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A few months ago I wrote an article on why reinstating the draft would only degrade the quality and effectiveness of the U.S. armed forces. As a member of the armed forces, I firmly believe that keeping the military an all-volunteer force is in the best interests of this country. So I was not only shocked by the amount of responses I received, but also caught off guard by the number of people who said they were in favor of the draft. The main reason given was that people thought it was generally unfair that so much of the nation's burdens fall on the shoulders of just those in the military.

The deficit is a funny political issue. On the one hand, it often riles up politicians, who use it as evidence that the government (and the party in power) is dysfunctional and isn't responsible with taxpayers' money. On the other hand, few of these same politicians actually propose doing anything specific to solve the problem. They usually just fall back on the old cliché of "cutting waste," whatever that means. The problem is apparently important enough to complain about in a very serious voice on the Sunday talk shows, but not important enough to offer specific solutions.

Late last night, the House approved by a narrow margin of 219 to 212 sweeping changes to the nation's health system. It was the final showdown of a long, bloody battle--one that sharply divided Congress, and even the nation. But the conversation about health care reform has really only just begun, as we implement the reform, witness its impact and build upon its foundation. In anticipation of Sunday's vote, YPNation contributor Ryan Lynch, 28, and a consultant at the non-profit Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse, asked of the YPNation team what they thought the impact of the insurance mandate would be.

General Stanley McChrystal's recent comments about his civilian peers in the Obama administration have left the sometimes-controversial former commander of the war in Afghanistan standing in the unemployment line. To be sure, McChrystal did cross the threshold of professional decorum in today's military and for that, he needed to be held accountable. But the General was not insubordinate. In fact, his perspective on the troubled situation within the Obama administration's foreign policy team should be considered--and not overshadowed by its delivery or the firing.

Zazu, referred to by its creators as "the smartest damn alarm clock," is an application for smart phones. It is the brainchild of four young entrepreneurs, all under the age of 25, who despite busy schedules and school obligations have taken on the daunting task of launching a company. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it happens to be the same name as the famous bird from "The Lion King," who serves as King Mufasa's assistant. Associating their product with a friendly and relatable character was important in branding the company.

Markets around the world have taken a few steps back in the past month, and there are a number of factors contributing to this newfound fear among investors. The debt crisis in Europe is, of course, the obvious event to point a finger at when explaining the recent market stall and decline. And a depressed Euro along with the Gulf oil spill are further adding to the instability. But there is one factor quietly lurking in the background that has been impacting the markets more than you might think.

When it comes to national security, I can't say I've found myself in agreement with Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich for the past eight years. But after reading through their supportive remarks on the President's Afghanistan speech to West Point the other night, it's rather pleasing to see that slowly but surely, they're coming around to my view of the world. That isn't to say everything in the President's speech came up roses--the needless (and frankly hypocritical) criticisms on domestic policy, for example, or the failure to address the central issues that plagued our Vietnamese effort and the risk of repeating those mistakes in Afghanistan.

Before the special election, I stated that Martha Coakley would emerge the victor by a mere few percentage points in Massachusetts, enough to leave the impression that no Democrat is "safe" in his or her seat for the midterms in November. Many of the Republicans I spoke with could not quite fathom the idea of Ted Kennedy's seat turning red. Some even rolled out half-baked conspiracy theories of the Service Employees International Union counting the votes or even--a la Minnesota--"discovering" ballots in the trunk of a car.

The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review Report (pdf) has been anything but a strategic watershed for U.S. nuclear policy. A congressionally-mandated review that establishes the nuclear policy, strategy, force posture, and capabilities of the United States for the next five to ten years, this NPR aggressively promotes the Obama administration's vision for realizing a nuclear free world. But rather than proscriptive policy for definitive action on real issues, the review is more about political posturing and ideological blustering leaving U.S. policymakers without the necessary suite of options for hedging against nuclear risks and addressing the multi-faceted set of challenges this nation faces.

Last Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the Recovery Act, also known as the "stimulus." In the midst of the political gridlock that has stalled health care reform, it is easy to forget that President Obama started off his term with what undeniably was a major legislative accomplishment. In fact, the Recovery Act was one of the largest progressive achievements of our time, and one wonders whether Obama would still be considered ineffectual if it had been broken down into smaller pieces and passed individually throughout last year, rather than all at once. The media, after all, has a very short attention span, and tends to forget success quite easily.

While reporting on a forum held on Tuesday in New York about the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I noticed something odd. I seemed to be one of the youngest people in the room. At age 32, I'm not a kid anymore, and it got me thinking. The panelists were all professional journalists who had covered the fall. And as they reminisced about their memories and impressions, I noticed they offered virtually no context for the valuable perspectives they were sharing.

The latest issue of Rolling Stone hit newsstands today, but most Americans already know about the stunning feature inside of it: the profile of General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan. The now-infamous article features harsh comments critical of the Obama administration made by McChrystal and some of his aides. The general was called to the White House for a meeting on June 23, where President Obama accepted his resignation and nominated General David Petraeus to be McChrystal's replacement.

Tammy Tibbetts, 24, is the founder of She's the First, a call to action to promote the importance of educating girls who live in developing countries and would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to school. The organization brings together smaller, local educational non-profits in a directory of schools and sponsorship programs, making it easy to donate online. According to its website, She's The First inspires girls to "break barriers" and realize their dreams through its mission of promoting global education.

The ordeal of the American college girl, Amanda Knox, who was convicted this week of murdering her roommate while studying abroad, can serve as a harsh reminder to all young professionals (YPs) of the value of protecting their reputations. It seems to be a consensus among the legal pundits across the spectrum of the networks that it was Knox's reputation in the Italian media, rather than hard physical evidence, that resulted in her conviction.

Internships-the vast majority unpaid-have become a staple of the college experience. In 1992, only 9 percent of graduating students had participated in internships; by 2006 that figure increased to 83 percent. Internships are often good for both the student and the employer. Yet the current system is fraught with problems. In a previous entry, I discussed how unpaid internships put lower-income students at a substantial disadvantage compared to their better-off peers who can afford a summer of lost wages and the high living expenses of city life. Students who can't afford an unpaid internship don't get the valuable leg-up they need in searching for employment after graduation.

"For as long as most of us have been old enough to donate blood, the American Red Cross has been under a federal court order to improve the way it collects and processes blood. That is because the organization repeatedly fails its reviews by the FDA. (Because it provides a critical health service, it is allowed to continue to supply blood to patients.) Unfortunately, the problems with the Red Cross do not end there. The conditions under which its workers operate are, well, just as frightening."

Last week President Obama announced $8.33 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear construction projects in Georgia, after three decades of an ad hoc nuclear moratorium across the country. For all of the coverage last week, the media frenzy missed an important part of the story--the destructive processes at the front end of nuclear power.

"I read Genevieve Long's "Another War-Torn Generation" this week, and as someone deployed in Iraq would like to respond. A very well written article, yes, but perhaps she should have talked to the soldiers she saw in the airport. She might have learned why their boots were so well taken care of--"you can tell the quality of a soldier by the shine on his boots." There is a certain pride that is associated with wearing the uniform and accomplishing the mission of a U.S. Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine. A feeling that one who has never stood a watch will most certainly find it hard to understand."

I had planned my next post to be about the work the Economic Policy Institute has been doing in the last few weeks, including an event on state and local budget relief and the release of a five-point plan for creating jobs and ensuring a robust recovery. But the recent post by YPNation contributor Ewan Watt on the flat tax is like a siren call to me, so respond I must.

t's been one month to the day since mother earth's voice vibrated through the capital of Haiti, and humanity banded together to muster support in the face of this boundary breaking natural disaster. As the chaos slowly settles, concerns are now arising about whether donations are reaching those for whom its intended. Cell phone companies have experienced backlash from costumers demanding that Haiti donation text message fees be waived. Financial institutions had a similar push back with online donation fees. The prominent aid site YELE HAITI came under scrutiny for their past handling of funds. E-mails circulated asking that donations not be made to the American Red Cross, citing previous glitches in Hurricane Katrina relief.