the best argument against the draft is that there aren't any good wars. putting a person-power pool in the hands of the pentagon and power elite the size a draft can deliver is much to tempting for these morally challenged people.
to argue that a draft is a great equalizer is suicidal. nothing will force the privileged to "serve." shrub and his chicken hawks are good examples of that fact.
opposing wars and opposing a draft -- a draft being quite likely if shrub's elected -- is the best way to go. problem is too many people are resting at the moment. without the stimulus of war and/or a draft, they don't get moving. very few people spend much time on concerns about the left appearing hypocritical.
R
----- Original Message ----- From: "Liza Featherstone" <lfeather at panix.com> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 12:11 PM Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] The Return of the Draft
I haven't heard any good left arguments against the draft, though I'm all ears if anyone has one. I do agree with the *libertarian* arguments against it, actually -- the government shouldn't have the power to make me put my life on the line -- but it seems the left actually risks looking/being hypocritical by denouncing class inequality and then denouncing a policy that would in theory -- and somewhat in fact -- force the privileged to serve. Better not to oppose the draft itself, but oppose wars and organize draft resistance in the -- very unlikely -- event there should be a draft.
Liza
> From: "Luke Weiger" <lweiger at umich.edu>
> Reply-To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2004 12:42:24 -0400
> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] The Return of the Draft
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jon Johanning" <jjohanning at igc.org>
>
>> Who *is* another Richard Nixon? No one that I know of, fortunately. And
>> I don't have any problem with getting a head start on anti-draft
>> activity, even though I broadly agree with the arguments that have been
>> made in this thread that the Pentagon really doesn't want a big bunch
>> of draftees on their hands, etc. If a serious push to start a draft
>> ever starts, the movement shouldn't be caught flat-footed.
>
> I don't know. A draft that doesn't allow folks like me to escape military
> service might be a good idea.
>
> -- Luke
>
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
___________________________________ http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk