The Med Draft, Cont’d
I’m not sure how my comments (”I don’t mean to be overly alarmist, as the plan is only that-initial planning-just in case Congress would ever authorize a second draft.”) were interpreted as “sky-is-falling,” or fearmongering for Kerry (did I ever mention Kerry or Bush?) , but apparently what I thought was cautionary concern turned into “Graham freaks out.”
In fact, I know perfectly well what military doctors do, as my father was a physician in the Air Force, and one of my other physician heroes was a medic in World War II. But I’m sorry, I don’t see this war as the same as World War II. There wouldn’t have been soldiers and Iraqis wounded (as well as tens of thousands killed, many collateral damage) if we hadn’t have invaded Iraq.
I’m fully aware that the draft legislation failed with almost full support. But it’s more than just rumors on the internets.
I am happy to hear that your father served in WW2. But you overlook that the US wouldn’t have had half a million dead if it hadn’t unilaterally invaded the peace-loving German Reich (her quarrel was with Japan), and I wonder that you didn’t offer that argument — it is perfectly in line with your Iraq-war opinion.
Speaking for myself, had the US not entered WW2, I would be lucky to live under a Nazi or Commie dictatorship — but more likely the one would have gassed my father, and the other would have lovingly treated his political aberrations with electroshock “therapy”.
I may be one of the few Europeans who remembers and is grateful. Thirty years from now, some Iraqi will look back with equal gratitude. What will your memories be in 2034? Will you at least have the grace to be ashamed of what you wrote today?
Cheers,
Felix.
Franz–my dad and the other hero of mine are two different people.
Also, I’m trying to distinguish between World War II (a war that I believe we *had* to enter) and this current situation, where we were not attacked, we were lied to about the reasons for war, and we were purposely deceived. I’m not sure that happened in World War II.
Medical Professionals Dodge The Draft
On Tuesday the New York Times printed a report on recent efforts to update plans for a military draft of health care professionals.
Apparently consultants for the military spent last summer updating plans for drafting up to 36,000 health care profes…
I love your blog graham. I havent seen many M2 blogs on the net. Its refreshing to see a medical blog that is in the “reality based community!”
Is it that hard to imagine this administration plucking a few thousand health professionals to defend our country in a national emergency? There has been very little uproar about my friends having to drop everything (including their undergraduate education) to defend our nation.
Four years ago we had surpluses as far as the eye can see. And promises to keep the social security surplus in a safe place. But now, there has been very little uproar about how that has turned into record deficits, with the social security surplus being absorbed into the general fund.