Certainly, reinstating the draft would be a massive shift in how we've done things since the mid-70s. There's no guarantee that it will ever return, even if it

Certainly, reinstating the draft would be a massive shift in how we've done things since the mid-70s. There's no guarantee that it will ever return, even if it was needed. But at some point, if you really do have a military-industrial complex pushing for eternal war (I'm still not sold on how much weight this faction actually carries relative to the incompetence or malevolence of a handful of high-level advisers) and you're facing not only increasing public skepticism but a decreasing pool of qualified enlistment candidates, you've got to up the ante. My kids will likely never be in danger of being drafted into the military. I've already advised them against joining it of their own free will, which I think is somewhat unfortunate. I regard most of the time I served to be well spent in terms of building self-confidence and marketable skills, in addition to the (older) G.I. Bill. But the country I served -- and the military I served in -- ain't the one around anymore. Edit: oh, and a draft doesn't really endanger the children of the rich or connected. Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" (1969) wasn't a revelation. Think Mark Zuckerberg's child will ever be drafted? The children of most of the people who have personal assistants in Washington DC? Hah.