The United States of America abolished the draft (most recently) in 1973. Subsequent to that date, all the forces have been all-voluntary. Previous to that date, conscription had been an on-and-off sort of thing, occurring between the Revolutionary War and the Vietnam War, as convenient and as required.
In these most recent days, as we ponder the daftness of our young, and the utter pointlessness some of them find in life, I think it’s fair to wonder whether or not bringing back the draft might be a good idea, if for no other reason than to instill in some of the otherwise-bewildered and brain-dead, a reason to exist on behalf of others.
And yet.
I’ve been privileged to listen, on other sites, to those who’ve actually served.
Some of them suggest that universal conscription–while it may, at some point, have been a necessary end–might not be the best way to go about things.
At the same time, some of them also argue that abandoning the draft, and moving to an all-volunteer force, might skew the outcome, in the sense that the more educated., entitled and career-oriented, may become the norm. And so–in that world–you end up with those who’ve not much combat experience, taking charge of those who’ve given their most, if not their all, and who’ve–whatever else–been in the theater.
And when you get a large majority of folks signing up with a political end-game in view–they say–the traditional military objectives of actually winning wars. and those who are most objectively concerned about them, go out the window.
Hello, Alexander Vindman. Ugh.
I know where I am on this.
Where are you?
