The Military Citizen

There’s a strong probability that no matter who’s elected to the White House, there will be a draft reinstated and there are strong whispers about it. Before this happens, I think, while we’re still in Israel we’ve found the answer to the fact that many people aren’t volunteering for the U.S. Army because of the Iraq conflict and the way veterans are treated when they return home.

In Israel, everyone must serve in the military for two to three years. Volunteering comes after that time, and there are ways around it, things like humanitarian work, and religious objections can prevent someone from having to serve. However, with everyone serving in the military for a short time, everyone would automatically become more patriotic, and there would likely be less crime due to the strictness of the system.

When visiting Israel, virtually everyone you talk to has been in the military and received training, thus any citizen is ready and capable, at a moment’s notice, to take up arms and defend their homeland if need be. Obviously a switch to such a system cannot occur overnight, but it’s certainly something to consider, as the Israeli model seems to work with astounding efficacy. How many of us as American citizens would advocate that this be mandatory for our country?