It's a simple case. If an individual receives benefits and protections provided by the society, the individual should be obliged to protect the society. The question is, how much of an obligation is there?
To staff our military only with volunteers provides us with a military composed of the brave, the patriotic, and the economically disadvantaged. It offers a complete pass to the cowardly, the greedy, the lazy, the indifferent, and the elitists.
While one could make a case that the military is better off without such a bunch of misfits, our country is not better off by allowing the majority of our citizens to ignore their responsibility to our society.
All citizens do not have to serve in the military. All citizens should face the equal chance of serving in the military. Volunteers should compose a maximum of 75% of the military. At least 25% of the military should be drafted randomly.
Both young men and women should be drafted, in proportion to their ratio in the voluntary military. For example, if the volunteer military is made up of 80% men, then the draft should go for 80% men and 20% women. Rich and poor should be drafted...a senator's child or a professor's child should face the same odds of being drafted as any other citizen.
At its heart, the issue of the draft is a moral issue. Those who may benefit most from the liberty provided by most open and free society in the history of the world must be willing to defend that society.
The vast majority of citizens would still not serve in the military. But it is important that all citizens accept the risks of protecting their country. They must be willing to serve if their number comes up.
Those who are called can forever be proud they were willing to risk all for their country.
The draft falls within the parameters of the 80/20 philosophy. Far less than 20% of the pool composed of those of draft age will ever be drafted, unless we become involved in a major war.
And, if the draft were for 2 years active duty and 2 years active reserve, even a draftee's commitment would be for around 5% of an average lifespan.
If one wished to compensate a draftee for this loss of time, veteran benefits for education and home purchase should be extended, as well as preferential treatment in employment after leaving the service.
