Howard Dean | Hidden Agenda: A National Draft in the Future?

[Dems Will Win]

Howard Dean | Hidden Agenda: A National Draft in the Future?
Author: Howard Dean
Published on Sep 20, 2004, 07:08



A key issue for young Americans and their families to consider as they prepare to cast their votes in the upcoming presidential election is the real likelihood of a military draft being reinstated if President Bush is re-elected. President Bush should tell us now whether he supports a military draft.

Here is the evidence that makes a draft likely:

The U.S. Army has acknowledged that they are stretched thin and that finding new recruits is challenging. They recently placed 300 new recruiters in the field. Bonuses for new recruits to the Army have risen by 67 percent to a maximum of $10,000 and $15,000 for hard-to-fill specialties.

The extended tours of duty have made service less attractive for both the regular armed forces, and particularly for the National Guard and Reserves. To meet this year's quota for enlistees, the Army has sped up the induction of "delayed entry" recruits, meaning they are already borrowing from next year's quotas in order to meet this year's numbers.

-snip-

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/printer_13568.shtml

[roseBudd]

1. Draft Alert flyer for college campuses

Go to http://somnamblst.tripod.com to download high resolution TIF or PDF file to print.

[knowbody0]

3. omg it is not a dream

[Blue Gardener]

21. Should be all over the University of Iowa Campus soon

Had a student democrat stop by the house yesterday to sign me up for an absentee ballot. I gave him a copy of this flyer, he took it to democratic headquarters in Iowa City so the rest of the student volunteers can start distributing. Yesterday was the first he had seen it.

[knowbody0]

2. the draft

last night really late at night in seattle i heard an announcement that they were extending the age to include 18 to 34 year olds. i hope this was a dream

[Dems Will Win]

4. Read the SECRET SECRET MEMO I got from the reporter

Then take 2 aspirin and post me in the morning...

In May, the Seattle Post Intelligencer published an article about a document they received through the Freedom of Information Act. It was revealed that the SSS is currently “designing procedures” for the implementation of a “Skills Draft” after holding a top-level meeting on it with Deputy Undersecretaries at the Defense Department. This draft would change the very mission of the Selective Service and require “virtually every young American”, male and female ages 18-34, to register for the Skills Draft and list all the occupations they are proficient in to fill labor shortages throughout nearly the entire government.

Here, for the first time, is the FOI document itself:

http://blatanttruth.org/selective_service091304.pdf

This document is real, having been acknowledged by the DoD and the SSS when they said no action is being taken on it at the present time, as reported:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/171522_draft01.html

Although Congress would have to approve new legislation to create a Skills Draft or reinstate the combat draft, Family Circle reported in its July 13 issue that Karl Rove has polled GOP members of Congress in September 2002 to see if they would support the President if he requests reinstatement. The Republicans said they would vote for the draft.

In addition, the SSS itself has said that it is “designing procedures” (Seattle PI, May 1, 2004) to implement the skills draft, meaning designing the compliance cards and the data fields needed to keep track of “virtually every young American” and their skills. Acting Director of the SSS Brodsky has also said the Skills Draft is the “top priority” of the Selective Service for 2004. The Issue Paper options include:

- Allow a non-combat draft for shortages in critical skills, without calling a combat draft.

- Fill labor shortages of all kinds throughout not only DoD but the Dept. of Homeland Security and other agencies, especially high-paying professionals like computer networking specialist or linguist.

- Create a single-point, all-inclusive database, in which every young person would be forced to send in a “self-declaration” of all of their critical skills, chosen from a long list of occupations like the Armed Forces Specialty Code. The usual penalties of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine would apply to all non-registrants.

In the secret planning meeting document, the next steps strongly recommended by SSS Acting Director Brodsky were:

1. “Promptly” redefine the SSS Mission to draft men and women up to age 34 for skills, and deliver them within 90 days or sooner to the Department of Defense. Program a massive database to be ready to enter millions of names of those registering their critical skills.

2. Expand mission to deliver personnel in skills draft to the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, including FEMA, NSC, Border Patrol, INS, Customs, Corporation for National Service, Public Health Service and other agencies.

3. Form interagency task force to provide Administration with recommendation on this skills draft for the entire government.

4. Obtain White House Statement of Administration Policy on the future of the SSS.

5. Be prepared to market the skills draft, raising the non-combat age to 34 and the drafting of women to the Armed Services and Appropriations Committee.

In contrast to this planning and preparation to create a targeted draft, Kerry plans to spend an additional $7 billion to strengthen the Volunteer Army in what is essentially a “No-Draft Plan”. Moreover, Kerry is strongly opposed to the neo-con plan revealed in Wes Clark’s book Winning Modern Wars, in which Clark was told by a senior Pentagon official that invasions of Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Sudan and Somalia were planned and still to come over the next three years.


BUSH '04 = DRAFT '05

KERRY '04 = PNAC OUT THE DOOR!

[Carolab]

11. One question

What does "virtually" mean? Who is excused, exactly?

[theKnave]

13. re: "Read the SECRET SECRET MEMO..."

Then why the heck are the Congressional democrats helping them?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=846598&mesg_id=847447&page=

[UCLA Dem]

15. They were trying to scare the shit out of the American people

to make them see the true consequences of war--their kids getting hauled off to the desert.

[theKnave]

16. Quite possibly, but...

... won't this play into the hands of the rePukes?

While Democrats are decrying a draft and blaming the rePukes for trying to reinstate it, they (rePukes) only have to point back to the Dems and say, "Ya'll are the ones trying to bring back the draft."

[UCLA Dem]

14. F**k them. They can't just take us away from our lives!

I think there will be a huge upheaval if Bushco starts taking away American kids.

[UCLA Dem]

12. yeah, they're calling it a "special skills" draft. Whatever that means

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

17. I checked the numbers when Afghanistan got underway

From what I was able to find out, the draft ages are 18-34, but the call ups work thusly (from my memory):

20-22 year olds are the first to go
23-24 years olds go next
25-26 year olds go third
18-19 year olds go fourth
27-28 year olds go fifth
29-30 year olds go sixth
31-32 year olds go seventh
33-34 year olds go last

That's how I remember seeing it. Granted it took forever to find a go'vt doc on the net spelling it all out. Keep in mind that this information was prior to all the hubbub about reinstating the draft.

[Inland]

5. Bush would only back a draft if

it was as unfair and easy for sons of his connected friends/contributors to avoid as it was back in the Vietnam days. Or more so. Feel better about it now?

[roseBudd]

6. It will because the Richie Richs will have no "special skills"

[Inland]

8. or special skills needed to protect the homeland

after all, the bushites say that Bush protected America and Kerry didn't!

[LenaLush]

7. I think vote for Bush=Draft needs to get out there more

The Bush cartel is already flagrantly using fear tactics and lies to win this race, why not push that a vote for Bush/Cheney means a support for the draft? It's not even a lie...

[Voltaire99]

9. Agreed! And not only because I oppose Bush wars...

...but because young voters represent Kerry's last great hope.

As the even the biggest Liebermanesque diehard must now realize, the suburbs are lost. Bush Murrica is lost. It's not changing its mind. It's not waking up. It wants its Bushie and it wants him now, and possibly forever.

So, Kerry, court the youth! And lay it on the line for them: tell them it is you or a future in the military, in Iraq. Vow to quit Iraq completely within one-to-six months, and promise no draft under your presidency. At the same time, spend every free moment remaining declaring that Bush = War = Draft.

In another couple of weeks, when the polls have not changed, and we are down to the final desperate month, the necessity of staking this claim will be clearer.

[leftchick]

19. Print out rosebud's flyer in post #1!!!!

That is one sure way to get the message out! I am looking for W 04 bumperstickers and sticking flyers on their windshields!

thanks DWW and rosebud! :loveya:

[Bread and Circus]

10. Lately, I've been kind of afraid I will get drafted....

as I am "medical personell".

" Selective service boards have already been notified that 20-year-olds and medical personnel will be called up first."

2 things,

1.) I hope Kerry wins for God's sake.
2.) I wish Kerry would get out front on this. It's really important.

[PennyLane]

18. Health Care Facilities are Already Stressed.......

......we won't be able to take care of our own citizens. But by golly
the insurgents will get patched up... What in hell has happened to our world???

[knitter4democracy]

24. I'm scared too

My husband's only 30, and you know they'll need internists and F.P.'s like you. If you read that whole thing DemsWillWin posted, you'll see that the medical personnel age goes to 45 and that conscientious objectors will still be drafted, just made to work for the gov't or "acceptable" companies. So, you would be taken from your practice and made to practice anywhere in the U.S. or with the military anywhere for much, much less pay and most likely without your family.

This cannot happen!

[Bread and Circus]

28. Hey but if it's for Bush's folly, then why not!

:mad:

[saigon68]

20. THE DRAFT WILL COME UNDER THE CHIMP

The Bush Criminals are praying for another 9-11 that way the Sheep will go along with it( the DRAFT)----

SO WILL some DINOS

My Senator Feingold will not. His neocon Pro-Life Pro Gun opponent (1 of 3) has emerged in the primary) this Cretin has wrapped himself in a Flag and according to him ---Feingold is more of a traitor for not supporting the "Patriot Act" than Benedict Arnold


It all disgusting. Get ready to shine your boots boys and girls--- actually the repukes won't draft women-- they have to carry those babies to term.

[Dems Will Win]

22. kick

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

23. Personally

I would rather see them draft, if it were to come to that out of necessity, start drafting the 25-30 year olds. At least it would leave the college kids alone to get their education.

The way I see it is this, and this is just MHO;

- A 30 year old is less likely to run head on at an opponent with an advantage. "You know, Sarge, there has got to be a less dangerous way to this sh**", comes to mind.

- A 30 year old has more life experience to draw on. Not exactly sure how that would help, but I think it would add some maturity to the unit.

The downsides;

- I can't do what I could do at 18 years old, physically, and I'm not a lard-ass keyboard commando either.

- Perhaps the military wants to draft the young'uns precisely because they will go where they are told without much thought. It's a hell of a lot harder to brainwash us older guys.

Yes I said brainwash, that's part of what BCT is. Tear you down and build you back up. If you have a problem with that word, find another one that fits better.

Just my $.02 so don't spend it all in one place.

[jmcgowanjm]

25. The moment that the election results are poured in concrete

orders, now drawn up and waiting, will be issued throughout
the United States. I  am not speaking of a few units but all
US Guard and Reserve units. On the same subject, the
pending Universal Draft is also a done deal. Everything is
place awaiting the President’s signature. This is planned
for June of 2005 and contains some real shockers.

anyone with what the Army calls “technical skills” such
as proficiency in computers, foreign language skills and so
on. These poor jerks are subject to the draft until they are
35! Again, no deferments will be allowed unless the subject
is already working for a government agency and is certified
by his superiors as “vital” to whatever “war effort” the
Army deems important.

There will be absolutely no deferments of any kind permitted.

TBR NEWS- September 20, 2004

The Voice of the White House

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1103.htm

This fits w/ the details listed on this thread.

[Dems Will Win]

26. kick

[Debi]

27. Is the post about this or something else?

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/draft.asp


Both bills have languished in sub-committies (actually the Senate version hasn't even made it to committee)

Or am I on the wrong page? :shrug:

[madfloridian]

29. No, the editorial is about the conditions that exist......

and how it may be necessary. I did not see Dean referring to the bills mentioned in Snopes.

I do not like the way Snopes credits this issue with a validity of "probably not." That is a cop-out, which means they don't have a clue.

[Debi]

30. But they're not far off...

We all know the little 'I'm just a Bill' ditty. So I won't reiterate...but it is a great song that will now be stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

Both House and Senate Bills are dead for the most part. A bill sitting in sub-committee since 02/03(HR) and a bill that couldn't even get into sub-committee (SR) aren't going anywhere.

++++++

However, if the post is about conditions that already exist....for lack of a better term "THAT SUCKS"!!

[madfloridian]

31. Have you read Dean's editorial?

I am not sure what you are saying, but I think we are agreeing. There ain't no way NOT to have a draft if we continue around the middle east.

[Dems Will Win]

32. KICK