An ill wind...

I get a lot if ideas for posts, and then something comes along to distract me, like my real job.  I enjoy blogging, it’s a one sided conversation that I feel like I win every time I post.  For those few readers who know me in “meatspace”, I am a bit argumentative.  I have been known to take an opposing view just for the sake of the argument. 

 

Yes, I was a debater in high school.   It is an extracurricular activity which would benefit every young person, in my opinion.  But I want to talk about an extracurricular activity which would be a detriment to the nation as a whole.  That is Rep. Charlie Rangel idiotic legislation to reinstate the draft.

 

Rangel is a leading Democrat from New York who was a decorated Korean War veteran.  He vehemently opposes the Iraq conflict and believes (erroneously) that lower income people bear the burden of military service and thus service.  Rangel’s original legislation was thought to provide a social commentary about the disproportionate level of service in the nation.  I do agree with this argument to some degree.  There is too much disconnect from the military to the general population.  However, this is true for many careers.  Most people do not know a farmer personally.  They do no know an investment banker or a politician.  This makes for an increased lack of understanding of this person’s role and impact on society.

 

The American public has become used to a no risk, push button military able to deliver stunning victories with almost zero loss of life.  The conflict in Iraq is an overwhelming success on any military measure.  In the past six years, the number of casualties is staggering low.  It is often argued that no conflict is worth an American life, to that I counter the arguer believes that America has no value.

 

The American military is the second largest in the world.  It is the most professional and sophisticated.  It is the most honest and able of ANY military service.  A recent GAO report put forth the following;

 

The active duty force has undergone several demographic changes since

the end of the draft and the advent of an all-volunteer force in 1973. It

has become older and better educated, it has experienced increases in

the representation of minority and female service members, and a greater

proportion of its service members are married and have children.

Recognizing that a family’s satisfaction with military life can influence

retention, Congress and DOD have responded by establishing and

increasing support services for military families. However, opportunities

exist to further improve benefits in this area.

 

The military has grown, improved and continues to shape itself to meet the needs of the changing world.  I do not believe any serving member, when asked directly, would want to serve alongside someone who is there against their will.  We, as Americans, value individual liberty (rightly, I believe) above all other rights.  It was Milton Friedman, President Nixon’s economist, who correctly labeled the draft as "slavery".  Rarely will you find a direct link to an antiwar site, however, the point is critical. 

 

Rangel, a descendant of slaves would have our nation burdened with a slave class again. 

 

Be sure to let him know how you feel.

 

 

 

 

How it is...

I like Gary Trudeau. I think his Doonesbury hits home in many ways. I rarely agree with his left of center views, but his observations are often a great source of insight and reflection for me. This Sunday's strip may be the most pertinent for me ever. The character of BD, surrounded by well meaning loved ones stands for all the service members of our all volunteer armed forces.

His statement of "most people are completely baffled why anyone would serve" is a concise summary of our present society's attitude. Ponder on this a bit.

Why we serve is a frequent headline for many internal armed forces publications. Most times the member only scratches the surface of this issue. Bill Whittle of ejecte!eject!eject! wrote a nice piece about this topic called Tribes.

Check it out.

PS - All my regular readers, both of you, congrats to Captain Jack for making the leap across the pond and taking on the challenge of a colonial educating the mother country's youth!

Young People Should Find Ways to Serve, not Just at McDonalds...

Peter Pace, the ejected former CJCS, has an opinion about national service.  While I agree in principal, I think the prospect is at odds with the founding basis of our nation.  We must be a nation which freely gives.  Service should come from an inner desire, not an outward compulsion.  This topic seems to be a recurring theme in the blogosphere and in philosophical circles.  Where do our obligations as citizens begin and end?  What are we abrogating by not engaging within our society? 

 

Is the "service" rendered by a staunch anti-war activist any less important than that of a soldier in combat?  It would be easy for me to say that that person picketing safely at home is not doing their nation any service - and I would offer just that assessment when their tactics exceed the bounds of our society's laws.  But our nation is built upon freedom, tenets which I strongly support.  These allow individuals to make choices about how they will "serve" their nation.  If our nation, as a whole, decides not to protect their individual and sovereign rights, then we must live with our decision.

 

Every person must do an equation in their head.  What have I received and what shall I give?  To each their talents and measure for the same.  We live in an amazing time.  It is a rare period of civilization where self-sacrifice is not a requirement for survival in the industrialized world.  One can live quite comfortably on the margins of society (the slacker / working poor) lifestyle and not suffer appreciably (compared to prior centuries).  In short, we can "tune in and drop out" and not suffer any real consequences.

 

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Young People Should Find Ways to Serve, Pace Says
Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:34:00 -0500

Young People Should Find Ways to Serve, Pace Says By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service YONGSAN, South Korea, Aug. 16, 2007 - Whether it's through military service or another means, young Americans should find some way to serve their country, the U.S. military's top officer said here today. "I do believe that each of us who has had the blessing of the accident of birth of being born in a free country ought to find some way to repay our country," Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a town hall meeting at Collier Field House here. "If we have a system that allowed people to join the Peace Corps or allowed people to do good work inside the United States where it's needed, or join the military," it would help the country. Young people should give a year or two of their lives to making society better, and U.S. leaders should take such a commitment seriously, Pace said. "We would be a much stronger society, and we would be giving back to the world what we should be giving back," he said. The general also put to rest rumors about a possible U.S. military draft. "Nobody in any leadership position is having any serious discussion about a draft," he said.

Biographies: Gen. Peter Pace, USMC Related Articles: Pace Receives Korean Award, Thanks U.S. Servicemembers All-Volunteer Force Meets Nation's Needs, Official Says

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We don't want you...

I have often said that the last thing our military needs is an involuntary draft imposed. The great economist Milton Friedman, partly responsible for ending the original draft, described it as the next closest thing to slavery. At our heart, we are a free society. That means we must act freely to defend our way of life – or not. If we choose, as some nations have, to hang our defense on allies and neighbors – Canada- then that would be our choice.

However, no one needs to serve against their will. In my opinion, this is tantamount to a state endorsed religion of nationalism – remember the Third Reich? Germany still retains compulsory national service, although not always military. A citizen may elect some non-military form of public service. This might include caring for the elderly or very young. A noble purpose, but this does nothing except prop up Germany’s already overburdened welfare state.

Frankly, as a military officer, I want no Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine serving who does not choose to be there. The commitment required to yourself, your comrades and the Constitution is not one to be created through duress or coercion. There are a host of other practical reasons no to have a draft in this nation, but most can be summarized simply.

A free nation should not want for defenders.

Simplistic, jingoistic and all that, but I believe it is true. There is ample evidence throughout the history of our nation. Despite the relative peace of our times, actual conflict across the globe has declined, there are still a long line of applicants who are willing to stand and defend the Constitution.