Today CNN’s Crossfire and FOX News’ Hannity & Colmes both featured segments about the draft. When I first heard what they would be talking about on Crossfire this afternoon I was relieved to find that the media was finally paying attention to the possibility of a military draft. But I soon discovered that this was by no means an informative debate about reinstating the draft. This was the start of an effort to make the American people comfortable with the idea of a return to the draft. The media war has begun.

In 2001 the Bush Administration used the fear and anger of a post-9/11 America to pass the USA Patriot Act, the greatest threat to American liberty in recent history. The act passed with virtually no debate, as opposing it would have been too much of a risk for a member of Congress in the days after September 11. But in a rare act of wisdom from the government, they did have to foresight to include a sunset clause that would make many of the Patriot Act’s most dangerous provisions expire in 2005. And so, “President” Bush launched his campaign to promote the act this week.

“slave (slav), n., v., slaved, slav ing. –n. 1. one who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant. 2. one entirely under the domination of some influence or person”
–Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language

So, I’ve been posting a lot lately about about the Universal National Service Act of 2003 (S. 89 and H.R. 163). It is a bill in Congress right now “to provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes.” In short, the act would reinstate the draft.

American politics is based on a two party system. The idea is basically that if you have two opposing parties, those on the left will prevent those on the right from going too far and vice versa. The result is a government that leans left or right at certain times but is moderate overall. But while the two party system may have its usefulness in terms of running government, it seems as though it has had an adverse effect on popular notions of political morality.