Quote Originally Posted by jamstigator
The reason why the Democrats are sponsoring this is simple: they don't think it's fair that the families of the wealthy rarely end up in combat, and instead that burden is heaped onto the backs of the poor and middle class. With a draft, the wealthy aren't so well-insulated from doing the dirty work (that they're so good at making necessary in the first place).
I've heard this argument, but don't really buy it because:

1. The wealthy would usually have much bigger company obligations at home.

2. The poor are the ones with crap-pay jobs, no education, and often no hope of getting ahead. Why send rich kids who already have it made when poor kids could have the option of getting valuable training, something very impressive on a resume, and funding for education where they wouldn't have been able to afford it before? Not to mention being a soldier will get you in killer shape and teach a lot about teamwork and discipline (something most people need to learn even late in their life).
And yes I understand that being a soldier isn't some glamorous knight in shining armour endeavor with benefits, there's a very real and prevelant risk of death, or more commonly severe permanent injury. But rich or poor, a life is a life. If somebody is going to take on this risk it might as well be someone who has something to gain from it.

3. The poor aren't actually being "forced to carry the load" as that democrat put it, because that's the whole nature of the volunteer system; not being forced. Whether or not a larger number of poor fight in the military, all of them are there voluntarily, and making such a decision is a choice anybody should get to make depending on whether they believe in this crap war or not.

There'll be a lot fewer wars and conflicts if the rich folks' children are in danger too. It's just too easy to vote for war or use of military force when you know YOUR children won't be involved.
The poor-middle class make up 90% of the voters, the rich aren't exactly the key demographic targeted in most elections. It's the ease by which the public is manipulated with lies, twisted facts, and backward-logic-arguments that gets fanatically pro-war politicians in office.