...Vietnam: To Draft or Not To Draft Debate Questions What is the role of the media during a war and was this role effectively fulfilled during the Vietnam War? Does the Selective Service Act address the need for an effective fighting military in the U.S.? How or how not? How would a draft affect morale of soldiers? Looking at the soldier’s experience in Vietnam, how would a draft today affect soldiers both during and after a modern conflict? If the U.S. enacted the draft today, what would the American public response be? Would this have a positive or negative impact on the U.S. overall? If a draft were reinstated today, how might domestic issues in the U.S. be influenced? How would domestic issues such as the economy, political leadership and contemporary American culture influence foreign policy either with or without a draft? Is an all-volunteer military a more effective fighting force? Why or why not? Is it an American’s patriotic duty to serve in the military during their lifetime? Would a powerful, drafted military force enhance or impair U.S. foreign relations? According to the Selective Service Act, men ages 18 to 26 must register. Should women be required to register as well? Enacting a draft is the best solution for engage American youth in domestic and foreign politics. How do veterans contribute to American society upon their return, and are their contributions defined by whether...
Words: 364 - Pages: 2
...Would the reinstitution of the draft end the fake adoration of the military members? If there is a draft then they would all have to work for their heroic title. Being in the military is a job, therefore, the word soldier would regain its meaning that has been lost over the years. Not all veterans want to be praised or labeled because doing so separates them from everyone else. Harry Hershey says that the only way to solve problems would be to inducing the draft. The authors Andrew Bacevich, William Deresiewicz, and Clay Bonnyman Evans also have similar views and agree that instating the draft would be helpful. I say to avoid the separation of veterans from society we should reinstitute the draft. The author of “Today’s Soldiers are Proud...
Words: 944 - Pages: 4
...| | | Against Military Conscriptionby Congressman Ron Paul, MDMr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation expressing the sense of Congress that the United States government should not revive military conscription. Supporters of conscription have taken advantage of the events of September 11 to renew efforts to reinstate the military draft. However, reviving the draft may actually weaken America's military. Furthermore, a military draft violates the very principles of individual liberty this country was founded upon. It is no exaggeration to state that military conscription is better suited for a totalitarian government, such as the recently dethroned Taliban regime, than a free society. Since military conscription ended over 30 years ago, voluntary armed services have successfully fulfilled the military needs of the United States. The recent success of the military campaign in Afghanistan once again demonstrates the ability of the volunteer military to respond to threats to the lives, liberty, and property of the people of the United States. A draft weakens the military by introducing tensions and rivalries between those who volunteer for military service and those who have been conscripted. This undermines the cohesiveness of military units, which is a vital element of military effectiveness. Conscripts also are unlikely to choose the military as a career; thus, a draft will do little to address problems with retention. With today's high-tech military, retention is the most...
Words: 960 - Pages: 4
...and your ability to see beyond your own need. Compelling someone to serve, as in the military draft(conscription), is a non effective notion that will not guarantee the strength and quality of its military and further divides us, as a nation. There exists examples of what conscription can do to a nation from the Vietnam War/Conflict. People chose to leave their country, casting off all that they knew and loved instead of serving in the military. Anti Draft and Anti War demonstrations were everywhere, chaos. Citizens faced prison time and were ostracized because of their refusal to serve and their views against the draft and war. A matter of Patriotism can not be governed by politicians and gauged by others who have different views from yours – it should be left up to the individual. There is no evidence to prove that because of the draft, we were a fighting force to be reckoned with or we had the most proficient fighting Soldiers in history, or that the cost of the war was less expensive. There is, however, more evidence to prove the contrary. If someone wishes to serve their country, there have been various programs to do this in lieu of joining the military. Yet, these programs are underfunded and less advertised than service to the military. It seemingly forces an individual to choose service by joining a particular branch of the military or no service at all. When the draft ended in 1973 followed by ending the Selective Service registration two years...
Words: 1603 - Pages: 7
...for military service, and men of that age and older would often volunteer. During the Vietnam War most of the volunteers and draftees were teenagers; the average age was nineteen. In World War II, the average American soldier was twenty-six years old. At the age of eighteen young men could join or be drafted into the army. At seventeen, with the consent of a guardian, boys could enlist in the Marine Corps. At the beginning of the war, hundreds of seventeen year old marines served in Vietnam. However, in November 1965, the Pentagon ordered that all American troops must be eighteen before being deployed in the war zone. The soldiers sent off to Vietnam can be divided into three categories: one-third draftees, one-third draft-motivated volunteers, and one-third true volunteers. As the war continued, the number of volunteers steadily declined. Almost half of the army troops were draftees, and in the combat units the portion was commonly as high as two-thirds; late in the war it was even higher. These were the majority of the people dying in the war, from 1966 to 1969, the percentage of draftees who died in the war doubled from 21 to 40. Those who could avoid the draft legally through deferments were the upper class, while those in the middle and lower class who didn’t want to fight in the war had to figure out ways to avoid the draft. Because the draft threatened middle and lower class males between the ages of 18 to 35, they united together through protests to oppose the draft by...
Words: 1095 - Pages: 5
...personal responsibility for defending them. And yet, today, while our nation continues to fight war on several fronts and must regularly contemplate new military interventions and increased domestic threats, less than 0.5 percent of our population serves in our armed forces. (Eikenberry & Kennedy) Futhermore, this minute percentage “ ... is disproportionately composed of racial, ethnic, and other demographic minorities.” (Kennedy) In part because of this gross disparity, few americans are forced shoulder any true sacrifice from our military actions. Not only is the familial sacrifice of having a loved one serve no longer widespread but the majority of us bear not the tanglible daily realization of being at war that past generations have known, including materials rationing. Even anti-war protests—like those that were a hallmark of our Vietnam War era—are less visible since we have moved to an all volunteer army. This lack of respresentational and fair accountability on our citizenry translates into less accountability on the part of the parties that govern our policies and therefore our military. This rift between those that serve, those that feel any effect and those that make military decisions is an argument for why we are ethically bound to require some mandatory service of our citizens, to reinstate the draft. Responsibility of citizenry/Social...
Words: 2852 - Pages: 12
...Is America’s opposition to the ICC an unjustifiable justification? Mohamed Kunowah Kiellow From the early nineties up to the present day, international criminal law has made major developments ‘unknown since Nuremberg Tribunal’: norms have been changed, refined or even expanded. Moreover, after the Cold War, institutions have been established and norm-creating judgements passed both domestically and internationally. The setting up of the Yugoslavia and Rwanda Tribunals is an example of such international institutions created. The Pinochet decision is an example of such norm-creating judgements. The adoption of the Rome Statute International Criminal Court, which came into force on 1 July 2002, crystallised all these developments. This day will be a red-letter day in the history of international criminal law. On this day, a permanent international criminal court came into existence. This Court has enjoyed broad and enthusiastic support from governments and non-governmental organisations around the globe. However, not all states were happy about all provisions in the Rome Statute. One major country which refused to ratify this milestone treaty is America; an opposition which many termed as a blow dealt to the effectiveness of the Court. America sees itself as the sole remaining world super power which should be involved in promoting peace all around the world. It is of the conviction that its involvement in peace keeping processes is highly needed if they are to succeed....
Words: 4516 - Pages: 19
...Unit 6 Project Veterans Having Trouble Finding Jobs After the Military Mark Everhart Kaplan University Professor Sandra Fontana Veterans who have served this country by going to war are quickly realizing that America is not appreciating the sacrifices made for our service members. Veterans are being passed over for employment for many different reasons. Some of these reasons include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), lack of job skills for performing civilian jobs, and the inability to cope with the transition from military to civilian life. The unemployment rate for veterans is 6.9 percent (Norman, 2012). The government and the employers need to work together to make the transition out of the military a smoother process. The Department of Veteran Affairs cannot process the applications for the G.I. Bill fast enough to accommodate the veterans. Veterans lack the job skills necessary to perform jobs in the civilian sector after the military. All military veterans should have special training, skill and mind set for the transition from military to civilian life, provided by the government and employers to ensure employability after serving their country regardless of how many years of service one has served. Veterans lack the special training and skills that are necessary to compete with the civilian population. Veterans often have jobs that cannot transfer to the civilian world (Hefling, 2011). For instance if they are an infantryman, they cannot get a job as a mechanic....
Words: 4531 - Pages: 19
...in the listed environment's would be that of the physical security feature. The components that I consider less pertinent for these particular environments during a vulnerability assessment would be personnel security, information security, and interdepartmental dependencies. My reasoning for removing personnel security from the list is due to the minimal likelihood events like these would occur on a regular basis and pose a risk. Hiring security personnel or a law enforcement officer to monitor-guard a church during service is unrealistic and extremely cost-effective. Moreover, churches maintain the majority of their order of operation with the assistance of donations from members of the church and normally these funds help pay for utilities, food, and in some cases, the salaries of priests, pastors and other religious leaders. Implementing an information security feature into these environments would also prove in effective and non-cost efficient. Each scenario illustrates the assailants target was not intended for financial gain, but rather due to a political or personal vendetta. So, installing a security system designed to protect critical information, such as alarm codes, safe combinations, and other important documentation would have done no good in any of the giving situations. The first step in addressing security is to...
Words: 1024 - Pages: 5
...The Vietnam War by Robin Davis The Vietnam War sparked a major antiwar movement in the United States-- not only among students who were eligible to be drafted after graduation, but also among civilians protesting in the streets and even soldiers in the military. Following the lead of the recent civil rights movement, which proved that social protest could be effective, the antiwar movement used the same tactics of civil disobedience. College students, while not the only ones to protest, played the biggest part in popularizing antiwar ideas to the nation. One popular national student organization-- the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)-- had been formed in 1960, and by 1966 they were focused almost entirely on the antiwar movement. This was mainly due to the fact that the Vietnam War had brought about a major change in public sentiment towards the government and its officials. While most everyone seemed to know why America was involved in World War II and heavily supported that involvement, questions abounded as to why they were ever involved in Vietnam. As more and more Americans fought and died in this war, and the costs of the war escalated, the student protests not only multiplied, but they also reflected the sentiment of a large percentage of Americans. Then, as the war expanded across Vietnamese borders into Cambodia, the student protests escalated even more. (Davidson, Gienapp, Heyrman, Lytle, & Stoff, 2005) The protests came to a head on May 4, 1970...
Words: 881 - Pages: 4
...INTRODUCTION Turk, Kurd, intellectual, human rights activist, pacifist and draft dodger; Sukru Basbaydar is all these things. He is also a refugee. Historically, conscientious objection has had a rather delicate place under refugee protection in Canada. Acclaimed international refugee law authority James Hathaway has said about conscientious objectors that they “… are neither refugees per se nor excluded from protection” (CITE). The difficulties are compounded by the sociopolitical nature of military desertion. However, there has been one point of general agreement in Canadian courts, it is that individuals who desert merely out of fear of combat or dislike of the military are not refugees (ZOLF, ATES); there has been preferential treatment...
Words: 1838 - Pages: 8
...the Vietnam War? • Vietnam was ruled by the French till 1954. Then it was divided into two countries. • The communist ruler of North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, wanted to unite the North and South under his control. He supported the Vietcong in South Vietnam. • President Diem ruled South Vietnam. He was strongly anti-communist, but was also a brutal and unpopular leader. Who were the Vietcong? • The Vietcong (or the National Liberation Front) were the communist guerrilla soldiers fighting to overthrow President Diem and his government. • By 1964, there were over 100,000 Vietcong in the South and they were killing thousands of South Vietnamese officials every year. Diem's army could not get rid of them. Why did the Americans get involved? • America said it wanted to ‘save’ the South Vietnamese people from the evils of communism. • But, remember that this was the time of the Cold War. Americans were obsessed with stopping Communism, both abroad and at home in the USA. • The Americans wanted to "contain" (stop) the spread of Communism in the world (the Truman Doctrine). The USA wanted to support non-Communist governments which were threatened by Communists. It knew that the USSR and China, both Communist-ruled, were sending aid to Communist North Vietnam. • The Americans also believed in the "domino theory". If Vietnam became Communist, they were sure that neighbouring countries (e.g. Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia)...
Words: 3309 - Pages: 14
...He was not the only American political figure who felt entry into the war had been a mistake. George McGovern was a very strong advocate against the Vietnam War throughout his years as Senator, and later in his race against Nixon for the presidency. Inone of his later speeches denouncing the current state of America’s involvement inVietnam, McGovern proposed to “spend all that is necessary for prudent nationaldefense, and no more… [to] conserve our limited resources” (Doc H). He was amongmany who, at that point in the war, recited an all too familiar rhetoric: it was a mistakefor the US to have gotten involved in Vietnam in the first place; however, we’re therenow so we need to either win or get out. McGovern asserted that the military was wastingmoney and manpower, and they needed to rethink their efficiency, size, and weaponstrategies. Money and the economy played a huge role in all of McGovern’s wartimeopposition speeches, especially following the era of the New Deal.The 1960s quickly became a decade associated with hippies, young protesters,and the famous slogan “make love, not war.” Many songs emerged from these younggroups, such as “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die” (Doc B), expressing the popular...
Words: 1242 - Pages: 5
...Alternative Financial Services The world of finance is a growing industry, which helps provide the needs for individuals and businesses alike. Within the field of finance, there are many different sectors such as commercial banking, insurance, investment banking, and most importantly, Alternative Financial Services. The term Alternative Financial Services is described on the Federal Deposit Corporations website as follows: Alternative Financial Services (AFS) is a term often used to describe the array of financial services offered by providers that operate outside of federally insured banks and thrifts (hereafter referred to as "banks"). Check-cashing outlets, money transmitters, car title lenders, payday loan stores, pawnshops, and rent-to-own stores are all considered AFS providers. To sum things up, Alternative Financial Services are basically ways to receive money without using a more traditional way, such as getting a loan from a commercial bank. The different [I would delete “different” – seems repetitive with “incredibly diverse”] types of Alternative Financial Services are incredibly diverse, often described as a melting pot of providers. These different services include car title lenders, pawnshops, rent-to-own stores, and last but not least, payday loan stores. Alternative Financial Services have become increasingly popular since the Great Recession, mainly due to the strict credit regulations among commercial banks. Due to its deep roots in Chattanooga...
Words: 2226 - Pages: 9
...Nigeria, 1914-1999 49 DYNAMICS OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA, 1914-1999 S.O. Aghalino* Abstract: This article examines the intractable problem of constitutional engineering in Nigeria. It is asserted that the drafting of constitutions is a recurring decimal in Nigeria's chequered political history. Right from the colonial period. Nigerians were barely involved in the art of constitution making while the British colonial overlords employed constitution making to consolidate their imperial strategies. Post colonial Nigerian leaders have utilised constitution drafting to ensure regime longevity. The current 1999 constitution is a product of haste because the receding military junta was in a hurry to leave the political turf. Consequently, the 1999 constitution has all the trappings of military centralisation of power resulting in de-federalisation of Nigeria and the consequent clamour and agitation for the amendment of the constitution. Introduction: The drafting of constitutions has been a recurring decimal in the political history of Nigeria. Right from the colonial period, Nigeria has witnessed incessant clamour for one form of constitution or the other. The series of constitutions that were put in place during the colonial period were geared towards consolidating British imperial strategies. The point to note about colonial constitutions is that, the Nigerian people were barely involved in the drafting process. When Nigeria was eventually de-colonised, post-colonial...
Words: 5411 - Pages: 22
