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Originally Posted by irateplatypus
i think it sounds like something the navy would come up with. 
the rest of the draft discussion sounds downright hysterical to me but i do fear that a backdoor type of draft is something to be concerned about. the idea does bother me... but i do see it differently from a conventional draft.
i'm against a conventional draft (except in cases where the death of the nation and massive civilian causualties are plainly the cost of defeat) for many reasons... chiefly because when my life is on the line i don't want someone who didn't volunteer to be watching my back.
a backdoor draft is an entirely different animal. usually this means that the military would enforce a policy called "stop loss". stop loss should be lawful under emergency circumstances only until the military is given ample time to recruit and train replacements for those who choose to end their service after their obligation is filled. it becomes abusive when stop loss is a matter of policy and not a temporary solution.
my biggest problem with Bush defense policy is this very issue. i feel they are bordering on exploiting the discipline and loyalty of some of our troops by extending the stop loss rules unfairly. if congress will not pony up the money to train enough volunteering troops to win the war or if keeping soldiers years beyond their voluntary commitment is the only way of maintaining sufficient manpower... then i think that a serious re-evaluation of the method and purpose of the war is needed.
morale is high right now. the troops feel confident in the President and in their purpose. however, if that willingness to sacrifice is squandered by politicians who get too greedy to listen to the average soldier... then the line from need to exploitation has been crossed. |
One of the things that concerns me about extended tours is in regard to the financial security of the troops' families.
I only know 20-25 year old guardsmen (and some women). They weren't particularly miffed about going off to war, but some were understandably conerned about just war in general. Now that I think about it, some people were going off to egypt and jordan and places like that a few years back. I don't know what that has to do with anything.
but anyway, I am hearing stories in the media about fathers in the guard and I used to know middle aged guardsmen who had their own businesses. my concern becomes one of how their families are doing without their regular income. I don't know what their pay might be, so I can't speak to it with authority, but my understanding is that their domestic situation is not being paid attention to and/or not doing very well.
so while I can understand your line of logic, I'm not sure we're getting the full picture or ramification of what's going on in this regard. I'd like to know more but the media is acting toothless on this. all we see are young boys over there, for one thing. and that's not my understanding of the full composition of the guard. I also understood it to be supplemental income for people more our age--people who might be starting or have families and are in some type of regular career.