNN0LHI]

8. Why, was there ever an instance in history when rich folks got drafted? n/t

[realFedUp]

11. at least they were concerned....

it does level the playing field a bit
and makes college campus students more involved
in a war they might have to fight in. It's
one of the things that ended Vietnam.

I remember all my pals, who were from a boy's
school sweat a bit, although clearly the numbers
were rigged even then by zip code or something.
None of them got drafted.

[NNN0LHI]

13. I never knew anyone who was drafted during the 60's and 70's

These were not rich kids either. Just your average middle class white kids. Their parents went to the right church's, belonged to the right associations, or drank with the right guys at the tavern. My brother received a deferment because he was going through a tool and die apprenticeship at Ford. Needless to say there were not many minority tool and die apprentices back then. They were all too busy in southeast Asia.

Don

[KharmaTrain]

10. Ya Think They're Going?

Whatcha think that database we found out the DOD has compiled on High School kids is all about, huh? Wanna bet there's a special column that lists how much money dad gave to the GOOP?

The rumor for a while has been for a "Special Needs Draft"...passing an ammendment on some appropriations bill in the dead of night...that would enable the military to pluck young men and women from the private sector for "special service". This means if you know anything about computers, aerodynamics or anything the military decides is applicable, you can be called in for service.

[FreedomAngel82]

24. They also probably have that information

so they have the right people to call up right away. If you're just out of high school you're still young and energetic and able to have a clear mind etc. You're not busy with worrying about a family you might have back home or a job. You didn't even get the chance to go to a term in college.

[bluestateguy]

12. It won't work that way

The rich kids will find creative ways out. You close one loophole in the law, and another one will be found, and another and another.

Thousands of other less privileged kids will be scooped up by the draft, with little ability to resist. Don't assume that everybody is as political as the people at DU. Sure, some people will dodge the draft, flee the country, go into hiding or go to jail in protest. But most Americans are conditioned to respect and obey authority. You bring back the draft and thousands of young people will go simply because the government says they have to go, and the social pressure they will feel from their peers and from the corporate media will be intense. They will serve for fear of being labeled a coward or a traitor by the media echo chamber or their peers and family.

[FreedomAngel82]

25. You got it

Remember what O'Reilly said about traitors recently?

[Faygo Kid]

9. #247, 1970. No Vietnam.

Those of us in our early 50s will never forget our lottery numbers. The GOP will never reinstate the draft. Their kids might be vulnerable (or not. Hello, Dick and George). At any rate, my very wealthy friends who are smug GOP supporters with kids late in life (and draft fodder) would not hear of it. Sacrifice? Nah, they want more tax cuts. And yes, I am ready to cut them off, after 30 years, but it isn't easy.

[roguevalley]

28. You're right about not forgetting your draft number. My brother's

was 2.

[Independent_Liberal]

14. Draft Freepers!

Ha!

[ReadTomPaine]

15. I think this is a response to the "chickhawk" meme n/t

[NMMNG]

16. If a draft is implemented I hope those bastards are first in line

Although I doubt it. They're usually all talk, no action.

[EnfantTerrible]

17. You lost me at

Republicans think.

[Stirk]

18. Can you imagine the uproar if they tried to reinstate the Draft?

Now- with the occupation as unpopular as it is? With the DSM dripping into the public consciousness, with people finally waking up to the fact that the Bush Administration sold their invasion with intentional lies? And Jesus- with new Abu Ghraib photos coming out?

I think you'd actually see some riots.

[FreedomAngel82]

26. And don't forget

last campaign season there was a lot of talk about the draft. I kept saying it'll be back on this board I used to go to and other rightwingers were saying it wouldn't. Not long after that Bush came out and said there will be an all volunteer army and no draft and all that. So if there is a draft and people find out about it Bush and the republicans would lose a lot of support. That's why they're doing anything and everything they can to get people to join the military. In another thread someone else also made the mention that they could be training the Iraqi's military/police to be the cannon fodder for Iran since they can't do it through the air because of how they're doing everything there.

[Stirk]

38. Yep.

After all those reassurances about "no Draft, don't worry about it"- they'd piss off alot of their own supporters by putting one through now. And then there's all the happy talk about "death throes" and "turning a corner". To put a Draft in place after that just makes them look like con men.

[friesianrider]

19. It's the kids of minorities and poor kids who will be drafted...

And what do they care if they die? Chances are they are likely to vote Dem, so let the bullets fly!

[Outrider]

20. If they try to draft me

I'm going to seriously hurt myself laughing my ass off.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that a whole lot of people are suddenly going to discover that they are gay, and that this countries shrinks will be overun by "depressed" people if they institute a draft.

[Gelliebeans]

21. you can bet

your sweet life that if the we wrote legislation to draft only old white rich republicans they wouldn't be for it at all.

[roguevalley]

27. according to the new rules, there are no outs. If you are a senior

in college, you are allowed to finish your year. If you are in a semester and are not graduating, you can finish your semester. There are no loopholes. Republicans, start your engines. I would think they will beat it to Canada but Canada has a treaty with us, done a few years ago that they will not harbor American draft dodgers.

[Ragnar]

29. Don't resort to lies.

(from the LA Times, on the same poll)

Men were more likely than women to favor reinstating the draft, those over age 50 were more likely to favor it than younger adults. And Republicans were more likely than Democrats to support the idea. But a majority of each of those groups opposed the draft.

Lying is not the way to create a better country.

[tnlefty]

43. Then men over 50 and republican should hop their happy asses

down to the recruiter's office, sign up and BEG to go!

[Ragnar]

44. That's the lie again

More men over 50 and republicans supported the reinstatement of the draft than any other group in the poll. Even among those groups however, there was not a majority of support.

MOST REPUBLICAN MEN OVER 50 DO NOT SUPPORT THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE DRAFT.

The truth is enough to hang the GOP. Breaking out the extra rope of lies will only hang yourself too.

[tnlefty]

45. From the excerpt that you posted the group that I mentioned was

MORE supportive of returning to a draft. Again, if they're more supportive of the idea, then they should hop their happy asses down to the recruiter's office and beg to go. Don't wait for a draft just go, and take a bunch of young republicans along, too.

[Ragnar]

46. ahem.

Origninal thread title:

Republicans think starting the draft is a good idea

You can see how this is a lie? Because by the same standard one could say "democrats like to molest small children." After all, there are certainly democrats who do.

Generalizations are dangerous statements, and are often used with the intent to mislead. That was the intent of this post, imo. Perhaps republican males over 50 should be more willing to sign up than the general population due to their level of support, as it is a larger minority than other groups. And, they might well be more willing. The survey did not measure willingness to fight among persons ineligible for enlistment.

[tnlefty]

48. And that isn't what I addressed. Again, men were more likely...

those over 50 were more likely to favor...Republicans were more likely than Democrats...

This specific group and then the young college repubs are the 2 demographic groups that I mentioned.

Oh, and the repubs have made many broad generalizations about democrats over the past 15-20 years, so I'm not really much in a mood to be lectured about not painting with a broad brush, especially when it isn't what I did to begin with.

[Ragnar]

49. why were you responding to my response then?

I was arguing against the validity of the generalization offered in the initial post.

And I do agree with you - people who offer political support for a war are morally obligated to support it in blood.

And two wrongs don't make a right. They do make a right wing. Don't join them in that!

[aaronnyc]

30. Most Republicans aren't rich

The days of Republicans being rich and Dems being poor are long over. The vast majority of white people in Mississippi are poor, and the vast majority of them vote Republican. Income has very little to do with the way people vote now a days.

Most non-union members of the working-class vote Republican; they certainly don't have the connections or money to avoid the draft. If there were a draft, Republicans would be drafted just as much as Democrats.

[BMG]

31. Republicans are not always rich; but often stupid.

Im 19, I am not going to give the only life I have been given and will ever get to go and die overseas for some Chimps desires.

I am in very good shape for someone my age, I can make a run across the border. I will not fight for anyone, or anything. I am a pacifist. We are lucky enough to have life here on earth; and its an entire seperate lottery that we each individually got to experience it. Its not worth throwing it away killing other people in the name of any flag, country, or resource.

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

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[newyawker99]

33. Hi BMG!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[earth mom]

37. You should go now. Maybe not to Canada, but to Europe or

elsewhere. Welcome to DU and Good luck! :hi:

[gaia_gardener]

42. I'd be willing to bring supplies, etc

to people who crossed into Mexico from Texas.

[catmandu57]

34. Draft dodger blues

I can't post the lyrics, but pete Seeger tells the story. No, the wealthy won't go, the poor, and middle class will take their place.

[seabeyond]

35. i wonder if an individual can take bush to court and sue for

illegal war......stating that is a reason to reject the draft

[earth mom]

36. Republicans are exempt ain't that right?

The draft is a good idea because rethugs are well off and more than likely have the connections to keep their loved ones out of harms way. The draft is just fine and dandy for every one else-the middle class, the poor...as long as they're democrats to boot. :sarcasm:

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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[mopaul]

40. torture too

amazing

[Stinky The Clown]

47. I think the draft is a good idea .... seriously

I am all for the draft.

Here are the facts, as I see them .......

We need to do one of two things ... get out of Iraq or increase our forces there. The military we have is NOT at fault but they're getting the everloving shit kicked out of them. Not so much by the 'enemy' but by the shitass civilian leadership we have. But in the face of an all volunteer army, this war is real easy for the average person to see as an abstract issue.

If we are to increase our manpower, then the question is: how? Recruiting is in the shitter to be sure. Money and bribery ain't doin' it anymore.

So we need a draft.

A draft will make the entire war an up close and personal kind of thing for the majority of Americans. They'll finally have a horse in the race (their kid or themselves).

Many people remember the inherent unfairness of the Vietnam era draft. College deferments were given out like candy. Lots of poor and minorities, on the other hand, served. That memory is quite fresh. It will be VERY difficult to pass a draft that was so unfair. It is already commonly accepted that college deferments will be next to impossible this time. In my mind, the only controversy is whether or not women will be drafted.

Charlie Rangel, among others, has been introducing his draft bills from time to time. Surely you all remember that. There was certainly enough vilification of Rangel around here that I know it got noticed. And he's not the only one. I recall someone else also introducing a draft bill, but don't right now recall who it was. In any case, these early bills served no real purpose except to cause people to begin to discuss the base concept .... a draft.

And how can the repubs make a draft that is blatantly discriminatory? The outcry will be MASSIVE. Even if it were to pass, the civil unrest coming from an unfair draft bill would make any controversy we've thus far faced pale into insignificance.

So the draft is likely to be more fair. And that means the ultra-rich kids go alongside the ghetto kids.

And I see THAT as a good thing. In fact .... not a 'good' thing ...... a ***GREAT*** thing. The War in Iraq® will end the next day (figuratively).