War with Iran? No need to worry
JACK BREEZLEY
If you have been keeping up with the news, or social media lately, you have probably heard or seen Iran in headlines. Memes about World War 3 and the draft, along with headlines about dangerous tensions with Iran have taken over the internet, and have many worried. To understand why people are worried though, it’s necessary to take a step back and understand what led to this point. On January 3rd, 2020, the United States conducted a missile strike in Iraq effectively assassinating Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian Military General. Following this airstrike, the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq came under siege by Iranian and Iraqi civilians. Soleimani was regarded as a terrorist and was on the FBI’s Most Wanted List (NPR), and according to President Trump and the Pentagon, was responsible for the killing of Anti-Muslims in the Middle East (NPR). Soleimani was a “celebrity-like” figure in Iran, and a Major General in the Iranian Quds. Quds, a branch of Iran’s military, is a secretive special operations and spy agency. The Quds have been viewed as extremists by the Western World, mainly for “swearing to reclaim land from Israel,” (BBC). It is not hard to understand why Soleimani was a target for the USA and other allies. Immediately following the missile strike, the US claimed responsibility and Iran vowed “crushing revenge.” Following up on Iran’s promise, on January 7th, Iran launched 12 missiles at two US military bases in Iraq. It was reported that there were no casualties, however there was damage to multiple buildings and aircraft hangers (NPR). Finally, on January 8th, President Trump announced that the US would not resort to violence currently, but would instead turn to stricter and more punishing economic sanctions and would ask North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) members to do the same. Trump also warned of the US’s supreme military power over Iran, along with comparable allies (BBC). Following the original airstrike killing Soleimani, many social media “memes” were created. These memes surrounding ‘World War 3’ and ‘reinstating the draft’ spread like wildfire across social media sites. They also served as a stark reminder of the dangerous tensions between the US and Iran. So here’s why you shouldn’t be worried about another war or the draft. The draft is a process in which men from ages 18 to 25 have to legally enter, and if selected, join the armed forces. The draft was revoked from use in 1973 after protests over it and controversy over the Vietnam War (New York Times). Even though the draft has ended, it still lives on in a sense. The Selective Service is a program which all men, once 18, must legally be available for federal aid. However, if a draft was reinstated, this would mean all men would have to
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join the draft via the selective service. This is what has people worrying the most. Fortunately, it is very unlikely that the draft would ever be reinstated unless in dire need of manpower, but as it currently stands, the US has 1.3 million currently enlisted individuals serving
in the armed forces (New York Times). In the process of banning the draft in 1973, there was wide joint party support, meaning both political parties, Democrats and Republicans, supported the end of the draft, and this is a commonly held belief of both parties today (New York Times). Additionally, in the event of reinstating the draft, the bill would have to go through the House of Representatives and the Senate, and finally the President, and if any of those three says no, the bill is forgotten (NPR). So if you’re nervous about being drafted or having to fight, don’t be worried, as a draft would be very hard to reenact. If you’re worried about war with Iran too, I hope I can bring you some sense of calm. On January 8th, Trump stated that the US and NATO allies would enforce stronger economic sanctions on Iran. In doing so, Iran would eventually be forced into political talks. This method, although slower, would ensure peace over violence. However, if Iran were to retaliate using violence, the US would most surely at that point be obligated to respond with violence, ending in only more violence. Fortunately though, Iran knows that they are underdogs. The US has very powerful allies such as Japan, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, France, Suadi Arabia, and many other countries. Iran would be drastically outnumbered in conflict which surely is a strong deterant to violence. So in the end, it is unlikely that the tensions with Iran will escalate to war, and that the draft would ever be considered to be reinstated. So next time you see those memes about ‘World War 3’ and ‘the draft’ just shake them off your shoulder and know they aren’t serious.
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