Nader warns nation's youth about the threat of a draft

Yeah, yeah, I know everyone besides me and the Mat(t)'s hates Nader, and this story is from that wretched rag known as the Washington Times, but a broken clock is right twice a day.

The independent candidate noted that the federal government is filling seats on local draft boards as preparation for a reinstatement of the draft, which was eliminated in 1973.

"The Pentagon is quietly recruiting new members to fill local draft boards, as the machinery for drafting a new generation of young Americans is being quietly put into place," Mr. Nader said in a press release sent out to constituents and posted on his Web site during the weekend...

Rumors of a draft reinstatement emerged in the fall when the Selective Service announced that it was recruiting members for the nation's 2,000 local draft and appeals boards. A Selective Service spokesman said yesterday that the announcement was made to help fill spots on the boards, as many members' 20-year terms ended.

Hmmm.. I don't suppose there's a way that muckracking, upstanding citizens like me could cause trouble server on these boards, just in case. Nobody want's to think about the draft, and it's a long way off even if the speculation is true. However, who knows when Iraq will be secure and how many soldiers the government will need to secure it if the next presidential administration is run by a Bush or continues the policies of Dubya as far as keeping our troops in Iraq is concerned. South Vietnam, about half the size of New Mexico, had over 500,000 troops in it and the country still couldn't be secured. Iraq, about the size of California, already has over 100,000 troops and we're having trouble securing it. I just don't like the looks of those numbers.