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The Draft and the American Political Posture
Collection StructureFiring Line broadcast records > Episode guide > The Draft and the American Political Posture
Item Title The Draft and the American Political Posture
Guest Nunn, Sam
Guest Westmoreland, William C. (William Childs) (1914-2005)
Guest Lehman, John
Host Buckley, William F., Jr. (1925-2008)
Date CreatedSeptember 18, 1981
Description

In the imposing setting of the Senate Caucus Room, a serious discussion with men who have been deeply involved in U.S. military policy. They take up in greater detail the point raised by George Ball a few weeks earlier (Firing Line #S470): that the all-volunteer army may be damaging both to our own morale and to other countries' view of us. SN: "I don't think we're the kind of country that for very long will tolerate a system that is, in effect, economic conscription, and that's what we have now. We are not getting participation in the military, except in the officer corps, of middle- and certainly not upper-income America. If we ever have a war--and God forbid that--we would see very quickly, I think, very severe protests break out because it would be apparent that the son of the banker is not out there fighting and dying, the son of the mill worker is. That's not the kind of country we've been in the past, and I don't think it's the kind of country we can be in the future if we are going to deter war. I believe America's will is being questioned, not just by adversaries, but also by our allies."

Language(s)
Country of Origin
Place RecordedWashington, District of Columbia, United States
DimensionsDuration: 60 minutes
FormatText
Medium television programs
Aspect Ratio
4:3
Color
color
Soundtrack
sound
Hoover IDProgram S0478
Record Number80040.720
NotesVideo not currently available for purchase.
RightsCopyright held by Stanford University. This copy is provided for educational and research purposes only. No publication, further reproduction, or reuse of copies, beyond fair use, may be made without the express written permission of the Hoover Institution Library & Archives on behalf of Stanford University.
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