Good, someone else started this thread, because I wanted to bring it up, and that would break my no starting threads rule.
Anyways, as remote as a possibility that there is of a draft, it still scares me *blank*-less. The draft would go into effect 2 days after my High School graduation, and it scares me to think my "big plans" or whatnot may be interuppeted by me going off and dying for a cause that I don't believe in.
With this possiblity, and Vietnam, I see it as politicians ignoring the fact that draftees are human beings like themselves. I've heard comments about how the draft is supposed to make the armed forces "more representative" of america, or is necessary for foreign policy reasons, or, occassionally, that military service somehow benefits all that are called to it. What they forget, is that these are people, with hopes, dreams, plans, and a life of their own, that are being sacrificied, possibly dying here.
There is no reason to make the military "more representative" of America. Everyone in the military right now is there by choice, and to put people's lives on the line, for some social experiment sounds horrible to me. Plus, if the draft truly made the armed forces more representative of America, it would put people in there who are far worse (both as fighters, and morally) than those who are in the military now.
As far as foreign policy goes, again, I think it's crap that politicians put people's lives on the line for their ideas. I have enough trouble when they risk our non-draftee army in Iraq for vague concepts like "bringing democracy to the middle east." However, I take a little solace in the fact that being an all-volunteer military force, their job is to do what the president asks, whenever, and they chose that job. However, to make people on the street pay for their mistakes is nuts.
Finally, as far as bettering people goes, the military won't work for everyone. Some people truly grow through military service, and it is a positive influence on their life. But, other people who go in as sociopaths, emerge only as sociopaths trained to kill. Other people, quite frankly, (like me), will break down, as they can't get used to order taking and the heirarchy.
So, really, the draft is nothing but negative, and it scares me that people would even consider it.
