It is hard to hear normally smart, even shrewd, Americans complain that the U.S. burden of the Iraq War is being carried too much by the armed forces and that civilian Americans are not being asked to sacrifice enough. It sounds so stirring, so morally upright; that is, until you think about it.
The two main ways people suggest that civilians sacrifice more are 1) higher taxes, and 2) reinstitution of the draft.
In the first case, we can afford to wage the war in Iraq without endangering our economy largely because the Bush tax cuts of 2002-3 have so successfully stimulated economic growth. Higher taxes might mean more "sacrifice," all right, but at this point they also probably would reduce economic growth and therefore reduce federal tax REVENUES.
If, as even many Democrats recognize now, we have to be in Iraq for a number of years, we need economic health. We can only manage a long war if it is a small war, and one that takes a relatively modest share of GNP each year. Big wars can't last long without exhausting the participants relatively quickly.
Bringing back the draft is another counterproductive idea. I understand why liberals would like to bring back the draft. It would give the government access to whole generations at a time and that would help build an even stronger expectation that it is government that properly gives direction to life. For that very reason, it mystifies me why any conservative would support a return to conscription.
Bring back the draft and the compulsion that goes with it, and you will totally debase the quality of our armed forces and lower the prestige of service. You further will open the military to the kind of discipline problems, including heavy drug use, that plagued the military in Vietnam. We read occasionally about some criminal in the military in Iraq (rapists, reckless killers, etc.), but the truth is that we have the best disciplined military force that has seen service in many generations. They have the pride of voluntarism and professional training.
Bring back the draft and you also will incite a new protest movement on campuses, and who needs that?
Therefore, what civilians need to do is to back the military and show appreciation for them. Since most of us are not called to much personal sacrifice, we should show the greatest solicitation for those volunteers who are shouldering most of the burden.
This is not World War II, where an all-out, society-wide effort was needed. The contest is not the same. Just consider the numbers of war-related deaths--many in World War II, relatively few now. Then we were able to overwhelm the foe in a conventional war. In this war against politicized Islamist terrorists, we must outwit, outperform and OUTLAST the foe. It is less about sacrifice and more about skill and resolve.
If you personally don't feel you are doing enough, I suggest that you contribute to the USO or any number of other causes that directly help servicemen and women.