Rob Schneider on Why Everyone Should Be Drafted

And a question for Rob.

My latest Hoover article for Defining Ideas will be published later today. It’s about various arguments for the draft.

I didn’t have room to deal with Rob Schneinder’s point. In March, he wrote on X:

We must once again recommit ourselves to one Nation under God, indivisible.

Therefore, we must restore the military draft for our Nation’s young people.

Each and every American, at eighteen years of age, must serve two years of military service. They could also choose to serve part of that time overseas or in country in a volunteer capacity.

Being a citizen of the United States gives us unparalleled Freedoms and opportunities that are the envy of the world.

However, these Freedoms that we cherish do not come without a cost.

By protecting and preserving these Freedoms, young people, regardless of race, creed or religion will be united in service to their country and just as importantly, to each other.

Many Nations around the world require their young citizens to serve their country. Until recently, our Nation did as well.

Let’s consider each in turn and then I’ll end with a question for Rob.

Notice the “Therefore” after his statement “We must once again recommit ourselves to one Nation under God, indivisible.” How does one imply the other? I’m missing the connection.

After saying that each American must serve two years of military service, he gives an out: You can be a volunteer. I do not think that word means what Rob thinks it means. To be able to volunteer, you need to be able to say no. But then you’re back to compulsory military service.

He’s right that many of our freedoms are ones that are the envy of the world. One of them is that young people get to choose what jobs to have.

He ends by reminding us that many other countries’ governments require some kind of service. Rob thinks, as do I, that we are special. Does it occur to him that one thing that makes us special is that our government doesn’t threaten people with prison sentences for not joining the military?

Also, he says that until recently, our government (he uses the word “Nation”) required young citizens to serve their country. Let’s see. We have not had a draft for 53 years, which is essentially two generations. What is his idea of the meaning of “recently?”

A question I would like to ask Rob if I met him:

You were never in the military. Yet you seem to think that military service is good for people. In what way would you be a better person if you had been in the military?