It happens so often that you forget to be outraged. Again and again the Right annoints itself as expert on what Democrats Really Want To Do.
Democrats want to burn the American Flag. Democrats want to ban the bible. Democrats want to raise your taxes. Democrats want to let people marry their pets. Democrats want offer therapy to terrorists. Democrats want to cut and run from Iraq. Democrats want the president to lie. It reduces politics to the level of a write-your-own-mastercard-commercial games -- fun for even the most dull-witted 101st Keyboarder:
How's this for a line: "The Democrats want to censure George Bush for saving the Brooklyn Bridge." Sounds pretty good to me! [from here]
It's low. It's disgusting. It's [gag]
Rovian. And it works.
So do we want to try it? Should we get out the crystal ball just this once and define for America What Republicans Want?
The public knows that the military is stretched thin. National Guard units aren't available when they're needed for national disasters because they're in Iraq. It's also becoming clear that serving in the military is going to be a real sacrifice - more danger and time away from home - less chance of getting a cushy tour of duty in Europe -- more chance of coming home with PTSD or in a body bag - less money for college - more chance of getting screwed by the VA if you get hurt.
We also know that when the Right starts asking "what is to be done about Iran?" they have already decided upon the answer: War.
Add "military stretched thin" and "another war" and what do you get? Republicans want a draft.
I think this would be a very effective meme/talking point. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. I would have never guessed that the Republicans would be pro-torture, pro-preemptive nuclear war and pro-$9 trillion national debt. When it comes to wanting to ruin our country, they consistantly exceed my expectations. And recruiting issues do seem to be a sore point with them.
To become an effective issue, it'd have to be a question that's asked of Republican candidates at every opportunity. "Will you support the president if he calls for a draft?" Think about how the gay marriage issue became an issue everyone had to care about one way or another. Every candidate should have to figure out his position on the draft -- without the advantage of the RWM softening up public opinion ahead of time. When the public sees video of a protest, they should see "NO DRAFT" signs. It should be a topic of letters to the editor and calls to talk radio stations. It should be a topic of blogs and diaries and dinner conversations.
Just to be clear, Democrats talked about a draft back in 2003, but got spun onto the wrong side. Now no Democrat should be for more wars of aggression or for a draft. By now we know that a draft wouldn't more fairly share the burden of protecting our country - it would only shove more young lives into the gaping maw of the Amerikan Imperial War Machine.
While considering the idea, I've wobbled back and forth on the ethics of turning the draft into one of those made-up issues. I can whip up a nice up a great rationale for why the Republicans deserve to be forced to deal with the question, but then I wonder if it's just rationalization. The only thing that resonates with me is the idea that this issue could bring home a moral choice our country has to make and would give us a chance to talk about peace as a valid solution to the problem of global strife.
Peace is a choice we need to make. A draft defines us as a people who don't believe that peace is possible or even desireable. Ask the question. Keep asking.