Warfare has changed dramatically since Napolean's march to Russia or the battle of Normandy. It has also changed since Vietnam. There is no longer a need for massive human cannon fodder. Indeed, the military has gone "high tech," with missions in Iraq being guided by military minds located on US soil, according to Thomas Friedman in The World Is Flat. (How, then, to define "in theatre" in this scenario?)
Thus one argument against the draft makes the case that highly skilled professionals are needed, not just men with combat skills.
The Cato Institute argues that even draft registration should be abandoned in today's geopolical climate:
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The notion of security insurance sounds superficially appealing, but in the case of registration we should ask, Insurance against what? Virginians have little need of earthquake insurance; farmers who till Nebraska's cornfields need not purchase hurricane insurance. America, the world's sole remaining superpower with by far the most powerful and technologically sophisticated military, does not need draft registration.
The sign-up was always intended to quickly generate a large conscript army--similar to America's 13-million-man military in World War II--for a protracted conventional war against the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact centered in Europe. Today that kind of conflict is a paranoid fantasy. Consequently, the premium for registration "insurance" would be better spent elsewhere.
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A requirement for major increases in combat forces could be met much more quickly by activating more reserves than by instituting a draft. A draft would not provide the trained officers and non-commissioned officers to man effective units; it would only turn out freshly trained junior enlisted recruits.
Even veterans remain divided on the need for a draft.
Conclusion
Compulsory national service is not a new concept; it is rooted in government policies of the late 1700s. A draft changes the nature of national service because only a sub-set of citizens must serve.
At two key points in American history, the draft was highly divisive and resulted in massive protests: the Civil War and Vietnam. President Nixon and Congress abolished the draft in 1973.
Reinstituting the draft would require an act of Congress; President Bush opposes the draft.
- Overview
- 20th Century
- The Present
- Arguments For The Draft
- Arguments Against The Draft