Introduction
Patriotism has been around for decades and many believe this word to be defined as a love for one’s country; however, that definition might have changed in the twenty-first century. The military is a vast part of patriotism and the understanding of what the military stands for has changed since the draft was voided. Now, men and women can freely choose to fight in war for their country instead of being given a number and told when the number was called, they would have to go. Men and women can now choose for themselves if they want to go into the military or choose another path of life. This choice is what this paper is based on.
When men and women were called for the draft, the opportunity of receiving a college education was taken away. Men fought for their right to attend college and gain something greater than a fighting career. Once the draft was annulled, the hope, or rather expectation, was for more men to attend college and obtain a degree. It seems now that more men (and women) are going into the military and then going back to school for their degree. So the question becomes, why? Why is there more people entering the military now than ever before? In order to answer this question, the history of the draft has to be studied. In this paper, I will analyze the history of the draft up to the present through a Marxist and a Structualist point of view. Through these views, the statistics of the draft will be better understood.
History
On September 16, 1940, the Selective Training and Service Act was passed which obligated all men ages twenty-one and forty-five to register for the draft. Every man was placed into a lottery, and if the name was called, he was obligated to serve a term of one year unless the United States was at war. Once his time was completed, he would not be called again. By the end of World War II, fifty million men were registered into the lottery and ten million had served their time in the military.
Prior to World War II, the draft was a common ground and expected notion of men. The draft was a fact of life for male youth in America (Warner and Asch 169). Men understood that there was a possibility of going to war and an even greater chance of being chosen out of the lottery. Many did not question the policy of the draft because up until then, it had been working. The draft was also limited to a specific amount of time, and once that time was served, the individual did not have to worry about being called again since he served his time.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the one to sign the Selective Training and Service Act in 1940 that required men to be drafted. President Roosevelt felt that it was necessary to have trained soldiers ready to fight, and instead of anticipating volunteers, he mandated men to train and fight for a war.
World War II caused the term of a draft to be extended for every soldier. The soldiers who were picked and drafted threatened to leave once their year of service was up. Although several soldiers abandoned the war once their year was up, the draft remained in place, and many were beginning to volunteer for those who left. Professor Blum argues that, “when war disappears, the draft will disappear” (Grossman 329). Since war still occurring, President Roosevelt did not feel comfortable suspending the draft. He chose to be safe and protect his country in a way he saw fit.
As World War II slowly came to an end, society, and in particular men, were beginning to detest war and the required draft. After World War II, the argument of a volunteer force being more effective than a draft force came into place (Warner and Asch 170). Creating a volunteer force would allow anyone who wanted to fight (including women in later years). In order to decide if a volunteer force would be ideal, the outcomes of both forces had to be addressed. In Figure 1, the outcomes of a volunteer and random lottery draft are examined. The figure contains many letters, and each letter represents either a voluntary force, a random lottery, or both. When creating a voluntary based military, more costs and factors are observed. The most important of these factors are compensation (Wm/d). The benefits of a volunteer force would have to be great enough to bring people in. Ultimately, a random lottery draft is ideal, but so many disliked the lottery that it was put on reserve and the voluntary force was instated.
The draft was suspended in 1973, and the voluntary force was put into full swing. With entrance into the military being voluntary, men would now be allowed to attend school and receive an education to better themselves for the future. Now the history of the draft is understood, the cost of education in 1973 and now must be observed.
Education: Benefit of Reason for War?
Since 1973, the cost of living has risen drastically. The United States experienced many ups and downs economically throughout the years and especially in the current period. The cost of education has not missed this spectrum, and has risen twenty-seven percent from 2008-pressent (CollegeBoard). This high percentage limits those who can attend college based on the amount that they can afford. If financial aid cannot cover the cost, those looking to go to college cannot attend. This is when becoming a volunteer militant looks more appealing then struggling to pay for college.
In today’s society, more and more men (and women) are joining the military than ever before. Instead of going to college, men and women are choosing to enter the military and giving their time to their country. This change came about because militants are receiving benefits after serving their time. The new trend is now serving a duty and then going to college with the benefits one receives from fighting for the country. These benefits, like the GI Bill, are allowing the individuals to attend college by paying little to nothing at all. With the way that the economy is at the moment, this is the best tactic for people to afford attending colleges and universities. Figure 2 shows the total of people enlisted in each occupational group associated with the military.
Figure 2: (From Bureau of Labor Statistics):
Enlisted
Total enlisted personnel in each occupational group
Administrative occupations
53,949
Combat Specialty occupations
175,397
Construction occupations
34,303
Electronic and Electrical Equipment Repair occupations
136,143
Engineering, Science, and Technical occupations
163,097
Health Care occupations
75,820
Human Resource Development occupations
31,141
Machine Operator and Production occupations
24,174
Media and Public Affairs occupations
19,097
Protective Service occupations
81,427
Support Service occupations
28,411
Transportation and Material Handling occupations
157,694
Vehicle and Machinery Mechanic occupations
167,869
Non-occupation or unspecified coded personnel
14,303
Total enlisted personnel for each military branch and Coast Guard
1,162,8
From this research, it is clear to see that whether an individual chooses to go to war or to college, the government is still having a say in the matter. The government is still at the root of the problem and continues to have the control whether it be having volunteers to fight the war or struggling to pay for a college education. With all the preliminary research done, this paper can now move into viewing the draft through critical perspectives. The two theories that will be used to analyze the draft are: a Marxist Perspective and a Structualist Perspective.
The Draft Through a Marxist Perspective
Marxism is a theory that was developed by Karl Marx. He believed that the working class would eventually revolt against the dominant class due to oppression. To begin his argument upon Marxism, Williams states that social being determines consciousness (407). This statement in itself can be used to analyze the draft. Individuals realize that by serving their country, they are rewarded with a college education at a lower cost. This consciousness of deducted college expenses allows the social being to decide upon entering into the military
William argues that within Marxism, there are two stages: superstructure and base (408-409). In relation to Marxism, the base represents a process. In this case, the process is the draft. According to the definition of Marxism, the base is what causes the oppression. Fifty years ago, men were mandated to serve in the military and enter the draft. This requirement caused oppression because men were not allowed to attend school if they were called to the draft. Today, there is no set draft, and entering the military is on a voluntary basis; however, more people than every before are joining. Society is still oppressed, but those reasons of oppression have greatly changed. Now, society is oppressed because receiving an undergraduate education is not affordable. Individuals have realized that obtaining an education is more economical after serving their time and receiving compensation.
This then leads to the topic of hegemony. Hegemony has general notions of totality that emphasize domination (413). Hegemonic practices are those that are deemed normal or acceptable for society. Fifty years ago, it was acceptable to have a draft in place. It was acceptable to make men go into the military and fight for their country. Today, it is acceptable to have a voluntary based military. It is acceptable to make colleges and universities as expensive as possible. It is acceptable for the government to pay for ones education if they voluntarily give their time to their country. The entire Marxist theory shows that whether there is a draft or not, society is still oppressed and controlled by the ruling class (government) because they are still getting people to fight for them and go to war.
The Draft Through a Structualist Perspective
Structuralism studies and analyses the behaviors of a being. Eagleton fluently states, “it springs from the collective subject of the human race itself” (81). Structuralism studies language and how it is used to determine an understanding. Through this perspective, there is a sign. The sign is comprised of two parts: the signified and the signifier. The two parts represent a concept and a sound-image. This simply means that society understands meaning based on how the society uses it. The meaning that society understands through this paper is the draft. Fifty years ago, it was socially acceptable that a draft was implemented. It was understood that the government issued draft meant that if the government called you would need to go and serve your country. Today, it is socially acceptable, if not honorable, to go into the military. Society understands there to be rewards for working for your country.
Structuralism, in literature, focuses on the content of the story rather than the form. The same goes for investigating the draft. If looking at the content rather than the form, it can be seen that there is a reason why people are going into the military voluntarily. The government gives those who enter the military so many rewards and honors that it is almost an irresistible offer. Using the structualist approach, it can be seen that going into the military is almost a prize in today’s society rather than a dread.
Conclusion
The draft and education have two very important similarities: the controversy among them that will never end. Today’s world is just a loophole of getting ahead and accomplishing what you can by doing what you can do. If a student decides to attend college, then he or she must find a means of payment that will allocate for four years if not more. If the student takes out loans, then interest will be charged on those loans and he or she will end up paying more for a degree than ever imagined. Unfortunately, today’s job market does not guarantee a job, and voluntarily entering the military is beginning to look like a better option.
When an individual voluntarily joins the military, they are weighing out the benefits and the negatives. The benefits of joining the military are receiving an almost all paid for education once their time is served. The negative of joining is the risk of losing your life. In today’s society, more are willing to risk their life to receive a free education than struggle and pay for a lifetime for a four-year commitment.
The sad truth is that all these difficulties relate back to the dominant figure which is the government. Even though the United States is a democracy, it still is able to find its own loopholes to maintain its power. The loophole is making education nearly impossible to afford. The government then makes the next best option to becoming a militant. The government highlights education in order to find a good job, yet does not highlight the hidden costs. The draft is just one way out of many that the government uses to control and oppress its citizens.
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