Re: The draft - correction

["David Schanoes" <dmsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom,

Do you really think that everyone and all  those who oppose volunteer
professional armies, support universal conscription,  are on the side of the
police and the warmongers?   Man, if it were possible for me to feel
insulted,  I would.

But clearly, there were arguments made for a draft by revolutionists during
VN, both those inside and outside the military, and those making the
argument demonstrated more than once their resistance to the police and
warmongers.  Their reasoning was quite forthright-- to introduce the same
resistance into the military.

You and I and almost everybody can be "against empowering the capitalist
state to force workers to fight imperialist wars," but until we can
overthrow
that/those state/states, the bourgeoisie are going to keep right on keeping
on, with or without a draft.  Economic privation will do the selective
service task for them.  I just think that the draft makes at one and the
same time the military more permeable to the class struggle, while
confronting all of society with the costs of the imperialist venture.

Still the question remains, why did the ruling class end the draft and what
problems or opportunities does that present?

Did the bourgeoisie end the draft in an attempt to insulate the military?
And if so, should we not confront that in a number of ways, including
conscription?

That's all I'm suggesting.

Thanks for the added info on Australia in WWI.

DMS
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