12/19/10

Wouldn't a Larger, Cheaper Draft Military Be Better for Afghanistan?

Since the volunteer military has had to fight a protracted nation rebuilding war the price for getting people to serve has skyrocketed. Wouldn't a return to a traditional military draft in order to keep a larger number of much lower cost recruits in Afghanistan be a more effective way to subdue the Taliban and unemployment in the United States?

Some Alaskans and those stranded for the winter in Alaska descry military service and man's inhumanity to man (or woman) yet are aware that if in a kill zone the best response is to move full speed ahead. Maybe the best way to have peace and security in Afganistan is just to move full speed ahead with a draft and remove the Bernie Madhof era corporate contracting Defense Dept. budget issues the Cheney-Halliburton-Bush I & II people dumped as if flummery were for the benefit of the U.S.A..

Privates in the Army famously got paid little before the volunteer era, and even after the volunteer military became a fact the wages were fairly low before the 9-11. With national unemployment presently between 10 and 20% it makes little sense to pay $21,000 a year for a recuit to serve in that nice, high, central Asian nation with such a wonderful people and beautiful scenery and clean air.

Americans are people very concerned about civil rights and a few care not to destroy what remains of the precious planetary fluids unpolluted that sustain life. Perhaps given an opportunity to lace on the boots of freedom the nation's recruitment offices will be overflowing as they were during the Spanish American war if they know they are serving not for money but instead for the satisfaction of knowing they have brought human warmth and compassion to those beyond the corporate networks.

Military draftees could receive free job training and maybe 500 dollars a month iincluding combat pay for the adventure of a lifetime and the opportunity ito serve the oppressed people of central Asia. Regular Army cooking could replace the sky-high Halliburton style of contract haute cuisine and Americans could return to being Americans with a history of public service.

The volunteer military has become top-heavy with military contractors charging premium prices and getting no bang for the buck in some instances. Elite military units could continue to handle much of the difficult combat tasks, yet ordinary Americans could handle a vast range of commonplace in-the-foxhole drudge duty and enjoy the opportunity to fire all of the guns on full automatic cycle even if at targets. Ordinary Americans could also provide the more common touch with Afghan civilians perhaps lacking in the Star Wars troopers like volunteer military.

With a draft to fill the ranks and deploy perhaps a 150,000 more soldiers to Afghanistan their could also be a large increase in Peace Corps type volunteers to build up a better high-tech, low maint. cost economic infrastructure for Afghanistan. Plainly to be effective in restoring liberty to the people of Afghanistan a more affordable, sustainable presence to reinforce peaceful social development in required.

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