Let us deal with a few facts.
Costs:
One of the Generals, one who seems to have let his own
people run amok, says we should draft everyone, for two to three years of
Universal Service. Let’s take a look at the costs. Now the Census shows the
following age groups[1]:
|
Age
|
Number
|
Percent Total
Population
|
|
15 to 19 years
|
22,040,343
|
7.1
|
|
20 to 24 years
|
21,585,999
|
7.0
|
|
25 to 29 years
|
21,101,849
|
6.8
|
|
30 to 34 years
|
19,962,099
|
6.5
|
|
Total
|
84,690,290
|
27.4
|
|
|
|
|
So let us begin. Do we draft a group? Say we draft anyone 20
to 24 years of age for three years. That is 7% of the population and some 22
million people. That is a rather big Army but let us assume our Generals have
thought through this process, after all they are the one running our Wars and
also the NSA. They are real smart, are they not?
So we have 22 million taken from colleges, jobs, startup
companies, Medical School and the like, we take them for three years, and we
send them to where? Well, most would never make the Marines, they have
standards, the Navy has just about 300 ships, and at most a third are active at
a time, so the Navy really does not need them, the Air Force is using drones,
so well that does not require much, the Coast Guard is not in DoD so we
eliminate the, thus they all must go into the Army. To manage them we need thousands
of more Generals, and thus West Point is happy. But let us look at the costs. A
prisoner costs $100K to $150K per year to maintain.
Let is assume we treat the
Army grunts the same, say $100K per year in food, uniforms, housing, health
care, benefits etc. Thus we must spend $2.2 Trillion annually for the crowd. Yes,
bottom line, with no other stuff, not even bullets, it adds $2.2 Trillion.
Perhaps these Generals did not learn math at West Point. As we know, no good
Army General would be unable to find tanks, mortars and the like to train these
folks on, thus easily doubling the amount! Make it a round added $5 Trillion!
Loss of Opportunity
Thus we take the best and brightest out of their education
process and have them do what? Send them to what war? Peel potatoes. The Army,
when loaded with people, spends a great deal of time peeling potatoes and
sweeping parade grounds, it is “hurry up and wait”. But what of the people? We
take them from colleges, graduate schools, Medical Schools, and send them
where? To the Army? Why? Because some General believes we should have everyone “serve”.
What does he think the entrepreneur is doing? He or she is creating new
businesses, new technologies, and new opportunities, often despite our
Government. Serving is an interesting idea but it appears that these generals
just want more bodies to push around. Think of all the start-up companies that
will never happen and the loss of any chance to a China or other aggressive country.
Fighting Enemies has changed
Fighting our enemies, yes we have enemies, have changed or
should be changing. We have few enemies who are “countries”. Not that it could
not change, but at the present time we most likely will not go to war with
China or Russia, frankly it would be devastating and there is little cause.
Secondly or enemies are groups with belief systems alien to ours. They are not
amassed in large armies that blend with the populace and to fight them we need
alternative means which are pari passu with theirs. Namely we need intelligence
networks and covert operations. We need the folks at the bar in Istanbul or at
the market in Islamabad. We have to have flows of information from the mechanic
in Bangkok or the baker in Mumbai. Then to join the enemy we need covert forces
who do not announce themselves and a Government who takes no “credit” for the
neutralization of the problems. The tanks and Carriers have at best a tertiary
role. Thus it begs the question of what the good Generals want to do with all
these people.
Thus when one listens to these Generals we need only ask;
how much does it costs, what do we risk as a loss, and how are we dealing with
our real enemies? The simple answer is that in no case do we need to draft 22
million people. Thus to paraphrase McArthur, “Generals should just fade away”
and “keep quiet”.
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