Politics: Callahan should have dodged the draft
Someone asked the candidates at Wednesday morning’s 18th District candidates’ forum what unpopular position they would be willing to champion. You have to give Colleen Callahan, the Democratic nominee, credit for one whopper of an answer:
One contrast did emerge when Democrat Colleen Callahan responded to a question asking what unpopular or controversial issue she would champion by saying she would re-institute the draft, saying it would be the “fairest way” to rebuild the military stressed from handling the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I know my campaign staff isn’t going to like me saying say this,” Callahan said. “I know from all of those who are currently serving, proud as they are of their service, many of them are coming from the National Guard and it leaves us open, at risk, here at home where we have needs from disasters.”
Callahan did add an caveat, though, saying time spent in the military could be swapped for another form of service.
She’s not alone in the Democratic Party for advocating for a return of the draft, specifically in a form that includes no provisions for deferrals for attending college or having families. The thinking is that if the sons of senators can get hauled off to Afghanistan or Iraq, the powers-that-be wouldn’t to so cavalier about starting up wars.
Daily Kos is starting to weigh in, and they don’t like the idea. Apparently the netroots isn’t as willing as some Democratic congressmen are to risk forcing draftees to die on foreign lands.
First, most military experts consider the draft an antiquated concept in the modern military. It’s not cost effective, and can generate large number of warm bodies to fill uniforms, not what’s needed in a modern technology-based military.
And even if the draft made sense militarily, I would still oppose it. Here’s why:
I also think there are prices too high to pay to save the United States. Conscription is one of them. Conscription is slavery, and I don’t think that any people or nation has a right to save itself at the price of slavery for anyone, no matter what name it is called. We have had the draft for twenty years now; I think this is shameful. If a country can’t save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say: Let the damned thing go down the drain!
* Guest of Honor Speech at the 29th World Science Fiction Convention, Seattle, WA (1961)
I cannot be more clear than this. The draft doesn’t prevent the United States from going to war. If there is a need to fight, we’ll go. The draft won’t prevent the United States from going to war for less noble reasons.
While I disagree with Callahan on this issue, she will find more supporters for this position than Aaron Schock did when he advocated selling nuclear weapons to Taiwan. And if this hurts her, she won’t try to president later that she was just kidding.
Tags: Aaron Schock, Colleen Callahan, Conscription, the draft
September 10th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Well Callahan got the debate she had been clamoring about. Ever hear the saying “be careful what you wish for…”
September 10th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
I think the draft should be reinstated. It should have been a part of the 2004 election. I think the public could have supported it in 2003, 2004… maybe 05… not likely now.
We have a defense posture that calls for having adequate forces to fight two major regional wars. Well.. we have forces deployed in two significant regional wars. It seems as tho we are stretched thin. How much of a bench do we have to if yet another regional war were to erupt? Iraq and Afghanistan are relatively small nations. Iran is larger. China?… We do not have the forces to fight a meaningful conventional war in more areas. I don’t think so… our posture is being exercised.
Recruitment has been lackluster for some time now. Is it even realistically possible to recruit voluntarily another million men without breaking the nations bank? This is where the draft comes in to meet the growing needs of our commitments and to give us enough bench to act as a deterrent. I firmly believe that Iran would not be playing the games it is if they knew we could deploy another half million men to spank them around with.
There are other good reason as well…but I won’t delve on them.
Our defense posture is being exercised, it needs to be revised and forces gathered to meet additional challenges.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:05 am
How can a draft be more expensive than giving private firms like Blackwater a bunch of taxpayer cash to gouge the government and the people?
We are currently in a “profit for corporations” war like never before. It’s disgusting.
I know where Colleen was going with this, and I agree with the premise, but you can rest assured that if indeed the draft WAS reinstated, the rich would NEVER let it go through without provisions so they could get their spoiled brats out of serving. Dems AND Repubs AND Greens AND it doesn’t matter who else, the rich ain’t servin’.
Instead, I advocate that those who disagree with Barack Obama’s plan in Iraq get conscripted instead. Like Billy (who posted against it yesterday) and every other hawk that hasn’t ever really served.
At least I admit I’m too chickenshit to go over there and get in the path of bullets, I’d like the Chickenhawks to grow a set and man up to this same reality.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:49 am
What a dumbass Callahan is. I was planning to vote for her, too. But I remember listening to the radio while some bureaucrat pulled capsules out of barrels in Washington to determine if I was going to be cannon fodder in Vietnam. I vowed I would never vote for anyone who advocated bringing back conscription, except in a real, major, declared war.
I’m sure as hell not voting for Wonder Boy. Is there a third-party candidate?
September 11th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Colleen Callahan’s point here is; if you’re going to have a modern and strong national defense prepared for multiple and protracted global conflicts and still maintain an adequate domestic emergency resource (like the National Guard), you need to pay for it in not only capital resources, but in flesh and blood as well.
The only sacrifice the Washington Chicken Hawks, Iraqi Egg Laying Wing, “W” Squadron has asked of the American people is to: give no questions, shop, be scared shitless following 9/11, shop, wear a U.S. Flag lapel to prove you’re a patriot, shop and perpetually remain scared shitless following 9/11.
This is a war fought on the backs of dangerously overextended regular, Reserve and National Guard working class and low income volunteers, back-drafted by unprecedented stop-loss measures and deployed along side recruits who’s previous criminal records had made them undesirable for past military duty. This is a war which has resulted in record levels of junior and mid-level officer corp flight jeopardizing the future command structures within the U.S. military. Not to mention the destruction and non-replacement of all mechanized aspects of the air and ground forces. This is a war where the lack of troops has established a need for unprecedented levels of military contractors who’s actions and shoddy work often put the military personal themselves at great risk of injury or death at a higher cost to the U.S. tax payer. With all this, we reward returning service personnel with an inadequate and underfunded VA system. All paid for by record deficit spending and foreign funding by China and the Middle East. All this following a first ever tax revenue reduction in a time of war. How’s this all volunteer military working for you Dennis?…
The present all volunteer military model is too vulnerable to neglect and abuse by the executive and congressional branches of government and the military industrial complex. A broadly based compulsory public service directive would better prepare the U.S. in all sectors of national defense and security, emergency services, law enforcement, health and education and the economy while holding the executives, lawmakers and military more accountable due to a more enfranchised voting public. Military duty would be just one of the available public service sectors, which in times of need, could pull qualified personal from additional branches as needed. One to two years service for on-the-job training in law enforcement, firefighting/emergency, skilled trades, teaching and military duty, etc. and get 2 years paid college or tech school. You only have to look at what the post WWII G.I. bill did for this country to see the worth of rewarding service and investing in veterans.
Draft boards would be composed of military veterans, relatives of veterans or currently serving personal. No political or military contract connections allowed. No exemptions other than for health: physical and mental. Exemption from military duty conditional but optional public service required. No deviation for members of political or wealthy families. Full transparency on placements, strong public oversight of draft boards. When your son or daughter, mom or dad, Senator or Congressman’s child is going to get drafted, your going to give going to war and how it’s waged a lot more thought than just reciting “gett’er done” and slapping a magnet on the car’s behind. You’re also going to be more willing to pay a tax increase to make sure they have the body armor, bullets and decent VA care on their return.
An all volunteer military in a protracted military engagement is an unsustainable effort unless the country is completely engaged and encouraged to mutually sacrificed at all levels. Lets see, Korean Conflict, no, Vietnam, no, Iraq, no, Afghanistan, it could of been and may be yet. My point is, not since WWII have Americans been totally (and even then initially reluctantly) committed to a long term military engagement, which by the way had a successful draft. Of course, Korea and Vietnam’s draft was much less so, but the national commitment was much less as well.
Dennis says: “First, most military experts consider the draft an antiquated concept in the modern military. It’s not cost effective, and can generate large number of warm bodies to fill uniforms, not what’s needed in a modern technology-based military.”
I would guess that most of these “military experts” are not military veterans. Safely ensconced within the secure walls of a privately funded “think tank, their butts resting comfortably on a finely crafted overstuffed leather chair and glass of Chivas Regal beside them. John Philip Sousa playing softly in the background on the Bose Soundwave.
A traditional draft would produce just a “large number of warm bodies”, but a sustained, educationally driven draft could provide a continuous pool of potentially highly trained personal for a “modern technology-based military.” Unlike the present military which often requires the military vendor to supply trained technicians and operators at a higher cost to the tax payer.
Dennis quotes: “I also think there are prices too high to pay to save the United States. Conscription is one of them. Conscription is slavery, and I don’t think that any people or nation has a right to save itself at the price of slavery for anyone, no matter what name it is called. We have had the draft for twenty years now; I think this is shameful. If a country can’t save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say: Let the damned thing go down the drain! * Guest of Honor Speech at the 29th World Science Fiction Convention, Seattle, WA (1961)
The current all volunteer military is a an economic draft, drawing in young kids with few options available for good jobs, broken homes or no money for college.
The current all volunteer military is a a forced draft due to under manned, over extended deployments requiring the use of repeated stop-loss measures to retain experienced personal.
The current all volunteer military is a an back-door draft by which the Reserves and National Guard are deployed on repeated extended stays well beyond the original “implied” contract agreements of enlistees.
The current all volunteer military is a an back-door draft of this country’s “First Responders”, in opposition to “Homeland Security” goals and national preparedness for man made and natural disasters.
I agree to some level as to the above author’s statement of “… If a country can’t save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say: Let the damned thing go down the drain!”, but then, he could say that because draftees as well as volunteers made it safe to publicly state it…
Dennis says: “I cannot be more clear than this. The draft doesn’t prevent the United States from going to war. If there is a need to fight, we’ll go. The draft won’t prevent the United States from going to war for less noble reasons.”
Do you really believe that if the American people had been told the truth regarding the flawed Iraqi intelligence and the rabid obsession by the Neo-Cons to invade Iraq (screw Afghanistan, no oil there), “we’ll go.”? An imaginary “smoking mushroom cloud” is not one of your “less noble reasons”? I’m not sure I’d care to know how low your threshold lies in this regard.
No, I have not served in the military, yes I was for attacking Afghanistan and killing Osama bin Laden and no I did not swallow the pack of lies fed the American people and the U.S. military on WMDs in Iraq. By definition I guess this could qualify me as a Chicken Hawk as well. I also believe the burden of war should be jointly shared and suffered by those who benefit from its engagement. I think this alone sufficiently differentiates me from the current flock of conservative vulturous Chicken Hawks who have managed to destroy and demoralize the U.S. military far greater than any foreign enemy…
September 11th, 2008 at 3:24 am
I agree, fellow ex-JS’er Scott, that a professional army has its downside, too. What we need to do is be a lot more careful about where we commit our limited (yes, limited) blood and treasure. Critics have long told us that we “can’t police the world.” That may not have been true 20 or 30 years ago, but it certainly is now.
The unilateralism pioneered by the Bush administration will lead us to defeat and oblivion. It’s ironic that the current president’s father skillfully constructed a large coalition for a limited purpose: liberating Kuwait.
I’m sure you’ve seen former Secretary of State James Baker’s recent sound bite in which he says: “People used to ask me why we didn’t go all the way to Baghdad (in 1991). They don’t ask me that anymore.”
September 11th, 2008 at 5:36 am
For the record…. Both McCain and Palin have children serving in the military. One of Biden’s sons is in the national guard. Obama’s children are not old enough.
So that is a step up overall versus Bush-Cheney.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:49 am
“The current all volunteer military is a an economic draft, drawing in young kids with few options available for good jobs, broken homes or no money for college.”
I am so sick of that lie, obviously you have not spent a day in uniform Scott. This argument always comes from those who have no first hand knowledge of the makeup of the military. Am I saying that there are no economically challenged members of the military, no, but its current composition is much more similar to the general economic demographics of the US itself than most are aware.
It enrages and sickens me when people like Scott discount the service of people better than him by claiming their service is a result of being poor. I know a number of people who have high paying professional jobs and advanced degrees who serve in the military, not for financial reasons, but because the understand what honor and service are. Don’t degenerate their service to prove a point that simply isn’t true. I know what you’ve read in the papers, but it just simply isn’t true.
I also don’t have a clue of what you mean by “the original implied contracts”. Last time I checked my oath didn’t say I could only be activated on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other weekend. We all took the same oath and we all know the current OPTEMPO for deployments. No one joins the guard with the belief that they’ll slide through a 6 year enlistment without being deployed at least once.
“Instead, I advocate that those who disagree with Barack Obama’s plan in Iraq get conscripted instead. Like Billy (who posted against it yesterday) and every other hawk that hasn’t ever really served.”
This is complete BS BJ. You act as if the only people living off the backs of our military are the Iraq/Afghanistan “chicken hawks”. Just because you haven’t advocated a recent military conflict, doesn’t mean you aren’t taking advantage of the military either. Every day you wake up and go about your daily business, without having served, you are taking advantage of the service of our military the same as any “chicken hawk”.
A couple of you have touched on the real issue and it isn’t our inability to take on another conflict. We could take on a conflict in Iran right now if needed. The problem is what happens afterward. The technology the US employs in modern warfare are tremendous force multipliers and they do allow us to take on several more, and larger, military conflicts than we normally could just based on the manpower of our forces. But they are only force multipliers when engaged in combat and not while peacekeeping or nation building.
The real issue is that the US, or any other nation, has not though through how to maintain peace in a foreign country for an extended period of time without using the military. The military probably isn’t the best force to perform these activities and we could probably do better by transforming the Peace Corps, or a similar organization, to manage the reconstruction and humanitarian effort typically needed for nation building.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:09 am
11B – with all due respect, I disagree with what I said being BS. I admitted to being a chickenshit, I just want either the same admission from those who openly advocate “more war”, “stay until it’s finished”, yada yada yada, or, the can suit up themselves. My point was simply this: The people that are yelling the loudest about “finishing the job” are, for the most part, the same people who will NOT sign up and get over there to do just that.
And that’s not BS, IMO.
Also, I don’t buy that “every day…taking advantage…” line, either. I get the semi-veiled reference to my “freedom” being so only because of the military. World Wars 1 and 2? Absolutely. This crap today? Not so much. You and I are no more or less safe today than we were in March, 2003. This Iraq conflict (occupation?) has NOTHING to do with the safety and freedom of Americans. Sorry, that’s the way I feel, and I’m quite sure I’m not alone.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:17 am
“The people that are yelling the loudest about “finishing the job†are, for the most part, the same people who will NOT sign up and get over there to do just that.”
I disagree, the people I hear yelling the loudest are the men and women in uniform who would prefer that their service not be all for naught.
I do agree though that there are a lot of Aaron Schocks out there mindlessly droning on about the conflicts and have every opportunity to serve and choose not too.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:08 am
A draft is slavery. Plain and simple. A draft says the government OWNS you. The government owns your life and can force you into war. That is slavery and it is immoral in any form and with any excuse.
If you have a problem with “back-door” drafts, then the solution to that problem is NOT to put people into slavery. Ridiculous and small-minded. You can fix that problem without re-instituting slavery in America. There is NO justification for a mandatory draft. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
September 11th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Well looky here, Callahan finally has a legitimate knock against her. Can’t say I agree with her on this one. We already know what kinds of wars the draft is used for.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Well, a debate it was NOT… no interaction between the candidates, and then Aaron whining because one of his opponents made a true statement about him.
At any rate, Aaron was a no-show AGAIN last night for the PEO World Affairs Council forum. Reason he dodged still another debate?? Depends on who’s giving you the answer.
Seems I recall Aaron’s campaign “manager” spouting something about Aaron being in Springfield; but the house session ended early yesterday afternoon, giving Aaron more than ample time to return to Peoria, watch his afternoon cartoons, and still get to PEO’s city hall for the PAWAC forum. OK, so what’s the REAL reason he dodged the debate last evening??
Well, a Google search provided me with the following goods:
http://thumb10.webshots.net/t/72/72/3/31/16/2239331160104011750ryQMfz_th.jpg
So is THIS the TRUE reason that Aaron ditched the PAWAC event on Wednesday evening (Sept 10, 2008)?? And how does Aaron’s campaign explain his absence to the fine people who worked hard to organize the open forum discussion (open to the public at no-charge, and broadcast live on WCBU)? Well, he programs his i-robot manager to LIE for him; to “tell” the constituency that he AGAIN must cancel a face-to-face forum with his opponents – this time because he has to be in Springfield (no doubt working to give a leg-up to the black community!). But the truth comes from this Google search:
** Aaron ditches one more opportunity to let his lower income constituency hear his views… just so he can attend yet another fundraiser? It would appear that raising $$ is of greater importance to him than openly discussing his stance on critical world issues. So when he says he’s on the job in Springfield, can we really believe him?? And if he can’t be trusted on this level, how can we trust him in the US Congress??
Either Shaefer or Callahan sound like better options.
Diane: looks like your boy couldn’t keep his lies straight, huh??
September 12th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Callahan noted military service was a great experience for her family members. GREAT!!!
Callahan said, “I think this is the kind of opportunity that helps us feel better about ourselves and on behalf of our country,†Callahan said. “Sometimes we give our patriotism lip service. This is an opportunity for us to step up and actually be patriotic by giving back to our country.â€
So for her, this is not a method to prevent using military forces in combat. She thinks everyone ought to be enslaved for two years because is good for you.
But government in a democracy is not for anyone to decide what they feel is a good experience should be forced on everyone else.
What if someone in power said going to church every Sunday was good for the soul, strengthened character, made you a better person and by golly since attending church every Sunday was good for them that it should be mandatory for everyone. Or that working out at a gym made society healthier so everyone would be required to work out 4 times a week.
That is a classic fascist tendency.
The problem with our overstretched military is that our leaders downsized our military significantly in the 1990s. Active duty forces were cut substantially. Whole divisions were eliminated. Now our nation needs to rely too much on Reserves and the National Guard.
If the Generals say they do not want a draft, who is Callhan to say we should have it? The military doesn’t want to manage people who don’t want to be there. If we need a rebuilt, larger military, raise the pay and expand active duty forces to a level close to what this nation had in 1990.
Finally, when Callahan politically adds that she would allow compulsory national service as an alternative, then how will that increase the military? Becuase everyone not wanting to be in the military would opt for non-military service. Which is basically anyone not volunteering for the military now.
And when millions of 19-year-olds just flat out refuse even domestic national service as an infringement on their liberty,what is the government going to do, put them in jail? If they are not put in jail, the whole undertaking will end up being a joke with gargantuan non-compliance.
Military leaders at the Pentagon have said repeatedly for 35 years that the all volunteer army is working. They need Congress to authorize expanding active duty forces but they want them all-volunteer. THEY DO NOT WANT TO MANAGE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE THERE.
For the benefit of this country, not everyone’s best use of two years of their lives is in the military or in government mandated service. In fact, for many people and the goverment it would be a colossal waste.
Also, who would pay the salary of every 19 year old for two full years? Would those 19 year olds with children still be forced into service-men and women? Who would care for the kids? If those who are parents could opt out, wouldn’t that be a huge incentive to become a teen parent?
If our nation was under direct attack and our survival depended on a temporary draft that would be different. But if an expanded all volunteer army would do the job that needs to be done, then why vote to force all young people into national service? Just because Callahan knows what is best for everyone??
September 12th, 2008 at 11:43 am
There IS a third-party candidate, Sheldon Schafer. And since he takes a non-violent approach, there would be no worries about a draft. Callahan obviously is completely out of the loop.
Vote for Sheldon Schafer!
September 12th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Ah, Rex, way to go, the obligatory “Bill Clinton sucks” post! A must in every discussion, eh?
September 12th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
B.J. — And there are those who find it impossible to NOT note how much George Bush sucks. Just saying …
September 12th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
…and those people you mentioned would be known as “intelligent”.
September 13th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Sheldon Schafer is not a viable alternative. Although he is a more level-headed Green, he is still a Green. And I would never consider anyone who takes a “non-violent” approach. Those kinds of people tend to be so opposed to action that they will do anything and everything to avoid armed conflict.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a hippy-peace loving, John Lennon “Imagine” kind of world. I know for some people its hard to understand, but there are bad people out there in the world and they do want to kill you for no good reason. There are people who are incapable or rational thought and they sometimes get put in charge of entire countries. As much as we hate to admit it, armed conflict and the deaths that go along with it are unfortunate but often necessary.
My favorite quote of all time:
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Somebody put up her hilarious attack ad on youtube. It is one of the funniest attack ads I have seen in decades.