Althouse: I'm on the NYT website, talking about women and the draft.

October 18, 2008

I'm on the NYT website, talking about women and the draft.

Here.

That's excerpted from this episode of Bloggingheads and my underlying blog post on the subject is here.

26 comments:

Wince said...: It's my understanding that Bill Clinton supports including women in any possible draft, especially when they come out of the shower.; 10/18/08, 10:29 AM
rcocean said...: Take the women on "The View" first, and I'm all for it.; 10/18/08, 10:30 AM
Meade said...: Yes, but only post-menopausal women. I've seen a few in combat. Deadly.; 10/18/08, 10:45 AM
George M. Spencer said...: Your contention presupposes an apocalyptic scenario in which American men are being wholesale slaughtered in vast numbers and must, if I understand you, of dire necessity be replaced by women on the battlefield.

If that were happening, we would be deep in the gravy , and the public would be tolerating lots of other bad stuff, too.

The contention that America wouldn't "tolerate" the drafting of women is like saying in 1946 that America won't stand for pants-wearing women commuting to work as executives and men staying home as househusbands. Times change.; 10/18/08, 10:53 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I say that America would tolerate forcing woman into battle.; 10/18/08, 11:01 AM
Ann Althouse said...: Women.; 10/18/08, 11:01 AM
Meade said...: O. George is right: times change. Now, it will be boys saying yes to girls who say no.; 10/18/08, 11:02 AM
rhhardin said...: Limbaugh has a fine riff on the PMS Amazon batallion (real audio)

My favorite advantage: women retain water so would be good in the desert.

May 28, 2004.; 10/18/08, 11:09 AM
Synova said...: So... has anyone tried to deal with the idea of pregnancy yet?

Sorry I didn't think of that last time, but it seems a sure fire way of keeping one's self from being subject to the draft.

Sort of like solving the problem of being a virgin sacrifice to a dragon...

So...; 10/18/08, 11:25 AM
reader_iam said...: Synova: Forced birth control coupled with forced abortion could take care of that!; 10/18/08, 11:35 AM
Synova said...: Synova: Forced birth control coupled with forced abortion could take care of that!

Okay, we're good then.; 10/18/08, 11:46 AM
Trooper York said...: Think of Special Forces we could have.

The mother-in-law battalion.

Those terrorists would shit their pants.; 10/18/08, 12:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I mean, would not.

America would not tolerate forcing women into battle.; 10/18/08, 12:26 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Sorry I didn't think of that last time, but it seems a sure fire way of keeping one's self from being subject to the draft."

Well, that's exactly why we should draft them then. If they don't want to go, they will serve by producing a new soldier for us.; 10/18/08, 12:27 PM
Wince said...: they will serve by producing a new soldier for us.

For Sparta! Sounds like bad dialogue taken from the movie 300.

Take my kid, please.; 10/18/08, 1:32 PM
cardeblu said...: The Draft--yet another reason not to vote dem...cough{Rangle}cough.

As far as "forcing women into combat," I agree with Ann; I don't think Americans would go for it. However, imo, if a woman is able to do what a man can do and is willing to do such, then she should be allowed--as long as the standards and requirements are not changed.

Not to be too general, but there are things women do better than men, and vice versa. Drafting women into certain positions (and I don't mean just secretarial, medical, etc) would be fine. Using the different strengths of each can work to our advantage.

I would be comfortable with the above only if it is deemed absolutely, positively necessary to enforce a draft at all. So far, that hasn't been the case as there are enough "rough men who stand ready." I just worry about a change in that attitude if Barry, Harry and Nancy (and Rangel) come to full power.; 10/18/08, 1:50 PM
Nichevo said...: Blogger EDH said...

they will serve by producing a new soldier for us.

For Sparta! Sounds like bad dialogue taken from the movie 300.

Actually sounds more Nazi-like. I mean, exactly Nazi-like.

Take my kid, please.

Never mind moveon.org - a union put their name on that?!?; 10/18/08, 3:25 PM
Anonymous said...: one thing i know on this campus of young women:

they can drink just like sailors (the male variety) many have tiny beer guts already. Quite a few could use six weeks in basic training to get rid of that bulge hiding under their empire waistline dresses.; 10/18/08, 3:31 PM
George M. Spencer said...: Women of the Israeli Army

If I were the Arabs, I would surrender already.

(via Boingboing); 10/18/08, 4:22 PM
blake said...: There was a hugely popular thread on one of the Israeli fora not too long ago.

This, I think.; 10/18/08, 4:46 PM
DaveW said...: Professor, if I may, I think you are making a mistake in believing that Obama wants to register women so they could be drafted into the military to defend the US.

I believe what's rattling around in the back of his mind is how he's going to conscript people for his civilian service corps (or whatever he decides to call it).

After all, he said he wants to do that during the primary. So he's about to have a mandate for that.

Um, here you go:

July 2, 2008 "We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."; 10/18/08, 7:11 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Dave W, I agree and say something like that in the longer version of the clip at the bhtv site.; 10/18/08, 7:19 PM
DaveW said...: Ah, sorry then. I haven't seen the whole thing.

I pretty much gave up on BHTV and only watch clips linked by a few people.; 10/18/08, 7:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Ann, I'm impressed. In your blogging heads debate, you were strong, passionate and effective on this issue.

A question. In Israel's recent war with Lebanon, did female members of the IDF serve in the infantry? If so, do you know how it turned out?; 10/19/08, 1:20 AM
blake said...: According to Red Eye's Andy Levy, 487 women served in combat during the last conflict.

(I haven't researched it myself.); 10/19/08, 4:01 AM
Anonymous said...: who wants to watch blogging heads?

Ann, I'll challenge you to blogging abs or blogging asses.

Shhh. quiet, you don't have to say a word. Just esp the debate into their heads.; 10/19/08, 11:20 AM