Congress to Ponder Conscription?
by Rep. Ron Paul
Once again the possibility of reinstating a military draft is being discussed in Washington, and while the idea seems remote, it is not unthinkable.
Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel of New York, soon to be a powerful committee chair, has openly called for reinstating the Selective Service System. Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey claims that our ground forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq are stretched far too thin and desperately need reinforcements. Meanwhile, other political and military leaders suggest that several hundred thousand additional troops might be needed simply to restore some semblance of order in Iraq. We are nearing the point where a choice will have to be made: either decrease our troop commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan significantly, or produce thousands of new military recruits quickly. So a discussion of military conscription is not purely academic. (more…)