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Old 05-05-2004, 12:31 PM   #1
Rokenn
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U.S. eyes proposal to draft women

WASHINGTON—The chief of the U.S. Selective Service System has proposed registering women for the military draft and requiring that young Americans regularly inform the government about whether they have training in niche specialties needed in the armed services.

The proposal, which the agency's acting director Lewis Brodsky presented to senior Pentagon officials just before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, also seeks to extend the age of draft registration to 34, up from 25.

The issue of a renewed draft has gained attention because of concern that U.S. military forces are stretched thin because of worldwide commitments.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes, U.S. forces have fought and won two wars, have established a major military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq and are now taking on peacekeeping duties in Haiti.

The plan, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, highlights the extent to which agency officials have planned for an expanded military draft in case the administration and Congress authorize one in the future.

"In line with today's needs, the Selective Service System's structure, programs and activities should be re-engineered toward maintaining a national inventory of American men and, for the first time, women, ages 18 through 34, with an added focus on identifying individuals with critical skills," the agency said in a Feb. 11, 2003, proposal presented to Pentagon officials.

The agency acknowledged that they would have "to market the concept" of a female draft to Congress, which would have to authorize such a step. Agency spokesperson Dan Amon said the Pentagon has taken no action on the proposal. "These ideas were only being floated for department of defence consideration," Amon said. He described the proposal as "food for thought" for contingency planning.

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Old 05-05-2004, 06:04 PM   #2
shamrock_uk
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Would someone mind explaining exactly what the draft is? I assumed it was something that occurred on a one-off basis (eg vietnam) but this implies that it's like a dormant national service commitment? One in which you register, but probably will never have to do? Is it compulsory?

[ 05-05-2004, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: shamrock_uk ]
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Old 05-05-2004, 06:20 PM   #3
Rokenn
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Currently in the US men 18-25 are required by federal law to register for the Selective Service as they call it. This was reinstated by Reagan back in the 80's, so they would be ready if they every had to restart the draft.
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Old 05-06-2004, 05:59 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally posted by shamrock_uk:
Would someone mind explaining exactly what the draft is? I assumed it was something that occurred on a one-off basis (eg vietnam) but this implies that it's like a dormant national service commitment? One in which you register, but probably will never have to do? Is it compulsory?
I believe it's dependent on how powerful your daddy is!
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Old 05-06-2004, 10:16 AM   #5
Yorick
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Worst possible thing they could do. Piece of shit if you ask me. From both a dove and hawk standpoint.

DOVE - Immoral. Terrible to send people to a potential death scenario against their will and drastically alter their life/career against their will.

HAWKS - Weakens the military by including people with low morale.

In WWI and II the Australian soldiers were considered some of, if not the, finest individual warriors on the planet - in no small part due to the VOLUNTEER aspect. We had conscription in Vietnam, that sent weaker willed individuals, that ended up lowering morale quite significantly.

We all know the effect on the American willpower in that war.
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Old 05-06-2004, 10:23 AM   #6
Khazadman Risen
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But the effect on military morale had more to do with how the war was being fought, which is to say that they were not being allowed to win the damn thing.
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Old 05-06-2004, 10:31 AM   #7
Barry the Sprout
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I like that way of phrasing defeat there Khazadman - "not allowed" to win. I play Snooker quite a lot and the guy I play with often doesn't allow me to win - is this the same situation?

Its a disturbing right wing tendency I've seen to see the Vietnam war as lost from within. It helps uphold the rather dangerous view that if America were agressive enough it could go anywhere, do anything, and deal with any consequences. I'm afraid that in this day and age no military is that strong.
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Old 05-06-2004, 11:51 AM   #8
Black Baron
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Why not to bomb the entire country wuth bombs, wipe forests with napalm and take hostage what you do not kill? Do it on every square centimeter, and you will have the results.

The americans could do it. The question is how, and another question-will it be accepted or not.
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Old 05-06-2004, 12:08 PM   #9
johnny
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Quote:
Originally posted by Barry the Sprout:
I like that way of phrasing defeat there Khazadman - "not allowed" to win. I play Snooker quite a lot and the guy I play with often doesn't allow me to win - is this the same situation?

Its a disturbing right wing tendency I've seen to see the Vietnam war as lost from within. It helps uphold the rather dangerous view that if America were agressive enough it could go anywhere, do anything, and deal with any consequences. I'm afraid that in this day and age no military is that strong.
But it IS true. The militairy was restricted to all kinds of silly rules, like not bombing the North Vietnamese capital, and respecting the opponents national hollidays. How are you supposed to win a war if you play by rules like that ?
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Old 05-06-2004, 12:39 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by Barry the Sprout:
I like that way of phrasing defeat there Khazadman - "not allowed" to win. I play Snooker quite a lot and the guy I play with often doesn't allow me to win - is this the same situation?

Its a disturbing right wing tendency I've seen to see the Vietnam war as lost from within. It helps uphold the rather dangerous view that if America were agressive enough it could go anywhere, do anything, and deal with any consequences. I'm afraid that in this day and age no military is that strong.
You do not know enough about the Vietnam War then Barry, if you think these claims are "a right wing tendancy". President Johnson, personally, was the approving authority for all bombing missions. No North Vietnamese targets were allowed until Pres Nixon authorized Line Backer II. All combat missions came from the White House and the Pentagon, NOT the Commanding General on the ground.

US units would take places of NVA or Viet Cong resistance, hold long enough to consolidate, and then be ordered to retreat ...... the enemy would then walk back in unopposed. The movie Hamburger Hill is about a nameless hilltop that was bought and payed for in blood no less than five times!!!

The sentiment of the troops of that era was "We kept winning the Battles, but somehow lost the War." Then, after our Country called them to arms, we betrayed and regected them for doing what was asked.

Vietnam was a failure on the Homefront, not on the Battlefield.

As for military prowess ...... we still haven't seen US forces with it's gloves off. That would be a truely frightening spectacle. There are only a few nations that I would rate in that category. If war today was waged as it was a century ago, occupation would not be required, for there would be little indigenous population left.
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