One of the horrors in our time is the disconnection between most Americans and the wars we pay for. With a volunteer army, led by poor youth unable to find jobs, the circle of civilians directly affected by war is small.
I was reminded of this last night while watching Wish Me Luck, the outstanding BBC series from the 80s, a drama set during WWII. Then everyone was affected by war in all activities of life. So were we after Pearl Harbor. The unifying potential of 9/11 was soon buried in the lies of the Bush team, off on their own passionate agenda, the people be damned. Today politicians can get away with murder (sometimes literally) because our wars affect so few of us in visceral ways.
This can be fixed by a universal draft for both men and women. Once the prom queen starts getting shot at, many will take a different perspective on the wisdom of our wars. We have to get reconnected to the actions we pay for. It's time to take responsibility - and if we don't approve, take measures to stop it.
Bring on the draft! It's exactly what the peace movement needs.
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