Re: A&J 11/11 - lottery winners

In the previous article, Bill Lentz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >Iwouldn't lose any sleep over it.
> 
> Easy for you to say.  I've got a 17 year old son,

Well, you're free to lose sleep over whatever you like.  I don't want
your son drafted any more than I want that horror inflicted upon my
own (who is a few more years away).  All I'm saying is, save your
panic up until there's at least a ghost of a semblance of a reason for
it.

The Selective Service Administration's budget was increased by about
six percent for this year over last year's appropriation.  The
proposed budget increase for next year is similar.  And for the year
after that, and the year after that.  That's a little bit more than
the overall federal budget increases, but not exactly an indication of
a major mobilization, to put it mildly.

Furthermore, SSA manning has *declined* by about eight percent over
the last five years, and is expected to remain constant this year and
next.  Further-furthermore, the idea of reviving the draft has almost
no support among top military brass or the civilian leadership of the
Defense Department and the service directorates.  (Rummy himself is
said to oppose the idea, though I concede that information is
something like fourth-hand.)

All that said, any weird / stupid thing is possible, and moreso than
usual these days.  I'm just saying that the story about the "call for
volunteers" notice is not exactly a real good basis on which to start
freaking out.  And I say that as someone who is a little more inclined
than the national average to freak out about stupid government tricks.

I don't think draft registration has ever really been much about
mobilization for induction into military service.  It's much more
about building a database on young men for social goals like law
enforcement, child support enforcement, etc.  If you doubt this, get a
copy of a registration form and read the Privacy Act Notice, which
details all of the agencies with which your registration information
will be shared.
-- 
  _+_ From the catapult of |If anyone disagrees with any statement I make, I
_|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also
\      /  [EMAIL PROTECTED]|to deny under oath that I ever made it. -T. Lehrer
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