fixed…

Summer on January 12, 2009 at 7:27 PM

Tony is a very sharp thinker. Thanks for the heads up on his Friday radio show. I found the archives at http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/lr

I’ll put a bullet in the first person to come to my house and attempt to force me to fight for causes and principles I don’t hold to be true.

Mark Jaquith on January 12, 2009 at 11:30 PM

No worries. In your world people won’t come to your house to call for your service. You will all survive as strong individuals who owe nothing to the society you choose to live in. Thunderdome at it’s finest.

A nationalist recognizes that each citizen owes the country something

I thought that was a socialist.

The bottom line is that despite all our technological advantages, troop strength matters… the lack of available ground troops has led some officials and analysts to conclude that if the United States found another unavoidable military conflict, we would have to rely on air power and even, if it was serious enough, nuclear weapons.

Maybe if we actually limited ourselves to unavoidable military conflicts, we wouldn’t have such a hard time recruiting. It isn’t patriotic or nationalistic to die fighting another country’s battle or to die fighting a war that has nothing to do with defending your country’s borders.

National service is a call to renew the self-sacrifice, patriotism, and stoicism that once animated our country, but that today seem too often shelved in favor of a self-centered veneration of personal happiness.

So instead of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we are to embrace death, enslavement, and the pursuit of national spirituality? I’ll pass, thanks. I’ll put a bullet in the first person to come to my house and attempt to force me to fight for causes and principles I don’t hold to be true. My pride is not in America the country, America the government, America the military, or America the location. My pride is in American principles and ideals: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Limited government and maximum personal freedom. Those principles hold true everywhere in the world, and irrespective of what color flag you fly in their name. Tony Blankley is advocating fascism — and I mean that in the most serious and non-hyperbolic way that I can possible convey. This is unabashed fascism painted red, white and blue.

If he makes a case for conscription, I’ll totally listen. I may not agree, but I’ll listen. He’s a great guy and a great debater. =)

Liam1304 on January 12, 2009 at 6:18 PM

And what really sad is that we already HAVE a viable, and economic alternative fuel source in Compressed Natural Gas.

We have an overabundance of it… and a standard engine can be modified to burn it… and it burns cleaner than gasoline.

Problem is its still not clean enough for the Ludites who will be running our energy policy…

Here is a little fact for ya… if you take the energy we use for transportation, and convert it to Kilowatt hours, we will need to increase our electric grid by 140% (yes, thats INCREASE, or much more than double what we currently produce) to use electric cars and trucks…

But thats that dang science and reality rearing its ugly head again…

I’m afraid that this won’t happen. Under Obama it is clear that the US will capitulate on as many fronts as necessary in order to keep the resources flowing from countries and regimes that detest the West. He’s already prepared the way by his statements thusfar concerning off-shore drilling.

America will not be permitted to help itself, it will be kept dependant on foreign powers. It certainly will not be allowed to fight for resources. Capitulation and appeasement are the answers to America’s future foreign policy problems.

Under Obama, America will do whatever it takes to keep getting its energy – become a carbon copy of the EU – sell its soul if necessary. This fits perfectly with The One’s agenda to reshape American society.

Sorry.

My point, to assist your analytical skills, is to put DUTY in the mix…

Limerick on January 12, 2009 at 4:43 PM

Exactly. We’ve both been talking about duty. It extends beyond the young men sent to die for their country. It extends to the old men who send them there. That was the part about the “home front.” Not to mention Congress.

I’m relieved you don’t need a lesson from me about Vietnam. That would make it easier to get this point across. (It’s already hard enough.) Just sayin.’

Karmashock on January 12, 2009 at 3:08 PM

+ 1

The draft would do far far more harm than good.

Throw a bunch of crazy lefties who don’t want to be there into boot camp, and you don’t just have an annoyance.

You have a dangerous situation that will get soldiers killed.

If not enough people are willing to fight and die for America, then as you said, it deserves to die.

Spot on about the importance of the individual, btw.

My father as well as my ancestors going back to the Revolutionary War fought for their country. They were all patriots.
My mother and my female ancestors going back to the Revolutionary War did not serve in the military but they are all patriots too.

When Nixon eliminated the draft the war protest (which were really just a form of draft riots in my opinion) movement of the left fizzled. Let’s leave it that way because the military we have now is the best in the world, in part because of its professionalism. I don’t need a guy with a Bristish accent, who will never have to fight for our country telling us what we need to do to be patriotic, whether he is a conservative or liberal. Forcing people to serve in the military does not a patriot make.

manwithblackhat on January 12, 2009 at 4:38 PM

First of all you needn’t bother giving me lessons on Vietnam.

My point, to assist your analytical skills, is to put DUTY in the mix. All I’ve heard so far is that the draft is hobnailed boots. Maybe, just maybe, you have more of a duty then to go to work to pay your taxes. Just sayin’.

Oh, right. The draft was the common denominator. How could we not have figured this out before?

BigD on January 12, 2009 at 4:36 PM

Snarking takes a lot of energy away from seeing the obvious. Could happen to anybody. Really.

Limerick on January 12, 2009 at 4:33 PM

No, it’s preventing you from thinking.

From what I’ve read so far, I probably don’t have to tell you of the importance of moral support from “the home front.” At least you have that going for you. You mentioned the superiority of German tanks. Many things helped us overcome that disadvantage; logistical superiority, yes, but also the righteousness of our cause, and the resolve to see it through. Surely the outcome in Vietnam would have been more to our favor, had people at home been more united, wouldn’t you agree? And isn’t it possible that a Congressional declaration of war would have prevented them from allowing politics to interfere with the course of military action?

Now, what does that say about the draft?

manwithblackhat on January 12, 2009 at 4:24 PM

Oh, right. The draft was the common denominator. How could we not have figured this out before?

manwithblackhat on January 12, 2009 at 4:29 PM

So my lack of analytical thought is preventing you from winning? TFB

Limerick on January 12, 2009 at 4:26 PM

I’ll admit this could require a gift for analytical thought. Breathe deeply, read the comparison I gave, and try again.

Now, what does that say about the draft?

manwithblackhat on January 12, 2009 at 4:24 PM

NAFT

Wow…..the draft is evil, huh? No good comes of it, huh?

I’m sure the Civil War, WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam would have been better off with sculpted alpha male volunteers instead of the rag-tag common man.

So, a draft is the answer in all cases, right?

The Civil War, WW1, and WW2 benefitted from a formal declaration of war, and the level of national resolve that accompanied it. Korea and Vietnam did not. Korea (to make a long story short) ended in a stalemate. Vietnam fell to Communism after we left, following what was certainly a lack of national resolve.

Now, what does that say about the draft?

I’m not averse to Heinlein’s idea that voting should be restricted to those who have served in the military.

MarkTheGreat on January 12, 2009 at 3:08 PM

Sounds nice on the surface, but I suspect a better idea would be the opposite: Voting rights should be suspended for any citizen whose primary source of income is the government (federal, state, or local).

If we to get involved in a war to the extent that a draft was necessary, the 18 year-olds would be thinking it is the 30-35 year-old that should be drafted.