James Baker Backs Reinstating the Draft
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
Rep. Charlie Rangel, Congress's lone champion of reinstating the military draft, can count on another Korean War-era vet for support: Republican James Baker, a soldier in the Reagan and Bush administrations. Baker, secretary of state during the first Gulf War, visited a private girls' school in Virginia, where he was asked how to attract kids into some kind of service that gives them a stake in the country's future. "This is a very unpopular thing that I am about to say," he warned. "But one thing that makes it harder to go to war is to have a draft, because when you have a draft, then everybody's got a stake in it, and the costs of war are brought home much more vividly and vigorously to the American people. I think national service is a wonderful idea." But unlikely, he conceded: "You get killed if you support a draft, politically, but it sure would raise the stakes. Everybody would understand a lot better what we have at stake when we go to war."
Follow Paul and Nikki on Twitter.
Check out more Washington Whispers.
Tags: James Baker
Tools: 
Share
|
| Comments (144) | Print
Reader Comments
Draft
Since 1975, the Us Military has been an all volunteer force. Adding draftees would lower the standard of the average soldier, as they would be less inclined to train as hard or have the same desire to succeed as a volunteer. Also, given that todays military is a lot more technological than in the past, it seems to me that a draftee probably wouldn't have the time to learn about the complex weapons systems we have and be a liability in combat. Add to that the fact that the Army has already lowered its standards for entry, due to the increased tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we see a lot more recruits with felony waivers. Should we further devalue the military by introducing people who don't want to be there in the first place?
draft
ya man like you said it would help our crime rate an lot and help kids make something out of there life. also i think that all kids from ages 18to27 should at lest serve there country from 2 to three years It would help and lot of kids and adults
Draft
I find it a little disgusting that so many people on here would like to see me dead. I am a twenty year old who loathes all war and have opposed the war since it began. Anybody who thinks that a draft makes it harder to go to war obviously has not read there history books. It makes it a helluva lot easier because the military is given access to an endless supply of troops. If we had a draft then this war would have spread to Iran by now.
I also find it a tad hypocrticial that people obsess over "chickenhawkes" I can't stand chickenhawkes just as much as the next guy but if there was a draft then you would be forcing a good anti-war progressive like me to serve alongside them. You are just as bad as a chickenhawk if you advocate conscription but wouldn't join up yourself for this war.
Conscription is slavery pure and simple.
advertisement
