Prospect of a Draft Draws Fire

Re “Fairness Has Nothing to Do With a Draft,” Opinion, July 18: Why haven’t we stemmed the tide of insurgency in Iraq? One answer is to close Iraq’s border to isolate troublemakers, but this would take tens of thousands more U.S. troops.

The issue of the draft must be addressed at some point in the national discussion. If you are pro-war, it is a moral imperative that you support a military draft. A real one, not one your rich daddy can get you out of. As a matter of fact, chicken hawks like the ones in Washington should be enlisting everyone close to them who is 18 to 21. The fact warmongers lack that nerve and commitment speaks volumes.

Scott Jones

Santa Monica

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Relying on draftees for a 21st century military would be a disaster for the effectiveness of our forces. How would one go about instilling morale in a force based on involuntary servitude for a small fraction of the country’s young people? What would be the duration of service?

Service for “the duration,” as in World War II, is clearly a nonstarter for an open-ended war against terrorism. Since that war started, almost all countries relying on a draft have imposed service on the order of two years. Such a revolving-door practice would intensify problems with morale and fostering unit cohesion. But worse, it runs counter to the U.S. military’s reliance on high levels of military and technical expertise to give us the kind of performance we have seen in the military phase of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Such performance requires willingness and long-term commitment.

Fred S. Hoffman

Los Angeles

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America was founded on the principle of individual rights: the right to one’s own life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Compulsory military service is a violation of individual rights. America is worth defending. Our all-volunteer military is the most powerful force in the world because its members understand the personal value of our country. Their careers are dedicated to its defense.

Ralph C. Whaley

Barron, Wis.

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As my Libertarian friend keeps reminding me, a standing army makes war inevitable. So, instead of arguing against a draft, why not use your space to argue against a military complex so powerful that too much of our money goes to pay for it while health, education and welfare are squeezed to near nonexistence?

Teddi Curtis

Corona