Why Going to War has Become Far too Easy
By Anthony B. Robinson
One of the outcomes of the Vietnam War and the protests against it was to eliminate the military draft. While I opposed that war and registered as a conscientious objector, I also regretted it when the draft was eliminated.
Why? Well, a draft meant that a whole lot of people and a wide cross-section of American society had a great deal at stake in any decision to go to war. It wasn’t just the men who would be drafted, it was their parents, wives, children, employers, and communities. A President had to think about that. A decision to go to war meant that a whole lot of Americans would pay a price, for many the ultimate price.
It was not a decision that should be taken lightly. Eliminating the draft has made it easier to go to war. It should never be easy to go to war. We should be always very, very reluctant to go to war. It is a last resort.
Another thing that made it properly difficult to go to war was the requirement of the Constitution that war be declared by an act and vote of Congress, the people’s elected representatives. This meant that a President and administration had to make a compelling case for war. It meant that there would be back and forth, debate and deliberation. And it meant that senators and representatives would be on the record as either supporting a war or not.
https://www.postalley.org/2026/03/06/why-going-to-war-has-become-far-too-easy/