Fight the draft!

MIM on the draft/conscription

  • Draft update October 11, 2004
  • Draft update October 2, 2004
  • Draft update July 11, 2004
  • June 8, 2004: Bush gets a break: UN Security Council legitimizes war on Iraq
  • May 25, 2004: Bush says it again: More troops in Iraq possible
  • Draft update May 18, 2004
  • Draft update May 9, 2004
  • How we know the draft is coming, (April 12, 2004)
  • See also, our web page on Iraq

    Organizing Materials

    Voices on the draft

    Radio stations: If you want to use these interviews, simply credit us the following way: "This interview is from the Maoist Internationalist Movement website." ("Maoist" is pronounced as in "ouch," not "mayonnaise.") The following files are .wav format. All interviews were in connection to distribution of MIM Notes 301 on April 28th, 2004 or in the days thereafter. From what we know the draft would be for ages 18 to 26, both genders.
    Aztlán
  • Young worker says draft would be "bullshit"
  • 17-year-old womyn says "too many soldiers dying"
  • SPANISHLa guerra es muy mala.

    Delaware

    AGAINST

  • University of Delaware student says she would not "be good" at fighting
  • University of Delaware Black student opposes
  • University of Delaware Black student says it's similar to past wars
  • University of Delaware womyn does not think of herself, just her brother

    FOR

  • U. of Delaware student says she'd serve after seeing Berg decapitation
  • Another womyn points to decapitation video

    NOT SURE

  • University of Delaware womyn not sure females would be drafted

    Apologies, I accidentally destroyed a batch of interviews, 5 FOR serving in the draft and 2 AGAINST from the University of Delaware.

    Indiana
    AGAINST

  • Indiana University, Purdue student opposes draft
  • Indiana U. Purdue elementary ed. major opposes draft
  • Informatics student says he would not go

    FOR

  • Kelly School of Business student says he'd serve
  • Indiana U. Purdue alum from Russian Jewish vets' family says he'd serve
  • 23-year-old student says he'd serve

    Michigan
    AGAINST

  • Central Michigan University student will resist draft as "un-American"
  • Michigan high school student will resist
  • First year CMU student thinks he'd resist
  • Dental hygiene student says she disagrees with the draft
  • Michigan State student "would definitely resist"
  • Michigan State student says Bush is an "idiot"
  • MSU student: War is to "promote capitalist interests"
  • MSU student: Pre-emptive war is "absurd"
  • MSU student wants to leave country anyway
  • MSU womyn wouldn't do it
  • MSU womyn wants to address problems at home
  • High school student does not believe in the war
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor student says no case has been made for war
  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor student says not "doing much good there"
  • U. of MI, Ann Arbor Black student says draft is good to draw attention but not to send more people
  • U. of MI, Ann Arbor student says she'd resist but it would "irresponsible" to leave Iraq now
  • U. of MI, Ann Arbor student thinks he'll avoid draft by going to grad school (not necessarily true)
  • Ann Arbor 28-year-old says he'd try to get out of it (too old hopefully)
  • Ann Arbor man between schools says it's a "stupid war"
  • U. of MI student says war is "bullshit"
  • Bosnian exchange student says she would go back to Europe (not eligible)
  • German exchange student says it's "really bad for the soldiers" (not eligible)

    FOR

  • Wayne State student would like to "fight for my country"
  • University of Michigan Ann Arbor Black student says he'd defend the united $tates "by any means necessary"
  • Future military student in Ann Arbor says Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons on his own people
  • U. of MI, Ann Arbor chemical engineering student would go but think about not going
  • U. of MI, Ann Arbor senior would go while disagreeing with it

    NOT SURE

  • MSU student says she's torn between opposing war and being a patriot
  • Ann Arbor man wants to serve his country but "fuck the draft"

    New Jersey
    AGAINST

  • Rutgers genetics student says we're losing "freedom" here, can't bring it to Iraqis
  • Rutgers environmental policy student says we should see through spin-doctoring

    FOR

  • Future Kerry? Princeton student would serve but oppose war
  • Princeton student "would go with a grudge"

    Ohio
    AGAINST

  • Ohio State University, Columbus student says he would resist
  • Ohio State, Columbus resister
  • Ohio State, Columbus 29-year-old womyn says she'd resist (hopefully too old)
  • Ohio State, Columbus womyn hopes not
  • Ohio State womyn "not to go."
  • OSU 19-year-old male says "it's not necessary."
  • 21-year-old off from school says he would resist
  • Wright State University student says we should not be "messing up" other countries
  • Antioch sociology major says he opposes it

    FOR

  • Ohio State, Columbus student in economics says he would serve
  • Ohio State, Columbus senior
  • Ohio State, Columbus 29-year-old says he would go (luckily probably too old)
  • Ohio State, Columbus pharmacy major says he'd go
  • OSU, says he would go

    Pennsylvania
    AGAINST

  • Four highly aware Black students at Swarthmore discuss the draft (turn up volume)(18 megs), May 16 2004
  • Black gay Swarthmore student says they would kick him out for being "out"
  • Bryn Mawr student opposes the draft
  • Bryn Mawr 20-year-old student opposes the draft
  • Pacifist opposes it
  • Black youth says he'd go to jail instead
  • Black youth says Bush administration did not convince him
  • Philadelphia student says she'd leave the country
  • U. Penn student feels put on the spot, but leans against
  • Another pacifist at U. Penn completely opposes the war
  • Philadelphia Black youth opposes
  • Black student at U. Penn does not trust the government; will go to Mexico
  • Black student at Penn State disagrees with war
  • Trinidad and Tobago student says she would not want to participate in the torture
  • Black youth would not leave his son alone for a dubious war
  • Another Black youth in Philadelphia would resist
  • Carnegie Mellon University womyn says pull out of Iraq
  • Actor at Carnegie Mellon University says war unnecessary
  • Carnegie Mellon University computer science major says he would not go if drafted
    FOR
  • PA Culinary Institute student says he would die for "my country"
  • Another Culinary Institute student (womyn) says she would "die for my country"

    Wisconsin

    AGAINST

  • U.W.-Madison student says would not go
  • U.W.-Madison business student says she'd be upset
  • U.W.-Madison astronomy student says it's an "illegal war."
  • Disabled 36-year-old says he's against
  • U.W.-Madison business student says doesn't want to go to war at this time
  • U.W.-Madison student says a lot of "soldiers are losing their life for nothing"
  • U.W.-Madison Afro-American studies major says Amerika can't bring "democracy" to Iraq
  • U.W.-Madison womyn, "I oppose the war all together, so why would I want to go over there?"
  • U.W.-Madison student says we've "been lied to"
  • U.W.-Osh Kosh student would not go
  • U.W.-Osh Kosh student is "morally opposed" to the war
  • U.W.-Osh Kosh student says people shouldn't die for what they do not believe in
  • U.W.-Osh Kosh student says he would only go to avoid jail
  • U.W.-Green Bay student opposes draft
  • Another Green Bay student against draft
  • Green Bay social work major would resist
  • Green Bay womyn says she would not want family to worry about her
  • Green Bay womyn says "the war sucks"
    FOR
  • 23-year-old University of Wisconsin-Parkside student says he'd go to Iraq
  • University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students says he'd go with "mixed emotions"
  • U. W.-Milwaukee says he'd go because Saddam Hussein was bad
  • U.W.-Milwaukee film major would go to stay out of trouble
  • U.W.-Milwaukee conservative says she was thinking of going anyway
  • U.W.-Madison womyn says she'd go
  • U.W.-Madison student says it's "required to do"
  • U.W.-Madison student says she has "pride" in her country
  • U.W.-Osh Kosh student says he would go
  • U.W.-Green Bay womyn would do her "duty"
  • Another Green Bay womyn would like to "serve" her country
  • Green Bay womyn says it would be "fine" to serve alongside men
    NOT SURE
  • U.W.-Milwaukee student says he was thinking of Army anyway, would resist but maybe go
  • U.W.-Madison student "up in the air"

    MIM interviewed over 100 draft-age youth as part of its "Voices of the Draft" project to put some concrete facts on the question of the political position of youth on today's war in Iraq. We found a wide range of opinion, but it is clear both that millions of youth would serve in a draft but many more millions would actively oppose it.

    When a real draft comes down, we expect an immense politicization. Right now, we have encountered many students who even claimed they don't know anything about the war in Iraq and could not give an opinion on the draft. The question is whether the rulers want to politicize these fence-sitters not paying much attention to politics or whether the rulers are better off not doing so given that the numbers are likely not to break their way. At MIM we believe that the rulers get themselves into situations where they have no choice but to politicize people, sometimes in situations they the rulers do not want to be in, such as the war in Iraq with public opinion steadily sliding against the "costs."

    Even of those willing to serve if drafted, many would oppose the war. We expect that many others would end up struggling politically with their peers.

    Half of those interviewed appeared white while another half appeared to be from oppressed nationalities. We found four Blacks and one Asian ethnicity persyn willing to serve in the draft. All the other pro-draft opinion came from whites. Michigan white students seemed the most opposed among whites while Delaware students seemed most for.

    The Black opinion that we encountered in Philadelphia was most steadfast against the war.

    Among wimmin, many had not heard that the Congress was considering drafting them and some refused to believe it. This points to at least one factor in which female biology leads to de-politicization. Even though the people interviewed are too young to remember the Vietnam War, many used the Vietnam draft as their reference point.