103 The Draft

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The military is an admirable career for those who want it, and absolutely essential, but it is not a religion. There is a contingent in America that insists the military also embodies other obligations & benefits; they use words like “patriotism,” “duty” & “building character” to insist that everyone should be forced to enlist. Ignoring the obvious mystical aspects of that assertion, the impact on liberty essentially amounts to enslavement. A draft is only acceptable as a method of last resort under the most dire of exigent threats to the existence of our society.</p> <p>The single biggest thing someone has to give to be part of society is their life & their children's lives in defense of the collective. That's their big chip, and if they don't like how society is working out for them, they can opt out of the "life" part. Therefore it behooves policy-makers to be inclusive in their legislation: the best for everyone includes keeping the masses of prospective soldiers amendable to the idea of joining the military. And the military also has to respond when enlistment is voluntary: if it's too onerous, pays to little or is not accommodating to families, it will be unable to attract recruits. An all-volunteer military is the very essence of liberty. And certainly if there does have to be a draft, it cannot be limited by sex, race or religion.</p>