how dramatically the nature of modern warfare and US military human resource needs have changed since the Vietnam era. The reality today is that conventional combat is so high tech, with a relatively small number of specialized, highly trained soldiers and airmen directly exposed to the mortal danger of combat, that even in times of war a US serviceman is 10 times more likely to die in an accident than to die in combat, or terrorist attack.

Of course one big exception would be special forces soldiers such as those courageously hunting down Al Queda - that's truly very dangerous work. But it's rather obvious, except perhaps to those proposing the draft, that the millions of American youth needlessly and foolishly drafted into the military would not serve as highly trained special forces soldiers.