Since Vietnam, there has been much debate about the effectiveness of a military draft in uniting Americans in times of crisis and keeping the armed forces representative of all of America. Proponents of an American military draft believe that our current armed forces are not reflective of our diverse society because there is no requirement to join the war. While it is true that the armed forces do not actively reflect the American population, proponents of an American military draft are wrong in thinking a requirement to kill or die for country is a tool that can be used to unify and instill patriotism in American citizens.
Abolished in 1973, the military draft has proved to be a divisive issue. It is of note that proponents of the military draft tend to ignore the state of those who served in the armed forces when they did not have a choice. Namely, by the end of the Vietnam war, “the U.S. military was plagued by drug abuse” and “serious indiscipline” (Barno and Bensahel). The reasons are obvious -those who were forced to fight in the war who lacked either the money to avoid going to war or the luxury of higher education were miserable fighting for a war they did not believe in. If anything, forcing citizens to fight in a war would erode patriotism more than instill it. Proponents of a military draft also argue that it is a “fundamental tenent of the American experience in democracy that all of the citizens share the burden of defending the nation in times of crisis” (Barno and Bensahel). This notion is ridiculous in that it calls for citizens to expect less from our leaders - there is no reason why we shouldn’t expect our elected officials to find better ways to solve problems than killing on a mass scale. If anything, elected officials should bear the burden, too. Proponents also believe that a military draft would cause elected officials to think twice about the war. This line of thinking is dangerous because it implies that without a draft, our officials do not think twice about sending our all-volunteer forces to war, which says more about the type of people we have running our country than defends the use of a military draft.
Proponents also argue that a draft would “contribute to the ‘melting pot’ that makes America great” (Bodenner). This is wrong in that there are plenty of ways to achieve this which do not include forcing individuals to fight in a war they may not believe in. Moreover, according to a 2011 Pew survey, recent veterans oppose a draft more than civilians do. This speaks volumes about the mental and physical demands of war, and also serves as a catalyst in igniting a fire in officials to find other ways to solve problems which are not barbaric in nature. Given 8 in 10 post 9/11 veterans and 74 percent of the public oppose a U.S. draft, it isn’t likely that a modern war where those who fight in it are forced to would be effective. In addition, workers would be taken from the workforce en masse at our economy’s peril. War is, afterall, costly in terms of the toll it bears on those who fight in it, and the toll it takes on those who remain at home. Further, those who don’t want to go to war will find a way out of the draft. This is especially true for those born into privileged families who find ways to buy their way out of the war. Given our current president Donald Trump has managed to dodge the draft on four separate occasions, it would be unfair for the president to ask that young people today engage in warfare when he himself were not willing to risk his life for country.
In short, the notion that the country where you were born, inside of a border that is imaginary, can determine whether or not you fight in a war is absurd. It is absurd in that it allows us to expect less of our leaders, and opens the possibility that we could be in a perpetual state of war given what is the use of having a massive military if we do not use it? Americans deserve more and we should ask more of our leaders.
Works Cited
Barno, David, and Nora Benashel. "Why we Still Need The Draft." War on the Rocks 2016. Print.
Bodenner, Chris. "Should the U.S. Bring Back the Military Draft?" The Atlantic 2015. Print.
