Comments on: Three Year Rule? http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/three_year_rule/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:42:30 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: McGehee http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/three_year_rule/comment-page-1/#comment-19259 McGehee Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=6610#comment-19259 <i>Indeed, Vietnam is the only long conflict that was prematurely terminated owing to public pressure.</i> Hence the Left's obsession with turning every military action since then into "another Vietnam." Indeed, Vietnam is the only long conflict that was prematurely terminated owing to public pressure.

Hence the Left's obsession with turning every military action since then into "another Vietnam."

]]> By: Ali Ahmad http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/three_year_rule/comment-page-1/#comment-19260 Ali Ahmad Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=6610#comment-19260 This guy is a little off, there was conscription during the Civil War, and it worked darn well. In fact, the South ended up with the first National Draft in North American history and never let any of the draftees out of service (or any of the fixed term volunteers). The Confederacy mobilized 80 (and some estimate as much as 90) percent of White Southerners. The U.S. managed to mobilize 50% of her fighting men, also with a national draft (note the famous Draft Riots in NYC). In both cases however, the draft was effective because there was a powerful social norm against drafting, and the shame of being drafted into federal service as opposed to volunteering for it. They also allowed for people to buy exemptions and hire replacements (something that probably wouldn't jive in today's culture). Drafting into a national service is rather new however, but the idea of men mustering into local militias which they were wholly obligated to is as old as European presence on the continent itself. But you would never muster a militia in Iraq. --- This guy is a little off, there was conscription during the Civil War, and it worked darn well. In fact, the South ended up with the first National Draft in North American history and never let any of the draftees out of service (or any of the fixed term volunteers). The Confederacy mobilized 80 (and some estimate as much as 90) percent of White Southerners. The U.S. managed to mobilize 50% of her fighting men, also with a national draft (note the famous Draft Riots in NYC). In both cases however, the draft was effective because there was a powerful social norm against drafting, and the shame of being drafted into federal service as opposed to volunteering for it. They also allowed for people to buy exemptions and hire replacements (something that probably wouldn't jive in today's culture). Drafting into a national service is rather new however, but the idea of men mustering into local militias which they were wholly obligated to is as old as European presence on the continent itself. But you would never muster a militia in Iraq.

---

]]>