A few weeks ago, I heard a friend had received an e-mail
courtesy of “Rock the Vote” that cited the existence of
a draft bill (sponsored only by Democrats) as evidence suggesting
that President Bush would enact a military draft if re-elected.
My concerned friend is representative of students across the
country who have been bombarded with frenzied slogans like
“Vote or Die!” and scare tactics like “Rock the
Vote’s” draft letter.
This may very well be the most important election in many years.
But the issues affecting students are more complicated than these
misleading campaigns. The problems facing our generation, from the
draft to tuition costs to jobs to ensuring that Social Security
continues, require innovative solutions and policy leadership that
only Bush will provide.
There is a possibility that a draft could eventually be
re-enacted. Bush, however, has a far better policy to prevent it.
He will redeploy 60,000 to 70,000 troops from unnecessary and
outdated roles (such as guarding Germany from an invasion of
thousands of Soviet tanks) and from places such as South Korea,
where a much smaller number will serve the purpose.
Kerry flip-flopped on his opinion and now opposes redeployment.
He is apparently concerned that his beloved Germans would be upset
over losing some of the benefits of outsourcing American bases.
While he intends on increasing the size of the military (without
laying out a clear plan) and bringing more international forces
into Iraq (although France says it won’t come), Kerry’s
pessimism and opposition to the mission make it unlikely that
Americans or foreigners would volunteer to follow him.
He also plans on enacting a national service plan that provides
college tuition benefits to those willing to do community service
rather than join the military. Ironically, these factors may do so
much damage to recruitment that a draft, which is presently
unnecessary, may be needed in the future.
Speaking of college tuition, Bush has presided over record
increases in financial aid and college affordability. While it is
true that published fees are going up, the average public
university student pays only 27 percent of that official fee.
Bush also has a plan to ensure that once students graduate,
there will be jobs waiting for them. While he inherited the
collapsing tech bubble, the Clinton recession and al-Qaeda’s
planned and ultimately successful attacks on the United States,
Bush has nonetheless created close to 2 million more jobs in the
past year and a half, and currently has an unemployment rate
comparable to former president Clinton’s at the time of his
re-election campaign. If he is re-elected, Bush will maintain the
income and investment taxes that made this growth possible.
Bush has also taken bold steps to ensure that Social Security
will exist long enough for us to actually benefit from it. The
Social Security Trust Fund ““ and Al Gore’s famous
“lockbox” to put it in ““ are myths. Congress has
been routinely spending Social Security surpluses for quite a long
time.
Meanwhile, Social Security benefits and other entitlements such
as Medicare are increasing so rapidly that they will eventually
squeeze out the rest of the budget.
While Kerry will leave the system on autopilot and let it burn
through the federal budget and then crash, Bush will work to pay
seniors everything that they are owed while gradually moving
younger people toward tax-free and tax-deferred accounts that they
control themselves.
President Bush offers hope, personal control, opportunity and
innovative solutions. Senator Kerry offers pessimism and paralysis.
For our generation’s sake, choose wisely.
Knee is the chairman of the Bruin Republicans.