US reinstating the draft in Spring 2005?

[Asher]

Source is "questionable", but the citations seem correct and follow...

http://www.vancouver.indymedia.org/n.../01/105146.php

US Preparing for Military Draft in Spring 2005
by Adam Stutz • Wednesday January 28, 2004 at 09:50 AM

The current agenda of the US federal government is to reinstate the draft in order to staff up for a protracted war on "terrorism." Pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills S 89 and HR 163) would time the program so the draft could begin at early as Spring 2005 -- conveniently just after the 2004 presidential election!

Reinstatement of the draft

Dear Friends and Family,

I urge you to read the article below on the current agenda of the federal government to reinstate the draft in order to staff up for a protracted war on "terrorism."

Pending legislation in the House and Senate (twin bills S 89 and HR 163) would time the program so the draft could begin at early as Spring 2005 -- conveniently just after the 2004 presidential election! But the administration is quietly trying to get these bills passed NOW, so our action is needed immediately. Details and links follow.

If voters who currently support U.S. aggression abroad were confronted with the possibility that their own children or grandchildren might not have a say about whether to fight, many of these same voters might have a change of mind. (Not that it should make a difference, but this plan would among other things eliminate higher education as a shelter and would not exclude women -- and Canada is no longer an option.)

Please send this on to all the parents and teachers you know, and all the aunts and uncles, grandparents, godparents.... And let your children know -- it's their future, and they can be a powerful voice for change! Please also write to your representatives to ask them why they aren't telling their constituents about these bills -- and write to newspapers and other media outlets to ask them why they're not covering this important story.

The Draft*

$28 million has been added to the 2004 Selective Service System (SSS) budget to prepare for a military draft that could start as early as June 15, 2005. SSS must report to Bush on March 31, 2005 that the system, which has lain dormant for decades, is ready for activation. Please see website: http://www.sss.gov/perfplan_fy2004.html to view the SSS Annual Performance Plan - Fiscal Year 2004.

The Pentagon has quietly begun a public campaign to fill all 10,350 draft board positions and 11,070 appeals board slots nationwide.. Though this is an unpopular election year topic, military experts and influential members of Congress are suggesting that if Rumsfeld's prediction of a "long, hard slog" in Iraq and Afghanistan [and a permanent state of war on "terrorism"] proves accurate, the U.S. may have no choice but to draft.

http://www.informationclearinghouse....rticle5146.htm

Congress brought twin bills, S. 89 and H.R. 163 forward this year, entitled the Universal National Service Act of 2003, "To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons [age 18--26] in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes." These active bills currently sit in the Committee on Armed Services.

Dodging the draft will be more difficult than those from the Vietnam era remember. College and Canada will not be options. In December 2001, Canada and the US signed a "Smart Border Declaration," which could be used to keep would-be draft dodgers in. Signed by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Manley, and US Homeland Security Director, Gov. Tom Ridge, the declaration involves a 30-point plan which implements, among other things, a "pre-clearance agreement" of people entering and departing each country. Reforms aimed at making the draft more equitable along gender and class lines also eliminates higher education as a shelter. Underclassmen would only be able to postpone service until the end of their cur-rent semester. Seniors would have until the end of the academic year.

[Ramo]

Why does he think that the adminstration is pushing these pieces of legislation?

And the increase in funding for the selective service was some irrelevent bureaucratic thing IIRC.

[Jaguar]

I think this is one of those things where you hear that it's gonna happen and then it doesnt.

[Giancarlo]

Forget it. Not a chance in hell. Nor is it necessary. There are plenty of volunteers.

[Nubclear]

It will never happen.

[Giancarlo]

And indymedia? They are like the National Enquirer.

[The Templar]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
Forget it. Not a chance in hell. Nor is it necessary. There are plenty of volunteers.

Yeah, that's why their doing stop loss orders and running guard members on 2 year tours.

I hope it never happens, but -

(1) Were Bush to win, he could not run again.
(2) Cheney will likely never run

No political cost to them - that only leaves Congress.

[Nubclear]

Or like Newsmax or Fox or something

[Patroklos]

We are kicking people out of the military left and right. As it is if you are a junior officer and you fail anything they just get rid of you. No redesignation, you are gone.

[The Emperor Fabulous]

According to a teacher of mine, who's wife serves on a certain "draft board" type thing in my region, says that the draft is extremely plausible

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Patroklos
We are kicking people out of the military left and right. As it is if you are a junior officer and you fail anything they just get rid of you. No redesignation, you are gone.

Isn't that kind of...well, stupid?

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by The Templar


Yeah, that's why their doing stop loss orders and running guard members on 2 year tours.

That isn't a problem. It does not denote a lack of personel.

(2) Cheney will likely never run

He is not in good enough health.

Hey, since there are hot men in the military, I may reconsider

[mrmitchell]

[And indymedia? They are like the National Enquirer.

I prefer the Weekly World News to Indymedia OR Fox. At least WWN is funny ("Lovers Osama and Saddam Fathering Bat-Child" )

---

If it is--then God help us all. :fear:

If it isn't--oh wow, Indy said something wrong. Unbelievable!

[Asher]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
Hey, since there are hot men in the military, I may reconsider

But Military men are like "hey faggot, suck my dick"...

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Asher

But Military men are like "hey faggot, suck my dick"...

And you think I'll object to that? Nor would I object to being bent over.

[Nubclear]

Fez is aware of the Dont Ask Dont Tell policy?

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar
Fez is aware of the Dont Ask Dont Tell policy?

You are spoiling the fun.

(of course I know about that)

[Asher]

Are you aware of the Gay Hibernation Act?

[Wittlich]

Hell, if I could survive in the Army for over 20 years, Fez should be fine .... Besides, the military is what brought me out of my closet!

You are correct Fez, you would meet alot of interesting (ie, HOT) men.

[DRoseDARs]

While the Bush Administration still has a hardon for more wars (and the profitable defence contracts they'd spawn), they aren't stupid enough to want to reinstitute the draft as early as next spring. It'd be political suicide for Congress and a Public Relations nightmare for the White House, election year notwithstanding. They'd do everything possible to shuffle the existing volunteer military around, but they certainly wouldn't rule out the draft as an option for the near future.

Yes, I'm worried that it's a distinct possiblity that it'll happen next year, but that's emotion talking. Reason, for me, states they'd wait longer, maybe '06 or '07, if ever doing it during Bush's possible second term. If Bush the Younger's little pissing contest with other two-bit dictators flares up again...well, we'll see.

[Nubclear]

No. Sorry, but no politician is stupid enough to call for a draft.
If Bush called for a draft, he probably wouldn't get to serve his second term.

Luckily, none of my family is draftable

[Boris Godunov]

Um, do a quick search on the Senate and House web sites for the resolutions. They are 1) being offered by Democrats (Hollings in the Senate, Rangel in the House), and 2) referring to a national service program of the like advocated by Kerry, one that does not require military service.

[DRoseDARs]

Ah, but that's the trick Tass: waiting until AFTER Bush wins a second term to call for a draft. Not imediately after, but in the months following the elections.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Draft? What are we starting a new baseball league?

[Sava]

I'll be 25 in June of 2005... no ****ing way am I fighting bush's oil wars... OOOOOHHHH CAAAAANNAAAADDAAAA!~

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Ah, but that's the trick Tass: waiting until AFTER Bush wins a second term to call for a draft. Not imediately after, but in the months following the elections.

The US has a system where a President can be expelled early, no?

[Sava]

Originally posted by Comrade Tassadar


The US has a system where a President can be expelled early, no?

yeah, they tried it on Clinton because he lied about getting a blowjob

[Imran Siddiqui]

And, of course, Sava posts without reading any of the posts before him .

[DRoseDARs]

Disturbing as it is for me, I actually agree with Rangel's efforts (I've not read the text of it). As I understand it, he was trying to make the social cost of a draft MUCH higher so that it would be more difficult to call for one, forcing Congress and the President to consider their options much more carefully.

I don't know anything about Kerry's proposal, but based solely on that sentence Boris, it looks acceptable.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
And, of course, Sava posts without reading any of the posts before him .

uhmmm nooooo I did read it... note the proposed draft is SPRING 2005... I turn 25 (the draft limit) in June 2005. That's a few months window in which I would be eligible... jerky!