Topics: Why There Should Be a Draft and Why We Should Improve US/Cuba Relations

The draft should be reinstated. This way Americans will think twice about going off on wars. I believe that if Americans knew there was going to be a draft for a war in Iraq millions of people would be pounding down the doors of the White House. If there was a draft, instead of people waving flags around and having bake sales they would be more involved in the country's policies and help ensure that those policies do not cause blowback (events such as 9/11).

If there was a draft that was fair this would mean that even the children of politicians would be subject to it. This would mean that politicians would be less likely to declare war on sovereign nations. Setting up such a situation would have reverberating effects around the country. I believe that instituting a draft will ultimately stifle the military-industrial complex because people would not want to go to war and die for improbable causes.

I believe that every country should have a draft that is initiated the second they declare war. This would cause the entire world to think twice about invading their neighbor's countries. Better yet, if there was a draft and an unjust war was on the horizon many people would simply not comply with the corrupt government. There are many benefits to having a draft, one of the greatest benefits of all is that it pressures people toward peace.

Improving US/Cuba relations:

The US should no longer boycott Cuban trade. Cuba is more likely to move toward free-market capitalism when the people see the profits that can be made by trading with their American partners. Likewise, America can benefit from the products and services that the Cuban people produce. Engaging the Cubans on an economic level will also help reduce the number of refugees trying to escape to Florida.

The Cuban missile crisis is becoming relegated to annals of history. We are no longer in a cold war with the Soviet Union and communism will fail on its own. Cuba can become a viable vacation destination with the help of American resort companies. Furthermore, if the US can get on good terms with Cuba, perhaps Cuba will allow some US forces to station there. Of course this would require some type of economic trade-off.

Fidel Castro is in his twilight years. When he is gone his cult of personality will fade with him. America and Cuba can coexist through peaceful economic participation. America can benefit from the natural resources that Cuba has to offer. Cuba can benefit from the United States offering its services to the Cuban people. It's a win-win situation.

It is inevitable that the United States will have to deal with Cuba in one way or another due to the pressing forces of globalization. Globalization cannot be stopped. People may try and slow it but they will do so in vain. When the US stopped going to war with Vietnam and started making them their trade partner the Vietnamese moved away from staunch communism toward capitalism without a fire being shot. This lesson can be applied to the issue of US/Cuban relations.