George Carlin performed one of the greatest monologues in history when he broached the subject of “Shell Shock” versus “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”. Please take a look at this. The monologue is named:
He did this over 20 years ago. It applies today and it is as true as ever. Bill Maher said after viewing this on “Larry King Live” not long after his death in 2008 with enormous respect, “I’m still chasing that rabbit.” showing his love for his hero.
Why I bring this up is because they are doing it again. Only this time instead of “Draft” (one syllable, easy to understand), it’s “National Service” or “National Service Requirement” (word salad, yummy).
Wait? JD Vance is talking about the draft? Here is the Washington Post article about that:
In Trump's Orbit, Some Muse about Military Service
One key quote here is from JD Vance himself, when he was pushing to be Trump’s VP pick.
But many others in his orbit have: Rumored Trump vice presidential pick J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) told the Washington Post, “I like the idea of national service. And I’m not talking about in wartime.”
Washington Post - “In Trump’s Orbit, Some Must About Military Service”, June 10, 2024
He can’t say that he has changed his position just a few months after stating it.
The author of the defense portion of Project 2025 has said…
Christopher Miller, former acting defense secretary during the last two months of Trump’s term—and, possibly, the next leader of the Pentagon—told the Washington Post this week that it should be “strongly considered,” calling it a “rite of passage” that would create a sense of “shared sacrifice” among young people.
“It reinforces the bonds of civility,” Miller reportedly said, adding, “why wouldn’t we give that a try?”
Mother Jones, 6/16/2024 - “Trump World Reportedly Flirts With a Return to Mandatory Military Service”
Now, why would they want to bring back an unpopular issue such as this? In one word, Iran.
Chris Hayes put together a mash-up of Republican politicians advocating for going after Iran.
It’s a hit parade of Republican senators and then private citizens like Bibi Netanyahu pleading us to go after Iran. However, we do not have the numbers to do it right now.
According to Project 2025, we are not at required levels for a two-theater commitment to our national defense. From Project 2025:
Rebuild the Army. The total Army budget has decreased by roughly 11 percent since 2018, perilously affecting the service’s readiness and ability to train and to procure new personnel and equipment. Declining budgets and decreased buying power have forced the Army to lower training standards and opportunities to train, propose reductions in end strength, slash military construction programs to historically low levels, and scale back essential modernization programs. 1. Increase the Army budget to remain the world’s preeminent land power. 2. Accelerate the development and procurement of the six current Army modernization priorities (long-range precision fires, the Next- Generation Combat Vehicle, Future Vertical Lift, the Army network, air and missile defense, and soldier lethality) to replace worn out and outdated combat systems and ensure ground combat dominance. 3. Increase funding to improve Army training and operational readiness. 4. Increase the Army force structure by 50,000 to handle two major regional contingencies simultaneously. 5. Reform recruiting efforts. The Army missed its 2022 recruitment goal by 25 percent, or 15,000 soldiers.
Project 2025 — Page 108, Defense
With recruitment numbers down, there are not a lot of ways to meet these numbers. The fastest and most efficient way to hit what they want is the draft. What they use is their euphemism “National Service”.
Young people need to understand this. Selective Service is still in force. And for your friends still in high school, they will be easy pickings because will already be profiled, if Project 2025 gets their way.
Improve military recruiters’ access to secondary schools and require completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
Project 2025 — Page 102, Defense
they want to have increases in all of the Armed Forces. 50K for the Army, more ships for the Navy and more equipment, manned and unmanned, for the entire military. The writer of this diary doesn’t have to worry about being drafted, I am 61 with lousy vision, a heart condition and Type-2 diabetes. I ain’t going nowhere.
Gen Z on the other hand…
Vote wisely.
And read Project 2025. Just don’t do it at night.