Anyone who truly believes in the concept of liberty would ridicule the notion that the lives of adolescents should belong to the state. I respect freedom of speech, but a coherent political movement to renew the draft would indicate that there are far greater enemies to the U.S. Constitution and American freedom than anybody on foreign soil.

The United States must find more soldiers or shrink its war plans. Everyone can see that, but it's out of bounds for discussion in high places. President Bush often says that if his commanders in Iraq say they need more troops, they will get them, and that's that. Or is it?

General John Abizaid, who heads US Central Command, is all for full dialogue about American policy on Iraq. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 23, he said: "I would say we better have a frank discussion with ourselves. I am not against the debate." Combined with Abizaid's acknowledgement that the insurgents in Iraq are as strong as they were six months ago, this statement is a remarkably candid warning to US politicians that the present course of American policy in Iraq is in trouble.

Religious beliefs are less important than supposed. The clincher is this: the strongest motivation, according to Pape, is not religion but rather a desire "to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory the terrorists view as their homeland."

Even now, many argue that that to question or criticize the "mission" is to break faith with the troops. In practice, "Support Our Troops" turns out to mean that we should always support the policies of our government at war, thereby providing that government with a powerful incentive for perpetual warfare.

MAD national chair Janine Hansen puts it this way: "The military manpower problem is real and significant. When there aren't enough volunteers, Congress is left with few choices. They can significantly raise taxes to support a mercenary force, change our foreign policy and reduce our overseas military commitments or resort to the draft or some other form of compulsory service to fill the gap."

The only recruiting story I know by heart, and can effectively comment on, is my son Casey’s. When he was recruited in May 2000, he was promised the moon to get him to join, and he ultimately got an early grave. He was promised a $20,000 signing bonus: he received $4500. Casey wanted to be a deacon in the Catholic Church, he was promised he could be a Chaplain’s Assistant.When he got to boot camp, he was told that his promised specialty wasn’t open, and he had the choice of being a Humvee mechanic or a cook.

Americans must make a choice — a choice between freedom and peace, on the one hand, and the continuation of the U.S. military empire, on the other hand. They cannot have freedom and peace and the empire. They must choose which is more important to them.

Several commentators lumped together the terrorist attacks against public transport in Moscow, Madrid and London. However, the Moscow attack had nothing to do with the attacks in Madrid and London, or with us. Moscow is fighting Chechen rebels who want independence for Chechnya. Chechen attacks against Russia, like Palestinian attacks against Israel, are not directed at us. They are motivated by specific political objectives. Chechens and Palestinians have no desire to destroy civilization; they simply wish to take their place in the family of nations as independent countries.

The draft is among the greatest of all crimes the modern western state inflicts upon “its” own people. For all of one’s liberty to be stolen, to have to serve the state even at the cost of one’s own life, is a far greater injustice to face than a tax increase or a new burdensome regulation — as horrible as the latter policies are to one’s liberty and property. If someone cannot own himself, all other property rights become moot. When his liberty is seized for the purpose of killing, wretched insult and injury are only added to the grave injustice of compelled labor.