“A wise and just manpower policy remains the foundation of this nation’s 
national defense. The late Charles Moskos of Northwestern University, the nation’s pre-eminent military sociologist (and a U.S. Army draftee after he graduated from Princeton), gave this wise and timeless insight: ‘The answer to the question of what are vital national interests is found not so much in the cause itself. … Only when the privileged classes perform military service, only when the elite youth are on the firing line, does the country define the cause as worth young people’s blood, and do war losses become acceptable.’
“Moskos concluded that ‘citizens accept hardships only when their leadership is viewed as self-sacrificing.’ That’s when all of us, leaders and followers, personally know someone in uniform putting their life at risk in Afghanistan or Iraq.”
“Tell me, do you know anyone?” Dec. 12, 2009
There is much that’s good about having an all-volunteer force, but there’s also a strong case to be made for reinstating the military draft. That is, provided the draft is truly universal, with no deferments for those with “other priorities,” the wherewithal to remain in college indefinitely and/or political connections.
The U.S. economy in recent decades has been rough on young people who aren’t intellectually gifted and don’t come from an affluent family. Those who two or three generations ago would’ve found well-paying jobs, with good job security, in factories, mills, mines and on farms and ranches now face a future of working in low-paying retail and service-industry jobs. But only between layoffs.
It stands to reason many young people of this description join the military, where they benefit from education, training and excellent job security. There is, however, the continuing risk for many of them of being seriously injured or killed in war.
Meanwhile, their intellectually gifted, more-affluent peers pursue careers in business and the professions, well protected by America’s all-volunteer military.
In short, we’ve created a two-tier society in America. It’s one in which a brave, determined few do the fighting and dying for the rest of us. That might be all right if those serving were all truly the adventuresome, professional-soldiering kind. In fact, many in uniform could better be described as people looking for a decent opportunity in an economy that increasingly discounts the value of high school graduates willing to work hard for good pay.
We see in this situation a moral lapse, one that shouldn’t be allowed to continue indefinitely.
We also see the distinct possibility that future presidents might be a bit less willing to plunge the country into another no-win war if the sons and daughters of Wall Street millionaires, big-business magnates, senators and Congress members would have to go and fight that war alongside the sons and daughters of small-town bankers, barbers, truckers and Podunk town council members.
The current situation amounts to a de facto draft of kids from less fortunate circumstances, and it’s totally wrong.
I’d love to see a draft reinstated. Millions of war loving chickenhawk Rushpubliscums would become peaceniks overnight.
I think you’ll find that the stratification of society is nothing new. Military service has been deferrable–by those who can pay someone to take their place–for most of the history of warfare. The practice came to America with the founding fathers, and has persisted, albeit in different forms. As a nod to the ideal of equality and democracy rich families now no longer directly pay poor people to take their places; instead, they pay for the legislation to take care of it. The sense of entitlement that goes with being “from a better class of family” certainly hasn’t receded since the days when Bush, Cheney, and their ilk all arranged for avoidance of icky military service.
The colonists that fought in the War of Independence were very much a minority.
In the current military what amazes me is number of non-citizens, last I read it was 50,000 in all branches, they are being promised fast-track citizenships, ceremonies are being held on board warships coming home, and on bases. The Romans did a similar thing.
Non-citizens in the military HERE.
You missed the whole republican game plan here guys. That was to outsource all future wars there by making a profit for their corporations. You can’t do that if all the bucks go to the pentagon and the troops.
Exactly right, JR.
Jeff, I know the precedent goes back to Revolutionary War. Almost as disturbing, through the Civil War, at least, many officers bought their commissions and proceeded to lead troops, whether or not they had any training or aptitude.
Holte, I knew there were quite a few, but had no idea just how many. That’s remarkable. Thanks for the link.
Demeur, corporations always make big profits off of our wars. The only question is how big.
I’m of two minds about bringing back the draft. I was in the Navy during the Vietnam war. Without the draft I probably wouldn’t have enlisted. I hated being in the military, but it was a broadening experience that changed my life and worldview.
I think some kind of universal service should be mandatory — not necessarily joining the military, but some kind of service. I think it would bring millions of people out of their sheltered lives (like it did me), and it would be hated by College Republican types who might have to interrupt their quest for an MBA.
Those who two or three generations ago would’ve found well-paying jobs, with good job security, in factories, mills, mines and on farms and ranches now face a future of working in low-paying retail and service-industry jobs. But only between layoffs.
For this we can thank Ted Kennedy et al who pushed for the massive illegal immigration that put a discount into lower level blue collar work. Take away illegal immigration and wages for the lower two quintiles of wage earners keep pace since 1970.
This is another example of how the Left is unable to face the costs of illegal immigration. Liberal elites have made a deal with the devil: allow illegal immigration for the political gain at the expense of low level wages.
a brave, determined few do the fighting and dying for the rest of us.
It has always been such, and the elites have done their share. I think you are buying into a fallacy here, S.W. Despite popular sentiment, every study I’ve seen on this issue shows that the military has largely drawn on a cross section of society. I recall during the Vietnam War Henry Cabot Lodge once said something to the effect of: “People claim the elites are avoiding the war. If this is true, how come I have to write so many letters of condolence to my friends?”