...even though BushCo would really like to wave their magical, mystical poppycock wand and make it go away like they do everything else.
Listen, I don't care what Commander Codpiece is saying - we all know he lies regularly and with relative impunity. So when he says, "There'll be no draft', you better expect the Selective Service to be firing on all cylinders in the months immediately following the elections.
Retention rates are down 10% and 25% in the Guard in the regular Army, respectively. Where the hell are they going to get the warm bodies to fill the billets? By offering a new car to every enlistee? Even if a draft doesn't immediately materialize, retention rates are bottoming, and enlistment quotas aren't being met. We've got a building crisis.
So if we stay all-volunteer, it's going to get a lot more costly. The only way to avoid some type of draft at this point in time is reducing overseas commitments. The only candidate who has even a modicum of a plan to reduce the commitments (and it ain't great as published, but expect reality to be different from "the plan") is John Kerry.
Anyway, both Steve Gilliard and Kos have some timely postings on conscription. As we've noted here before, we realize it's early in heating season here in the northern part of the U.S., but it's already feeling rather drafty.
If you have a kid anywhere from 14 to 28 years old, the issue of the draft (and who will do it and who won't) continues to need to be your number one priority as you cast your ballot this year.
Pass it on.
