Long and Interesting Article

from the New York Times about the changing face of the armed forces.

The military is far more integrated today than in the past, and more women than ever before are serving, but the wealthy still tend to shun it. In the old days of the Vietnam War, when there was a draft, kids from wealthy families tended to get student deferments or go the the National Guard or go AWOL from the latter, while people from lower socioeconomic classes ended up serving. Now with the draft abolished, those who volunteer in the military are better educated, but not surprisingly, few kids of priviledge want to demean themselves by serving their country. The article also notes military service now is almost like a family affair, with sons and daughters of those who served in the military serving themselves. Many are concerned a "warrior class" has developed, with a big shift of military officers going from voting independent to the Republican Party.

That's one of the motives behind the push to reinstate the draft, to equalize this state of affairs. Another, more hidden motive, is to encourage more protest on the part of young people against (in this case at least) an illegal war.