Would a New Draft Solve Military Inequality? | Michael Desch | Big Think
Would a New Draft Solve Military Inequality?
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Why might America’s respect for its military be a mile wide but less than an inch thick? Less than one half of one percent of its population serves, making civilians more cavalier about when and where to deploy its military, says Michael Desch, professor of political science and founding director of the Notre Dame International Security Center. When supporting our troops translates to flyovers at NFL games and skydiving events at NASCAR races, we fail to confront the sacrifice we actually make of the military men and women sent into harm’s way. Truly respecting our troops, and having confidence in their ability, means caring more about when and where they’re deployed. The Charles Koch Foundation aims to further understanding of how US foreign policy affects American people and societal well-being. Through grants, events, and collaborative partnerships, the Foundation is working to stretch the boundaries of foreign policy research and debate by discussing ideas in strategy, trade, and diplomacy that often go unheeded in the US capital. For more information, visit charleskochfoundation.org.
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MICHAEL DESCH:
Michael Desch is Professor and Director of the International Security Center at the University of Notre Dame. He was the founding Director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs and the first holder of the Robert M. Gates Chair in Intelligence and National Security Decision-Making at the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University from 2004 through 2008. Prior to that, he was Professor and Director of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky. From 1993 through 1998, he was Assistant Director and Senior Research Associate at the Olin Institute. He spent two years (1988-90) as a John M. Olin Post-doctoral Fellow in National Security at Harvard University’s Olin Institute for Strategic Studies and a year (1990-91) as a Visiting Scholar at the Center for International Studies at the University of Southern California before joining the faculty of Political Science at the University of California, Riverside (1991-1993).
He received his B.A. (With honors) in Political Science (1982) from Marquette University and his A.M. in International Relations (1984) and Ph.D. in Political Science (1988) from the University of Chicago. He has worked on the staff of a U.S. Senator, in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research at the Department of State, and in the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division of the Congressional Research Service.
He is author Cult of the Irrelevant: Political Science and the Relevance Question in American Foreign Policy (Princeton: Princeton University Press, forthcoming 2018); Privileged and Confidential: The Secret History of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2012) with Kenneth Michael Absher, Roman Popadiuk, and the 2006 Bush School Capstone Team; Power and Military Effectiveness: The Fallacy of Democratic Triumphalism (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008); Civilian Control of the Military: The Changing Security Environment (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999); and When the Third World Matters: Latin America and U.S. Grand Strategy (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993).
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MICHAEL DESCH: So if you ask most Americans, “Do they respect and have confidence in our men and women in uniform?” they will give a resounding “yes.”
But when you scratch the surface, this patina of respect for our military turns out to be a mile wide but less than an inch deep.
First of all very few Americans are willing to actually serve in uniform. During World War II—admittedly a total war and probably the peak of mobilization—about 13 percent of our population was in uniform. Today the military participation ratio is less than half of one percent.
And so the burden of America’s global presence has been borne disproportionately by a very small percentage of our society. And I don’t think there’s an easy fix to this.
Going back to a draft, for example, would not guarantee that the burden of service would be equally felt. And likewise there are all sorts of political and practical arguments about doing it.
Read the full transcript at https://bigthink.com/videos/michael-desch-does-america-really-respect-its-military-men-and-women
@franklinfalco9069
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
I believe there should be a public service draft for the same reason we pay taxes. It shouldn't have to be the army. Some people will always find ways to dodge the draft. Many people are against america's wars but they happened anyway.
@MrJasonworkman
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Congratulations you win the award for saying the most words with the least meeting. What exactly are you asking for?
@wcsxwcsx
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
His statements are true enough, but how can we who are just going about our daily lives in the civilian world evaluate when military force is necessary? We don't have the expertise. How can we civilians gain enough knowledge to judge this?
@johnclark3720
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
If we followed the Constitution, this wouldn't be an issue…a standing Army is not authorized. (Article 1, Section 8)
@chasesmith7826
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
I respect the individual women and men of the military. Every soldier/officer has their own reasons for joining the military. But, as mentioned in the video, I don't respect a military that, will send their people off to die and kill for anything less than unequivocally dire reasons. Respect the human and their sacrifice but fuck the military complex that would abuse that gift.
@LimitIsIllusion
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
I respect the people that are willing to give their life for mine. I don't respect the people the are in charge of them when they throw them into useless wars that are misguided. That's it, it's literally that simple. They aren't fighting for my life anymore. I'm only on the team of the defensive tactics and the offensive ones needed to directly protect from future need for defensive action.
@tomsawyer8525
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
First off , if you missed the beginning this is put out by the Koch Brothers. Nuff said? Here is why I agree somewhat with a draft with no one being able to avoid. I think if we had a draft where everyone would serve in a reserve capacity with 4 to 6 months active duty followed by two years of monthly drills and two years inactive most men would have no problem. With this plan in place the full time force would be able to cut back . Having this many people participating would also inhibit politicians from exploring military options for profit or world engineering. Most people are all for defense but not for empire building. The US spends more on defense than the top seven countries combined yet when a problem arises we have to look to the reserves to carry the weight. We are not getting the most for the money we are presently spending but I strongly suspect the Koch Brothers are only advocating this in some way to ensure they make even more money.
@rabbitpunch1422
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
So wtf is his point?
@yuriyanu2694
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Why so many dislikes? The draft is compulsory labor, in other words: slavery, and Desch is merely suggesting that our politicians ought not send our fellow Americans to die in senseless wars.
@LeonidasGGG
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
But does the Military respect America?
@dh3073
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Fuck this.
@shadfurman
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
I have respect for people of virtue, not for military, not for police, not for magical government.
@Vicioussama
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
as long as the rich can't get out of the draft like before.
@luciusvorenus9445
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
If there is any arena in which the participants' opinion and views of members of the Armed Forces need to be reevaluated, it is NOT NASCAR or NFL events. Rather it is the ivory tower this speaker lives in and the campuses that employ individuals like him. Those arenas cast a far dimmer and shallow view of members of the Armed Forces and veteran communities than NASCAR or NFL fans.
Clean up your back yard first, professor.
@natechaney4096
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
This guy needs to pick up his speech cadence. Makes a good point but is fumbling over his words and hard to listen to. Honestly most people cannot make the basic physical height, weight and fitness level to even qualify.
@milesblue638
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Bring back the draft and make sure every able-bodied and minded person of age, including the rich, are included. No deferrals, no exemptions. Maybe then people will give a fuck about when and where we send our military to kill and be killed. As long as only a small number serve, the rest of the country will enthusiastically send them off to war.
@Hadowsay019
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
What a shitty presentation holy shit. My prof would've failed me if i turned this in
@DonDavidsGlass
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
This guy has his head up his ass. Security for our Country? We have the largest military in the world by more than 25 times that of our top 5 allies. Dwarfing anything our enemies could possibly produce.
@ricksanchez4984
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Big think ,Not exactly thinking big on this one
@speedtuff
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Propaganda. Wants more people in the military for what more wars of course. He wants the propaganda sold at foot ball games to work, and have blind Faith because it's good LMAO.
@billnye5598
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
We are currently intervening in 7 different countries, if we had a draft and middle class men were sent to those shitholes to die there would br massive anti war protests, just like during vietnam, but since its poor people nobody cares and we wast thousands of anerican lives and 700 billion dollars per year. bring back the draft, bring back americans caring about all the wars we're in, bring back common sense.
@creamsykle
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Military service is for poor people. My father served, my brother served, myself, and none of my children will ever serve if i have anything to say about it. We fight wars that do not benefit anyone except the rich, and mostly only poor people die
@justicegentry7939
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
what a misleading thumbnail
@Benjoe06
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Of 216 comments, there's maybe 50 commenters who actually watched the video. Are we so quick to judgment that we can't give a person 3 minutes to make a point? If we would actually hear each other, maybe we'd have a shot at making our world better.
@wanderlula
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
We don’t need a draft. We need to stop America’s constant appetite for imperialism. Fat, old, rich men sit in golden towers and send young men to attack and kill innocent people. Why don’t you make a video on the cluster bombs we keep giving Saudi so that they can bomb and kill millions of people in Yemen. Blind patriotism is a scary thing when you live in a country that actively bullies the entire world with no regard for human life.
@J0shReed
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
I'll respect them with my tax dollars.
@Veganophob
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
americans and their military fetish…
@watchulla
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
They are making military smaller now. Robots are taking over, we don't need more troops. The rich should get drafted without doctor referrals.
@marcuscoster6529
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Well jeez we've already got a big enough military, what percent of the country do you think should be serving? You looking to beat China's standing force?
@charliem123321
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Thanks for the video, much appreciated 👍
@mjt1517
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
Sorry, the government doesn't own its citizens.
No fucking draft unless the nation's actual existence is at stake.
You want to fight wars for central banks? Go fight them yourself.
@northwestgirl930
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 am
This is possibly the worst video ever produced on YouTube. F outta here
Comments are closed.