NEWS

Forget Kyoto: Global Warming Isn't Today's Headline

The world's colder. It needs a warm draft.

America doesn't need a stop-the-commie cold war or kill-a-terrorist hot draft. It needs a draft that lifts all boats in a sea heaving with medical, economic, and environmental waves. Our armed forces serve in 146 countries. A warm draft should deploy another million Special Forces to increase world safety and, in time, reduce military costs.

Draftees could choose from six divisions:

• The Peace Corps, where service in over 100 countries builds economies, fights poverty, starts businesses, establishes civic organizations and improves health. PCVs nation build. They immerse into the culture, language, and economy, obtaining the best human intelligence. PCVs may believe they learn more than they give, but their elementary successes establish the connections that enable the global village.
• Americorps, where America's poor need more than today's 6,000 VISTA volunteers to reduce their economic handicap. Ballyhooed private volunteerism hasn't erased poverty where Americorps could.
• Head Start, where joining bolsters 1,578,000 volunteers and staffs whose efforts have brighten 21,214,295 children's lives. Is their service gentler than teaching our children?
• Habitat for Humanity, where lovingly swinging a hammer adds to the 150,000 homes built to eradicate substandard housing in 89 countries, including America. Americus, Georgia, Habitat's headquarters, is the first America city to eradicate substandard housing. A proud, owned home is the best classroom from which the most loving teachers raise productive world citizens. Terrorists don't walk near Habitat's doors.
• Doctors Without Borders, where you reinforce the 2,500 annual volunteers in 80 countries who treat tuberculosis, malaria, and AIDS; assist with the medical and psychological problems of street children and marginalized populations; and bring health care to remote, resource lacking areas. These medical tenders are never forgotten.
• Our present military and continue fielding the world's best fighting machine. The world needs our disciplined warriors. But to endanger them less, we need draftees serving on the frontiers of deprivation from whence wars and 'isms' arise.

Of our 10,000 overburdened soldiers in Afghanistan and Pakistan, over 1,000, without our government's confirmation, have reportedly died. Maintaining each of today's 1.4 million soldiers costs $297,000, not including later pension, medical and psychological costs. Unfortunately, not every soldier wins hearts and minds. War's maiming and killing multiplies hatreds and terrorists. It's cheaper and faster to eradicate terrorism and safeguard America via annually:

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