Bobert, I didn't say, or imply, that discussing these issues is irresponsible. But I believe that putting the attention-grabbing headline "Draft Reinstated!!!!....." at the top of your thread was irresponsible. Aren't you the guy who takes Bush to task for the spin he puts on his positions? Don't you think it hurts your own credibility when you come out with such an obvious falsehood, and then try to justify it by claiming that the word "draft" actually means something different than what it is commonly understood to mean?

The present-day military is made up of a lot more than former "kids in inner-city high schools," whatever your implication was in citing them. Sure, there's a sales pitch; there always has been, and the reality of the world we live in today is that virtually everything comes with a sales pitch. But even these presumably gullible inner-city types (that IS what you meant, isn't it?) know that the military exists primarily to fight wars, and that wars involve a lot of killing and dying. Might a lot of them hope that a war doesn't happen during their hitch? Sure they do; I certainly did (and, to be fair, I was one of the lucky ones who served in peacetime; I'm not claiming that my service required any heroics). But the fact is that we have an all-volunteer military, and most Americans want to keep it that way. Those who do volunteer, whether out of patriotism (some), self interest (some more), or a combination of the two (most), generally know what the risks are. I did, and so did the men and women I served with.

There are a lot of legitimate arguments that can be raised about the decision to go to war in Iraq, and about the way that war is being waged. If you want to "win hearts and minds" to your side of the issues, you'd be better off telling the truth. Leave the spin to the spin doctors; there are certainly enough of them.