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When looking at this debate I believe there are three main points to consider. What has history taught us about the draft? What is the current state of military recruiting? How is our economy equipped to handle the threat of another significant war?

Everyone knows the history repeats itself. While looking at the historical facts surrounding the draft, one quickly discovers that over the last one hundred years, the United States has issued draft orders three times. That is an average of one draft every 33.3 years. Since the last draft happened in 1969, one can deduce with simply math that it has been over 38 years since the then. This means we are overdue as a country for a major conflict. If you only took this statistic into consideration, it would make for a good argument, but not a great one.

In looking at the current state of military recruitment, the current situation looks fairly bleak. The majority of Americans believe that the war in Iraq has been a disaster. It stands to reason that if the majority of parents believe the was is a disaster, then the majority of younger generation would also believe the same way. It is hard enough to recruit during a war, even more so the longer a war goes on. The economy cannot sustain giving new recruits even more benefits for joining, so all indicators in this department point to another draft.

Speaking of the economy brings me to my final question to consider in this debate. Is our economy equipped to handle the threat of another significant war? The leaders of many countries are watching their military grow and become more equipped. Coupled with the fact that their currency is much stronger against the ever deflating dollar, they have the ability to make a stronger stand against American troops. During the Cold War, having a strong economy was the determining factor in the defeat of the Soviet Union. Reagan gambled that declaring an "Economic War" on the Soviets would eventually lead to their demise. Our economy was strong enough to withstand the Soviets and Reagan's gamble paid off. Sadly, our current economy would not be able to withstand a prolonged war.

If you take all three points into consideration, I feel that not only will the draft be once again declared, but it will happen sooner rather than later. History does and will repeat itself again.

Learn more about this author, Jay Halseth.
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