We’ve heard since the start of the Iraq war that if you questioned Bush, or outright did not agree with him, you automatically sided with terrorists, Islamo-fanatics, and assorted bad-guys. Methinks the old political ploy “You’re either with us or against us” is wearing thin.
It is ironic that the column at the top of this page invokes Vietnam. Weren’t both G W Bush and Dick Cheney of proper age and able-bodied to fight in Vietnam? Yes… So, they both volunteered to go to Vietnam, right? Welllllll, noooooo……
How could Buish or Cheney expect to “learn the lessons of Vietnam” when niether of them bothered to go there?
The real dishonor in American politcal discourse took place on Sept. 12, 2001, when nobody would step up and support the ultimate wartime initiative: that initiative is spelled d-r-a-f-t.
In a time of war, especially a multi-front foreign war, all Americans should logically expect a military draft. Worked for us in WW II. Sufficed during much of the Cold War.
Strangely, now the very notion of a draft is taboo, even offensive in some quarters. I watched one “conservative” pundit call the notion of a draft everything short of evil. The late Colonel David Hackworth wrote a column titled “Uncle Sam Will Soon Want Your Kids” on Oct. 4, 2004 in which he spoke of the necessity of the draft.
[The link above archives Col. Hackworth's column on the Soldiers for the Truth web-site.]
I’ve often wondered where this push to quiet any talk of a draft came from. All I had to do is turn on the TV and see Paris Hilton and some of these other “reality” shows. Couldn’t you see some of these rich brats opening a draft notice? No way they’ll stand for that.
If the career politicians of both parties in Washington won’t seriously discuss a draft, how seriosuly can we take their politics?
