Conscription

Context

As war breaks out, citizens are drafted to go to war. War to defend the motherland, to expand the empire, to fight our enemies, to bring prosperity to our nation. War isn't always just, and maybe it never is. This brief will focus on the soldiers at the front lines: should they be forced to be there? What are the obligations of the citizen to his country?

This is a shorter brief than usual. I hope that the DQs are nonetheless generative!

Pro-Draft

For the most part, Republicans are more pro-draft than democrats, although the issue does not split cleanly along party lines.

The primary argument is that the draft promotes a strong military. As the US geared up to fight in the First World War, we were woefully unprepared, in part due to an untrained military. If the US were to have had a conscripted military in place beforehand, we could have had a better start. In times of self-defense, this is even more necessary, as an unprepared or understaffed military makes it nearly impossible to defend the nation.

Additionally, many argue that if there were not a threat of conscription, people would never sign up for conflicts unless the government grants them serious benefits. Who would go to war unless we keep increasing the welfare state? The people opposed to the welfare state probably are not happy with paying soldiers exorbitant amounts when we could draft them.

Internationally, the Israeli Defense Force serves as an example of conscription as a policy. Upon graduating high school, Israelis serve almost 3 years in the military. While the morality of their military has been in question, it is no doubt effective.

Some argue that a draft actually creates a check on war-making: if your children (or you yourself) would be sent to war by a particular commander-in-chief, would you vote for them? If the draft were a policy, then wouldn't you want to get into as few wars as possible?

Finally, those in favor of mandatory conscription in times of peace argue that it increases national cohesion. Making teenagers and young adults work together in a regimented setting might have a strong public benefit.

Anti-Draft

Many people are against the draft, and in recent history, these have skewed democratic.

One of the strongest arguments against the draft, especially from the perspective of American principles, is that it tramples on liberty. When geriatric politicians decide to send young kids off to war (most of them only a few years older than you!), it feels heavily unfair and even tyrannical. Over the course of the Vietnam War, college students resisted the draft and even burned their draft cards.

The furthest in the anti-draft direction have likened it to slavery in that it forcibly steals one's labor and puts them in unconscionable and dangerous situations.

Discussion Question

Do you think that the draft incentivizes or disincentivizes warmaking?
What value do you place on the societal cohesion caused by the draft?
Is the draft necessary to defend our country? What about smaller countries?
Is the draft ever ethical? If not, how can you justify it?

Sources

Economic Observatory. "What do we know about the effects of military conscription?" June 10, 2024. https://www.economicsobservatory.com/what-do-we-know-about-the-effects-of-military-conscription

Encyclopedia Brittanica. "Mandatory National Service," N.D., https://www.britannica.com/procon/mandatory-national-service-debate.

Belong. "Overview of IDF and National Service in Israel," December 7th, 2023, https://belong.co.il/living/idf-and-national-service/.