wars and fatherless grandchildren

It seems to Dania that the USA is becoming an imperial power, using its military might in the same way as the old European nations, and if military officials get their way and introduce a draft to relieve the pressure on volunteer troops in Afghanistan she will suffer abominably because she lost her father during the Vietnam War and doesn't want her little grand-daughter to grow up fatherless, too.

"Our boys, like my father, are dying for no good reason whatsoever and their deaths are war crimes," says Dania. "We never should have become involved in Vietnam and we never should have invaded Iraq -- these countries weren't threatening us and we had no business going over to these places, killing their people and our young men.”

“For what? To save the world from Socialism or Islam and spread, instead, McDonald's, pornography and Ipods?"

"Who the hell does Bush think he is, a Roman Emperor of something?" sighs Dania. "Isn't the USA big enough for him? We have no right to interfere in the governments of other countries -- no matter how terrible they are -- and we have no right to foist the western way of life on countries that do not want it. That is imperialism."

"Right now, the Pentagon is talking about extending the Iraq troop surge into 2008," says Dania, "and because recruiting is way down on expectations there are only three ways it can achieve its military aims: call up more reservists, extend active-duty combat tours or bring in a draft."

"All three of these options is going to be unpopular," says Dania, "and in view of the fact that we're bogged down in Iraq -- and would be in *real* trouble if a *real* threat came at us -- the only *real* option the Pentagon can take is the draft."

"The army is having no luck meeting its recruiting goal and our existing troops are suffering fatigue from extended combat tours," says Dania. "Compulsory conscription is the only way the military can achieve its goals and although it won't be brought in during an election year you can bet your life that whichever party gets in it is going to be foisted upon us."

"Having started this stupid war on terror, we can't just cut and run -- we're in it for the long haul, maybe forever," sighs Dania. "Despite its rhetoric, I can't see the other side doing much different -- after all, the same old generals will still be sitting in the Pentagon and beating their war drums."

"I hear a lot of talk about bringing in a draft -- just to get the dropouts off the streets and doing something useful with their lives," says Dania. "This makes sense because many of army recruits volunteered because their options in the civilian world weren't hot, but what about the millions of young men who are not dropouts or, if their civilian options aren't hot, still don't want to be trained to be killers?"

"My father didn't have the 'connections' that many of his generation were able to use to beat the draft -- and neither does my son," says Dania. "Tell me, then, what is so wonderful about our western civilization if the rich ruling class (of either party) can use force to send other mothers' children to fight and die in their power hungry and money grubbing wars?"

"Wasn't this one of the reasons why the American colonies (and others) broke away from imperial Britain -- and why the Greek and Roman colonies broke away from their imperial masters, too?"

"Maybe it's time certain states of the USA should do likewise. Secede!"