Re: [Marxism] US Presidents acting nuts

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Govinda:
> Wouldn't instating the draft actually provide a sort of "shot in the arm"
> for the antiwar mov't? One of the main reasons the antiwar movement in the
> US is faltering (besides the antiwar orgs. fealty to the Democrats) is
> that a large part of the US population aren't themselves directly
> threatened with being shipped off to Iraq (not counting those in the
> military due to the poverty draft). If there is a draft, it would
> certainly boost the antiwar mov't in this country quite a bit, and augment
> the immigrant rights movement and everything else trememdously.
>  Couldn't it be said that the US rulers reluctance to instate a draft be
> the one politically shrewd movement they've made in terms of stamping out
> the antiwar mov't?

The only proposal that I've heard like this comes from Congressman Charles
Rangel. While it is true that a draft would draw people to the antiwar
movement, especially those directly affected (that's how I became a radical
in 1967), this is hardly a position that socialists should embrace. That
being said, there were sectarians in the SWP back then who insisted the
party adhere to the "proletarian military policy" of the early 1940s that
meant practically all of our draft-age members going into the military.
Maybe if we have another World War, it would make sense. Going over to
Vietnam or Iraq hardly qualifies. Here's an article on it, for what it's worth:

http://www.revolutionary-history.co.uk/backiss/Vol1/No3/LevyPMP.html

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