It IS time to choose. From day one, the lighter, faster, deadlier Pentagon model as envisioned by Donald Rumsfeld has been an abysmal disaster for the Iraqi people and for our men and women on the ground. Again and again we have lost soldiers and Marines because they were undermanned including the son of my dear friend Carlos Arredondo. Though it pains me given I have three more draft age sons I believe the only way to bring this nation to its feet in protest is to institute a draft.

In today’s Washington Post twelve US Army captains speak eloquently on why the picture painted by active duty generals is flawed and inaccurate.

The inability to govern is exacerbated at all levels by widespread corruption. Transparency International ranks Iraq as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. And, indeed, many of us witnessed the exploitation of U.S. tax dollars by Iraqi officials and military officers. Sabotage and graft have had a particularly deleterious impact on Iraq’s oil industry, which still fails to produce the revenue that Pentagon war planners hoped would pay for Iraq’s reconstruction. Yet holding people accountable has proved difficult. The first commissioner of a panel charged with preventing and investigating corruption resigned last month, citing pressure from the government and threats on his life.

Against this backdrop, the U.S. military has been trying in vain to hold the country together. Even with “the surge,” we simply do not have enough soldiers and marines to meet the professed goals of clearing areas from insurgent control, holding them securely and building sustainable institutions. Though temporary reinforcing operations in places like Fallujah, An Najaf, Tal Afar, and now Baghdad may brief well on PowerPoint presentations, in practice they just push insurgents to another spot on the map and often strengthen the insurgents’ cause by harassing locals to a point of swayed allegiances. Millions of Iraqis correctly recognize these actions for what they are and vote with their feet — moving within Iraq or leaving the country entirely. Still, our colonels and generals keep holding on to flawed concepts.

Finally, in a combined and courageous effort to save their fellow soldiers and spare their country more needless bloodshed they call out our administration and demand action

There is one way we might be able to succeed in Iraq. To continue an operation of this intensity and duration, we would have to abandon our volunteer military for compulsory service. Short of that, our best option is to leave Iraq immediately. A scaled withdrawal will not prevent a civil war, and it will spend more blood and treasure on a losing proposition.

America, it has been five years. It’s time to make a choice.

Please demand that Congress defund this war

UPDATE: Graham Nash and David Crosby agree – as deplorable as it would be to have a draft, a draft will ignite the youth to stand up against this admnistration – watch it.