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President Donald Trump appeared looking angry when asked about his plans for Iran on Tuesday. “You know nothing,” he shouted at a reporter who said Iran showed no signs of slowing down.
You have to forgive a person his sadness – he is in something to bind him. The war in Iran, which was never popular to begin with, has happened be more than a lemon since a troubled ceasefire collapsed earlier this month. In the two weeks since, Iran has attacked all parts of the Middle East with missiles and drone attacks. The attacks badly damaged American bases and, just last week, claimed the lives of three American soldiers.
Now Iran and its allies, figuratively drunk on their recent success (…basically illegal alcohol in Iran!), seem to be reviving with a new round of attacks. Iran launched attacks in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain this week, reportedly targeting US facilities and civilian infrastructure. And on Monday, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militias also threatened to block a second key waterway that could further affect the global oil market.
The world is running out of soldiers
The recent American casualties are a grim reminder that — for all the talk of drones and precision missiles — wars are still being fought by real, human beings.
For starters, declining birth rates and aging populations have left many countries with fewer military-age adults. Being the right age is also only half of the equation. In the United States, factors including weight, drug use, and physical or mental health conditions may disqualify estimated three quarters of American youth from military service.
Then there’s the problem of the military’s image: Polls show that young people around the world are less willing to fight for their country. And young Americans, in particular, have the most negative views of both military and war in Iran than their parents or grandparents.
There is another way to fill the column, of course…but it’s not as popular. The United States ended its draft in 1973, and many Western militias have similarly shifted to volunteer forces. If America ever needed to reintroduce its draft, the politics and logistics would be formidable.
