HATE IS like a poisonous gas. Once you release it, you can’t control where it drifts. Same with fear. You can’t always aim it. And if the wind picks up, it could blow into your ranks.
There has been a lot of talk—don’t call it discussion—over the last few days about the much delayed death of a Middle Eastern terrorist the Iranians had among their ranks. He’d been given the title of general, and once upon a time, he’d been responsible for the deaths of many Americans. And fellow Iranians. And Iraqis and Yemenis and Syrians and Kurds. And who knows how many other people and nationalities.
In response to this man’s death, the papers say members of Iran’s parliament got together on Saturday to once again chant “Death to America.” The only surprising thing is that they usually do that on Tuesdays.
Whether this particular retribution will bring about more retribution, then retribution upon that, and yet again after that, is still TBD. Somehow, however, we get the feeling that the mullahs had already turned up their retribution amp to 11 a generation ago—and any violence that comes tomorrow was in the planning stages before this weekend.
As for World War Three, which apparently is trending on Twitter these days, we’ll take the word of a military friend with a couple of tours of duty in the current war: He notes that Iran isn’t the world.
Maybe Tom Cotton put it best when he told the Democrat-Gazette this for Monday’s issue: “Iran, although oftentimes portrayed as 10 feet tall, is in fact a weak and feeble power. The United States is infinitely more powerful than Iran. They fear us; we should not fear them.”
Besides the unsupported and irresponsible World War Three rumors, there have been other ridiculous moments in the aftermath of that drone-inflicted explosion at the Baghdad airport Thursday night. And not all of them coming from the president’s Twitter feed. (Somebody take away his phone. Please.)
Dispatches say this past week’s news has caused some college students to panic over the military draft.
CBS News reports that the Selective Service website was shut down temporarily when folks flooded the site earlier in the week: “Hundreds of Twitter users posted messages and memes insinuating that the draft, or selective service, will be put into place within the next few months. They also suggested that college-age students would be prioritized for service.”
Let’s all take a breath.
As Sgt. Hulka once noted: Son, there ain’t no draft no more. And before one could be implemented, this Congress would have to pass what the Selective Service called “official legislation”—is there another kind?—before young people would begin receiving induction notices. Can you imagine Nancy Pelosi’s pals in Congress passing such legislation just now?
Some of us think that compulsory national service of some sort would be good for the country, and good for all those who serve. But that’s just not going to happen anytime soon. There isn’t a Nazi or Soviet state in the world today that poses any kind of existential threat to the United States. The kinds of wars we have with big powerful countries today are mostly trade wars. As bad as those kinds of skirmishes can be, they don’t require a military draft.
What would bring back the draft?
A war. With a big country. One that has a large modern military. And that war would have to have enough popular support here at home to make Congress pass legislation to make it all happen.
For now, stand down, rumor-mongers. There are 1.2 million people in the United States military. And it’s an all-volunteer, professional force. Emphasis on force. Americans can safely leave the mission to the pros.
In other words, at ease.