John Hardly's 14 Aug 07-03:31PM post just caught my eye. Especially those last two lines:

In reality, it's not a bad proposal. And my leftist friend (professor at Notre Dame) has convinced this righty that a draft is the most moral way to man a military.

Don't know that moral is quite the precise term I would choose, but it certainly is more equitable and socially just.

Of course, if you are naive enough to think that there is no need for a military at all, well, take that up with Rangel. He's your guy.

There is a part of me that clings to the notion that there ought not be a need for a military, but oughts and shoulds are not about what is, and only get in the way of accepting "what is."      By the same token, confusing "ought and should" with "what is" is the prime mistake in thinking that results in wars that really could have been avoided.

Remember "My Country, Right or Wrong?" and the counter "When Wrong, Make it Right?" I thought that counter statement oh so clever in my teens and twenties, and so on target. It was beyond me why "those dolts" didn't get it's righteousness. That was truly naive. Those others were dolts. But so was I.

So, what is the "right" thing to do? Work to support a draft in the cause of social justice, or fight it like hell because of equally valid self-interest?