<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <META NAME="Generator" CONTENT="MS Exchange Server version 6.0.4630.0"> <TITLE>draft?</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY>  Dwayne wrote: Of course, I have no way of knowing whether or not a draft is on the way.  But I think it's very unlikely a re-elected Bush team will refrain - over a long, four year time window - from plunging into yet another extraordinarily destructive venture. ... Whether this will lead to a re-instated draft, a crash project in autonomous battle robots, the use of tactical nukes or some other horrors I can't say. But something extraordinarily unpleasant is bound to happen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I tend to agree here. The Bush administration has certainly learned its lesson from Iraq: Make it stick better. I can easily foresee a scenario where one of the remaining of the Axis of Evil (or of the Triumivirate of Really Bad Places) is provoked in some way, either directly by the US or by a proxy. The goal would be to, once again, whip up patriotic fervor enough to push ahead with another invasion and the neccessary draft. The only thing that casts some doubt on this is all that we read about re-enlistment troubles and other retention/recruitment problems, and the massive unpopularity of Bush among the enlisted ranks. Bush is, apparently, an inspiring and respect-worthy President to a fairly large chunk of the US population and they would perhaps willingly follow him into the abyss. Greg </BODY> </HTML>