Foll all the flak that Ted Kennedy's gotten recently for saying that "Iraq is Bush's Vietnam", he may be on to something. W himself, having missed out on Vietnam the first time around (DNP - Daddy's Decision), is thinking that perhaps he can recreate Vietnam-era good times here in the US. Step one? Reinstate the draft. It appears likely that US troops will get their tours extended in Iraq, and as fun as that country is right now, it isn't doing wonders for troop morale. Defense analyst Ted Carpenter writes:
"Clearly, if large numbers of personnel have their terms extended against their will, that violates the principle of volunteerism," Carpenter said. "It also suggests just how strained the military is in trying to provide for the Iraqi occupation plus all the other U.S. obligations around the world." Carpenter said if the personnel strains continue or worsen, the Pentagon may feel compelled to return to a military draft.
Since that article was written in January, I think it's safe to say the strains have continued to worsen. Bushy has already prepared his first wave of draftees from the No Child Left Behind Program:
Many in the well-informed audience were surprised at provisions of the law, even after having heard about it for a year. In particular, several attendees were stunned to hear that high schools must produce a list of all enrolled students for the draft board.
Hey look at it this way, if the US is headed for another Vietnam, it'll finally give Country Joe a reason to go on that comeback tour we've all been waiting for.
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