It is interesting that it was said that the terrorists want to destroy our way of life. Is that the way where we can all drive huge gas guzzling SUVs and live in energy inefficient monster houses and commute 100 miles each way from the suburbs?

If The Bushists get their way and wage war on Iran the necessity of the draft will quickly follow.
As soon as there is a draft imposed we will see an anti-war movement arise as it did during the War in Vietnam, but since we no longer have a free press with real journalists I doubt that the "free speech zones" where demonstrators are allowed will be covered.

Until a draft is imposed most Americans will just continue to be complacent and apathetic - they will "go shopping", as Bush demanded, as their contribution to the fascism the Bushists have been installing in America.

Here's my thought/question for the day. Is all of this- empire dying economy, lack of funding for higher education etc. simply a way of forcing the current "middle to lower income" youth into the only option for survival- the military industrial complex ? And, is the only thing left for America to make money (the means of sustenance) on- war ? I've heard that government is disorganized, is this pre-planned or
happenstance ?
IOW, Is there someone plotting and planning to feed the rats and vultures, or are they just getting lucky when the bodies fall ?

Namaste I will be engaging with the elders of the elders tomorrow, the ancient stone people. Perhaps if I bring a good and respectful Spirit to them and honor them with tobacco offerings and smoke, in time, they may choose to speak with me. It is through this respectful Spirit that joining and sharing sometimes takes place. I will be working with stones this Summer and I'm seeking guidance and understanding and permission to move forward. I will see.

The time will come when they reinstate the draft for young people. That did the trick during Viet Nam. Self interest is the major factor in predicting human behavior. When it is your behind on the line, you start to take an interest in the issues.

… He's even been brilliant, on some days

'Doom and Gloom' ---your name should be 'Bright and Sunny', nice post

I agree with COMarc and others, this is a waste of time article. We are all against the war I assume, we are all against unjustified occupation of 'Peaceful' nations...but what exactly can we do. As MIDDLEC pointed us to the defining characteristics of facism, we realize this is no true democracy. There has never really been a true democracy.

As the right (and some left) demonized communism, everyone has embraced the theory of democracy, except that in practice in turns into Plutocracy (through individuals gaining wealth, sometimes with an unfair advantage, and using it for political, ideological gains) or corportocracy, or one big bundle of s&%t in a facist state. I know I am being simplistic (as the Constitution for example provided at least a means of acheiving true democracy) but the point is that for now we cannot do s^&t!

There have been millions upon millions of people protesting the Afganistan and Iraq occupations for over 5 years..

I swear I feel like liberals, myself included, want change but are not really willing to die for it (i.e revolution) so it aint gonna happen! any thought?

Siouxrose, all of our paths are individual paths and all are to be respected and not judged. It is in the harmonizing of our selves and community that we find peace and progress. It is the increasing recognition and practice of unity that we find our way today. The old thinking of duality no longer serves humanity. It's time is past. We are preparing for the human evolution to a Universal consciousness. The time is close.

Good point on moving toward Fascism - reference point for all: the 14 Points of Fascism...

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

Unchained:

Nice post. But here's the honest truth:

In the 60's, when there was actually this thing called a free press, the TV and newspapers actually reported on the war protests and radio stations back then were not controlled by the greedy scum that run the corporations (and by definition run the country) and actually played songs that were critical of both US policy and the US government. In todays fascist Amerika dissent has been thoroughly shoved underground and happens through word of mouth alone (with the exception of the internet, which could indeed be called an underground movement)

Those with a stake in the profits of war have learned well from Hitler and have suppressed dissent, taken over the government and use propaganda that old Adolph would be proud of.

As Hitler once said:

"What good fortune for governments that the people don't think"

And they don't think because all those flags waving around them and governmental lies tend to confuse them into believing that the US of A is the end all be all of goodness, when in point of fact the US has become the modern Nazi state.

Lord help us.....

I wanted to throw in that I've wondered the same thing myself, as a parent of teengers. I wonder when they'll get angry. I worry about them facing this empire of ours. I worry about the draft, and about them joining, for some reason. Even being tricked.

But I have to say, when I saw this comment
-----------------------
COMarc April 22nd, 2008 1:00 pm
What a piece of crap article.

Note there is no research in this article. Its all apparently based on what the kids in her dorm said. But even then there's no quotes or specifics. And certainly no polling data or anything to take this beyond the anecdotal level.
-----------------------
WOW that deserves a response. I thought, that was a bit harsh, even if you did have a point. I didn't see anyone else call you out on it. Way to beat up a teenager, jeez. Seems like this is an article about this young man's feelings about the war. His perceptions. What is crap about that? It didn't read like crap to me.

And why'd you call him a "her"? Seems rude. THAT seems like crap.

I'm really worried about this generation. It is not at all how it was ten years or so ago, for those young adults. We used to tease them, about how easy they had it, about how much better things were for them, the young. We did, I remember, I participated. No wars. Economy good. Jobs so plentiful, it was hard to fill them. Everyone had a job that wanted one. We used to tease them about how easy they had it, how jealous we were, though we knew, in a small way, we were a little proud that things were improving for everyone. We made free with commenting on how easy they had it.

Yes, you can write off what I'm saying for sentimental crap. You can forget that's how it used to be, and it isn't anymore. Now kids in college are worried about debt, their careers, getting to college in the first place, the war, the environment, the future has many problems. SO much is worse for this generation of young adults.

And you're going to harshly criticize the opinions of one of them? One of them that managed to get on here, on Common Dreams?? I don't know, maybe I'm a sap, but I think you're offbase, because I am interested in what's in the heads of the youngest adults. I wonder what they're saying. It's not like mine tell me anything.

CULICOMORPHA: Very powerful post.

DOOM & GLOOM: You are fortunate that the circle has returned. Possibly when parents stay together (being fortunate enough to find someone you can spend 20 plus years with) it helps. I remember when Reagan was advocating a program of getting children to report their parents' drug use. I liked my occasional joint and found this a Nazi like way to turn child on parent. Yet I know someone whose son works for the family firm rebuilding homes and father (who has a medical condition requiring it) and son smoke together, and get along great, plus they do fabulous, productive work. The labyrinth of karma weaves a rainbow of various lessons in and through our human ties. It's difficult to know the root of some of the more testing ones.

There is no widespread resistance to the aggressions in Iraq and Afghanistan because so many people put their faith in power and not in life. Young Americans, especially males, admire and value the powerful---the ones who got ahead, the ones who can kick ass, the ones who got the most pussy, and even the ones who gamed the system against the bleeding-heart liberals. I don't blame them for being more concerned with the acceptance rates at Harvard and getting T-shirts. Perhaps, this is only the wisdom of doing small things with great care, and doing big things with no concern to paraphrase a Buddhist aphorism that I heard in the movie, "Ghost Dog". How do we get peole to put their faith in the process of life. Any large-scale programmatic effort is bound to fail. As some of my friends here at Common Dreams relentlessly exhort: "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

I trusted my son to make independent decisions and mistakes at a young age. We taught him at teachable moments as best we could. He made his share of big mistakes young enough that we were still there to pick him up and get him on his way again, hopefully wiser. The natural aversion to parents was taken by us as natural and necessary. His attitudes and beliefs have changed over the years reflecting a natural search for meaning in his life. He has developed a spiritual nature and is now a sponge for spiritual meaning. He is advanced beyond his years in wisdom and now sees us, his parents, as a source for useful and meaningful information. He completed two years of college and now attends a tech school in computer science. He and most of his friends are opposed to the Iraq War. He is tuned in to politics and knows his mind. He is maturing rapidly and I respect who he has become. I have viewed his youthful journey as circular and he now respects his roots. We have all developed a sense of peace and respect among ourselves and all things. It was a hard road at times but has worked out well. He has been fortunate to have been helped along the way by some very dedicated and selfless people. His community has served him well and he understands that, and he is on his way to becoming a contributing part of a caring community. So far so good. We are thankful.

When war is something that Americans can't just turn off their TV then they will start to get angry.
Hoa binh

By the way, there continue to be protests, not like in the 60's, but they do exist and happen. There are small events taking place all over the country.

I think the difference now....if you protest, you get labeled a terrorist, or very near it. Anything you say against the government...as it was in Nazi Germany, can get you blacklisted or in trouble with the wonderful Homeland Security...one has to tread carefully...

Also, crowd control is more sophisticated now...try reading about some of the things they can use...scary stuff.

I agree more people should care and hit the streets...I am not sure why the people in this great country cannot see the connections between war, war profiteers, greed and corruption...power and control.

Did you see where the electronic fence along the border doesn't work (Boeing built it, shock shock). They need to spend more money and get more equipment to bring it up to par. I think someone should have tested it before paying Boeing...or we should get a refund on the faulty work and equipment.

Only a draft will wake people up..young and old...

One of the reasons that the youth are hardly aware of the Iraq farse....Bush won't let the media show coffins or dead soldiers...remember? He wouldn't want America disturbed by the truth.

The media is largely to blame and the admin. I think there would be more outrage if it were more obvious. We get reports "the surge is working". Yeah right...it is just covered up. The reports of deaths over there...well...you have to meet criteria now...very speicific ...to be reported a casualty of war. I assure you, the numbers of troops lost there are far higher than the reports indicate....not to mention contractor deaths....and deaths from DU after returning home...or from the insecticides being used there...or the vacinations.

People have to search for the truth....and most are so worried about the economy and how to pay for gas...they haven't noticed the absence of the war on the networks.

A draft...or a casualty in the family...is the only thing that will wake people up.

Riddimboy - I applaud you and all like you, who attended these protests. We had them in the UK as well, and to be part of a million plus people in London, all protesting the war, was truly uplifting. We have to face up to some unpleasant facts though. Although our countries have become disaffected with the war, as Poet points out, is this because we are not "winning", or because the body bags are arriving home in greater numbers than we thought?
The other problem is apathy and selfishness. I struggle to find anyone who even wants to talk about Iraq/Afghanistan, or even knows about the dangers of another war with Iran. The majority of people - 90%- are so content with their wide screen TVs, football team, alcohol, that they prefer to be numb to current affairs, than be shown scenes of carnage from the Middle East.
The media of course plays it's role, in suppressing the news, and shielding us from the true horrors. In the UK, we see hardly any news from Iraq/Afghanistan/Palestine, but plenty of criticism aimed at China/Sudan/Zimbabwe.
If I go to a party or social gathering, then people would rather talk about sport or celebrity gossip or holidays, than have Andy the crackpot talking about subjects which they have no interest in.
The media are manipulating what they want us to see, because if we see the truth and question why our governments are involved, then we threaten the very establishment which supports the media.

What a bunch of crock. I was in all the protests in 2003 in the Bay area and repeatedly the most vocal protesters were invariably the 'young' and not the old farts who started this whole mess.

The war will hit the young when the draft comes. That could happen if Clinton McCain, or Obama overstep their bounds by attacking Iran and drawing us into war with Russia. Then WWIII will be officially christened and off we go to the rapture.

Or, the war will be fought by the corporations, with the support of volunteers who are indoctrinated under the pretense of patriotism. Serving as the flag carrier's hiding the corp in a masquerade of gleeful flag waving democracy across the globe. Especially card carrying communist countries that refuse to sell out had better take notice.

Or the world will figure out what we're up to after 5 years of phony wars and just stop sending us money. Then we'll realize how poor in the spirit as well as the pocket we really are. We can bet amongst ourselves how low will the housing market go. How low free marketo? And we will fight amongst ourselves behind gated compounds over the scraps of society, armed to the teeth.

The young should not be worrying about whats going on in Iraq, which is not a war BTW, it is an occupation, which they can choose not to be involved in.

They should worry that the same kids and grandkids of the same nuts who gave us WW II may want to give us WW III, and that won't be good for them.

They should be worrying that what is going on in Iraq, is going to happen at home, when our elite masters decide they are the terrorists (because they are bitter).

If they protest anything, it should be globalization and free trade, and our financial system, modelled after the bank of England from 1694. Read Ellen Browns Web of Debt, thats a good start. Fix this problem, the others can be dealt with.

Siouxrose: Hey that theory about generations....is irrelevant in my humble opinion because the changes in the technocratic society we have invented have been so enormous during the past 80 years...automobiles, radio, electronic reproduction, video, satellite, etc...each of these technologies have utterly altered in multiple unknowable ways each successive generation....so all theories of change become unprovable and merely anecdoctal...........

Truth is, even college students out here in the solidly progressive schools are almost completely apathetic about any real action against the war and torture machine. I have recently spent hundreds of hours attempting to organize and talked with many sincere and hard-working activists on campus.....but they were uniformly depresssed by the insurmountable difficulties of achieving any ACTION from the student body.... and no one I met including several key professors could offer more than the standard "it's the IPOD STUPID!" explanation....call it the VIDIOT GENERATION....goddess help us.

What stuck in my mind from this piece was the observation that students are more interested in sports than anything related to civic responsibilities. Curiously, I saw the same strange observation in a book called "Defying Hitler" by Sebastian Haffner, a first-person account of the changing social environment during the rise of the Nazis to power.

Haffner said that the average person would spout out an amazing range of statistics related to sports trivia, almost as if it were a defense against facing the brutal realities of their society. It was a matter of tacit understanding that to openly speak against the Nazis seizures of power and their policies was an invitation for a visit from the authorities, which changed shape over the years from intimidation to cases of being "disappeared."

In my opinion, there are so many diverse factors all working together to create a sense of helplessness among the public that to point to any single one as a "cause" would be to miss the point. But if I had to pick the single most significant factor, it wouldn't be the lack of concern of the kids, it would be the extreme narrowing of the media, and its gross distortion of almost every issue covered. I include educational institutions in the media category, since these institutions have also dramatically limited the range of material and worldviews presented.

Aldous Huxley, in his book "Brave New World Revisited" talked about many of these factors that are working together to create what he saw as a coming fascist one-world government. He thought the only possible solution was "educating for freedom," where people would become educated in how one resists bad propaganda, over-organization, brainwashing and other would-be totalitarian techniques of control.

Well, that's certainly not what has happened in the last 50 years since he wrote the book. What is taught in schools these days is mainly the technical means of controlling nature, people, and whole societies. Just the skills the NWO controllers will need to keep the betas and epsilons in line. Now that a reasonable soma has been made available (SSRIs), the plan is almost complete.

Just as the war is an abstraction to students, so are the corporations, whose masters are indoctrinating them for later use. Probably most of them will remain oblivious, just as in Huxley's tale, but some of them will realize what is really going on. This isn't really an American war as much as it is a corporate war. As the old saw goes: if you want the truth, follow the money...

If another (third) war is launched against Iran, and the draft is reimposed, then the graduating seniors will start marching. Until then, it's just business as usual in America - nothing has changed.

The civics curriculum has to be upgraded to show these kids how bad things are and how much better things could be. Our failure to expose the kids to these truths is as much a crime as White House lies.

urza9814: It's kinda hard to find time to volunteer when the majority of the kids here are already working two jobs on top of their school work.

Emancipate yourself from the opiates that you are buying from the fascists. Then you will have the free time to volunteer in organizations that will bring the fascists to their knees.

Students, the usual anti-war activists, have been largely silent.

The reason students are silent today is because the fascist cabal has its boot to the neck of our institutions, academic, media, government.

There's a theory that's been dancing around in my brain for some time, that qualities skip a generation. By this I mean, I would have been seen as a hippie radical in my youth, but both my daughters embrace a far more materialistic vision. I notice this with the children of my friends, and in particular, we all have children who are aged 26-32 and all seem to have a certain obnoxious trait in common: a sense of ENTITLEMENT. What I am now noticing is that the children of this group are very open to learning about nature, and seem to sense that their survival will depend on being weaned from "the machine" (almost Matrix-like) and reconnecting to the lasting virtues of decency, simplicity and a spiritual connection to the kingdoms that sustain the web of life.

I think the generation I've just mentioned has been an Orwell-Pavlov experiment in that so much of their hours of perception have been soaked in a media-based nexus that has defined a "good life" for them. Children tend to distrust their parents, and some rebellion is healthy; but it seems many in this group (from the limits of my "random sample") in rebelling against their more conscious (spiritual/ecologically-oriented, politically-progressive) parents, have embraced a soulless existence that promises false fulfillment through status-based objects and supposed things of value.

Anyone have a similar experience? Or... the opposite?

AngstOfThePeople: "Service should have always been mandatory - if nothing else, to prevent our nation's youth from becoming the slovenly, self-serving pacifists they are today."

Service always WAS mandatory at the beginning of this country. It was called slavery. Would you conscript slaves to fight the illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Young Americans will get angry about the war just as soon as the draft is reinstated. What will make them angry is that there will be loopholes for the wealthy and/or connected, just like always.

-- Kent Shaw

Not just the young are tired of this war, us seniors are tired and disgusted also. There will not be any momentum in protest as long as there is no draft and our voices are ignored. The pols, dem & rep, are quite satisfied to let it run its course without taking a stand against it. They do not have the courage to get out in front on the issue, it is in its sixth year but as yet undecided as to outcome. They refuse to imitate the courage of our troops and stand on principle against this illegal and immoral war. Very few have close family involved so it does not hit home for them. I'm sure some will take issue with 'as yet undecided as to outcome'. Far too many still argue that we did not lose the VietNam war, the media and protestors lost it for us. I believe that ten years could pass with the same situation as now and many would say we are winning, just stay the course.

to unionguy,

Thanks, as always, for good perspective from the view of current and former union members.

Nope, too busy watching American Idol. (same is true for "old" Americans too).

Vote BillaruObamaMcCainBush!

The difference between 1970 and today is simple: Nobody was watching TV 24-7, nobody was blogging, emailing, youTubing, MySpacing; so we really noticed stuff like the war and the draft. Today, we are slowly being entertained to death. When the men show up at your door, it will be a real surprise.

In fairness to the young rugrats, human kids like any primate learn from example. The American adults have set the example that America can do whatever the hell it pleases around the globe. What the hell did you expect America?

Kids won't care. Patriotism has been taught as passe - partially due to entertainment, partially due to an ugly anti american agenda in the schools and partially due to a general apathy towards serving anyone except 'number one.'

Kids won't care until they are threatened with the very real prospect of dying then maybe, just maybe, they will get off their anti-depressant laced asses and protest. No worries there though - because our society is so litigious, there will be no shortage of halfwit attorneys to represent the little punks with any sort of excuse to get out of serving.

Service should have always been mandatory - if nothing else, to prevent our nation's youth from becoming the slovenly, self-serving pacifists they are today.

How can you expect the average kid to care aabout the war when the average adult doesn't care?

By the way, when students tell me they are looking foward to join the military after (barely) graduating high school and fighting in Iraq, I ask them how many of the 'terrorists' that flew on September 11th were Iraqi. Not one came up with the right answer (zero).

I am a sub at school in a rural area, but still the mistaken belief among supporters of the war of the real cause of the war remains hidden. But the fake patriotic one (we were attacked) still remains, even after all these years.

For that I blame Elmer Fudd.

so it goes...

College kids are cowards, as is most of the rest of the country. They are bought, they, cannot think for themselves, and everything they do is calculated on the greatest personal gain with the least or no sacrifice. They are just like their Uncle Dick, they have better things to do.

Considering the average attention span of a 15-22 yr old, they probably don't even know there's a war going on unless they personally know someone who's fighting in it.

I don't think instituting a draft will solve anything either even though it would definitely make them "aware" of the war. But it just sounds spiteful to wish this on them.

Peter W. Fulham believes that "... we must vote for a president who will acknowledge and act upon our anti-war sentiment." The hope is that young Mr. Fulham realizes that neither Clinton nor that [alleged] agent of hope and change fulfill that requirement since both of them are against the total and immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from that abattoir in Iraq. Peter Fulham may wish to devote his energies to supporting the candidacies of a Ralph Nader or Cynthia McKinney or Gloria LaRiva, as all three of these presidential candidates support the rapid withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

Why should we limit it to "young people"? The sad and deisgusting truth is that most of their elders are only "antiwar" because "we" are not "winning". As if either "we" or "winning" could ever be adaquately defined.

I find it very frustrating dealing with young folks. At the sake of sounding like an old guy (which, I guess I now am, at 59), I was extremly active in the peace movement and civil rights movement during the 60's, early 70's. I've spent the rest of my life in the labor movement, fighting for progressive causes.

I often mention to folks today that during the 60's, that if you went to a college campus, you almost always felt comfortable, that the majority opposed the war, supported porgressive issues. However, if you went to a Union hall, the opposite could be true, many times. Today, it is the exact opposite. I can't tell you the last time I was around unionists and heard someone even say something pro-war. They are almost unanamous in their strong opposition to the war. In fact, the ILWU (west coast longshoremen) have called a strike to protest this war. On the other hand, going onto college campuses today generally leave me feeling totally disgusted at the self-absorbed, egoistical, dumb-assed little rich kids that will want to debate, taking the pro-Bush, pro-war side.

While in the 60's, college young folks were tagged as being "little rich kids" by pro-war elements, they were, to a great extent, working class and middle class young folks working their way thru school, or on some type of aid. Today, these "little rich kids" are really little rich kids, with the ending of college aid, the steep rise in tuition and the loss of income by working families. These kids today are following their true class instincts by being self-absorbed little egotisical brats, pro-war and uninterested the plight of others.

As well, 30-40 years ago we had actual news, (as baised as it seemed in those days). We were able to get little bits of humanitarian values in our nation's media, culture. Today, with the total takeover of all media/cultural outlets by extreme-right, pro-corporate tools of massive corporations, their isn't any outlet for humkan values. Young people reflect the society that creates them.

Meanwhile, I do, among young working class folks, see the human values, the opposition to the war, that seems so absent among the college brats these days!

Unless the government starts a draft, and young people feel the effects of the war directly, there will be no great protests from them. Like most of the nation, they're in an extended state of complacency.

Congress and the president don't care about the war, why should you?

That and the massive anesthesia applied to the nations mind in the form of corrupt politics and stupid media makes people incapable of caring, or outrage against injustice.

So, as long as there is no real political represenation that is anti-war, the anti war movement will have no voice, and no effect on government.

Here's a tip: If you keep voting democrat, this still will not change.

During the Vietnam war I evaded the draft by wearing braces on my teeth, which was entirely legitimate since my teeth were crooked. I have friends who moved to Phoenix (a known pro-hippie draft board at the time), faked insanity and got off. There were all kinds of ways to beat it. Nobody I knew was ever drafted. My advice to young people now is that when Citizen McCain reinstates conscription so he can fight the wars he has already told everyone he plans to start, know the holes in the draft law so you can plan your escape. Otherwise, you too can have the honor of dying for nothing in the Middle East. Fifty eight thousand Americans died for nothing in Vietnam - cannon fodder for the monstrous and unmeasurable ego of LBJ and the outright murderous insanity of Richard Milhouse Nixon. This empire is dying before our eyes; don't let it take you down with it.

College-age kids were ten years old when the Decider stole the election, and have spent 8 eight years learning that "our" government can do whatever it damn well wants and there's nothing they, nor their folks, nor the House, nor the Senate, nor the Courts can do about it.

That's 8 years of Big Corp Media pro-neocrazy propaganda. How long does it take to brainwash a 10 year old again?

They've learned that those who order illegal invasions based on lies that kill and maim millions of innocents suffer no consequences. They've learned that no matter how many billions are stolen, none of the thieves suffer any consequences. They've learned that "protesters" are considered "anti-American terra' supporters" who are routinely and illegally spied upon and corralled in cages. They've learned Americans can be arrested for wearing the "wrong" t-shirt, hanging the "wrong" sign, or even daring to ask a Senator a question at a public forum. They've learned that "Americans need to watch what they say, watch what they do," or else their lives will be turned inside out.

They learned that a CIA NOC agent can be outted and millions of emails can be destroyed and nobody is held to account; and that "their" president has the authority to torture anyone he wants, even US citizens, simply on his declaring them an "illegal enemy combatant." They've learned the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Geneva Conventions and most treaties have become irrelevant. They've learned that smoking a joint will land you five years in a for-profit prison, but wiping out millions of homeowners and stealing every penny they have wins CEOs no jail time but billions in bonuses.

But, most importantly, they've been brainwashed to believe that they are completely powerless. How does one reverse 8 solid years of sick, twisted brainwashing on a scale never imagined?

"Where our military is headed for is what the British military became during their empire period"

Interesting. Makes me wonder of centuries from now the American empire will be viewed by historians as a brief addendum to the British empire?

But back to our shameful reality, I too feel bad that I did not protest the war more forcefully. While I attended three anti-war marches, now I think I should have thrown my body into the gears of the machine...but I'm too coward to do that. I, and everybody else, will pay the price for that cowardice.

Oh, like social security and medicaid wasnt already blown?

Young people MAY get more angry about the war 1) When (if) we get a president committed to ending it and we face the reality that getting out is much harder than stupidly haven gotten in 2) When they (now young) grow a tad older and realize that the Social Security and Medicare trust funds and more were all spent on it.

The draft isn't going to happen. In addition to a draft making future wars (more likely invasions and occupations) a difficult sell to the US electorate, don't forget that a lot of officers were shot in the back in Viet Nam. That hasn't occurred as often with the "volunteer" military.

We collectively have little or no skin in the game. Why should I care if Joe Baggo Donuts and Joe Shitda Ragman are getting killed and maimed? As long as it ain't me or mine, hey! And anyway the President said that we could/should contribute by keeping to our shopping. I'm on the way in my GMC Denali to Starbucks right now! My kids have other priorities (just like the current Vice President) and can't really be bothered by this little inconvenience. Bring on the draft and I'll make sure my kids get 5 deferments to pursue thier priorities just like the current V.P.

General apathy. Lack of political conscience. Cowardice. Laziness etc etc.

It applies to youth and above all to adults. All accomplices. What a nation of sheeps... Shame on you all.

The one lesson that Dubya, Cheney, & Co. learned from Vietnam was not to fight their colonial war with a conscript army (the Europeans had learned that lesson long ago). As long as the military is a "volunteer' and "professional" force, then the young do not have the immediate specter of being targets in Iraq and Afghanistan. Where our military is headed for is what the British military became during their empire period, a refuge and dumping ground for their society's dregs. Considering the cronyism rampant & "spoils system" redux rampant in today's Bush government, it won't be long before officers commissions become available for sale (as they were during in the British Army two hundred years ago).

The entire difference, as mentioned above, between now and Viet Nam is that there's no draft now. Period.

I remember sweating the last few years of that war as I neared my 18th birthday. Trust me, that was a real motivator to oppose the war so strongly.

Oh, and COMarc -- STFU. Ok?

Bring back the draft, provide no college, gender, sexuality preferences so that everyone fights.

you'll see how weak willed our youth REALLY are. God help us all.

If millions of people had protested in 2000, it wouldn't have made any difference. Give specifics on how you think it would have. Do you think the Surpreme Court judges were watching numbers of people in the street before they made their decision. No. they were willing to throw out all establish law to rule the way they did, so they were already saying their goal was to appoint the person they backed.

Do you think Bush would have refused to take the Presidency if people had protested? Not a chance. You know he doesn't care.

Do you think Congress would haver refused to certify the results of the Electoral college? Again, not a chance.

My point is, one reason you didn't see millions of people in the streets is because millions of people understand what's going on well enough to know it would have been a giant waste of time.

Also, have you ever seen the films of Bush's first inaugural parade. It may not have been millions, but there were certainly tens of thousands of protesters all along the route. They even broke through the blockades and blocked the route for awhile until the riot police pushed them back. You didn't see much of this on the corporate TV of course. There was one stretch near the end where the armored limo sped up to like 50 mph and flew down a section of the road. That was the stretch where the battle was going on where the riot police had pushed the protesters off the road.

I don't know if they still have it, but Indymedia NY had a good film of all of this for sale for years after it happened.

And, note that all this protest activity did not stop Bush from being President. The rulers of the country don't care. So, go get your million people, go march around a city on a sat afternoon, then realize it did nothing to change anything. Then quit thinking about old tactics and use something that will work.

What would work would be something that interferes with business as usual. Organize those millions into a general strike. Or, get them all in DC on w work day that shuts down the city by their numbers. But even then, if you just do that and go home, you'll still have accomplished nothing. Because you need those millions also committed to doing it again the next day. That's when the corporate bosses will start calling up the White House and letting them know something has to change as its impacting the corporate bottom line.

After Prez McLame institutes the draft to fuel his military ambitions maybe the young will wake up. I get the feeling if Obama isn't the Dem nominee they'll all just go back to their text messaging anyway. Even if he's elected the novelty will wear thin and they'll probably forget about continuing change. Mission Accomplished!

What a piece of crap article.

Note there is no research in this article. Its all apparently based on what the kids in her dorm said. But even then there's no quotes or specifics. And certainly no polling data or anything to take this beyond the anecdotal level.

If millions of people had taken to the streets in 2000 when Antonin Scalia and the other kids on the Supreme Court selected G.W. Bush as President, maybe we wouldn't have had all this. Even Ukrainians managed to protest in huge numbers when they believed their electoral process had been rigged and produced a fraudulent result. Now we have "free speech zones" erected by both political parties at their conventions so that TV viewers won't be upset by disruptive behavior. As Kurt Vonnegut would say, "so it goes."

The youth in America will get angry about the war when it hits them directly. And they are no different than the adults in America. All are part of a society that allows illegal and immoral wars in their name. They can't stop it because they are not involved in the decision making process. And they will only try and stop it when they are threatened with having to go themselves. So what else is new?
Hoa binh

"Sad as all this is, it's tough to blame anybody my age for this indifference. Why should we worry when we have no personal stake in the conflict?"

That isn't really true. When the the three trillion dollar bill comes due for the war in Iraq your generation will be hit as hard as any other with the financial problems that will be caused by it. You are already seeing some of it with the devaluation of the dollar and the increased prices for goods that that causes.

Lobo Gris

I know a lot of kids that care. Problem is, they're too young to do much about it anyways. I'm actually involved at least once a week in at least some kind of political argument at school. But when you can't vote (I just missed the age cutoff for the primaries by a month), any letters you send are either not replied to, replied to with a form response, or replied to with 'Sorry, I'm too busy to read your letter' (Yes, I actually got that response once from Hillary Clinton), and you only have enough money to donate a very limited amount to a very limited number of groups...what more is there to do? It's kinda hard to find time to volunteer when the majority of the kids here are already working two jobs on top of their school work.

There are so many endless ways and reasons for young Yankees to completely tune that awful mess out ...I think the real question is, why are so many of them interested at all when it hasn't cost them their ipods, television shows, internet, games, credit cards, etc.?

I can see it now: Dear ________, Congratulations on your 15th birthday.
Report to your nearest USA Patriot Youth barracks for induction basic training.

You will be mobilized for you duty US Middle Eastern Protected Territories assignment four weeks after Basic Training.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

It was hit early: when there's a draft.

Yeah, the soldiers in Iraq are college aged, but not college class. As long as the poor fight the war, no one will give a damn.