Ayn Rand -

Rand’s ideas influenced the eventual abolition of the U.S. draft in 1973.

She believed the threat of being drafted creates a state of "terror" where young people cannot plan their futures or count on their own efforts. Political Impact and Legacy

She believed that the draft establishes the principle that the state has a right to dispose of its citizens' lives.

Beyond moral grounds, Rand provided several practical reasons for abolishing the draft:

New Article: “End the Debt Draft” - The Ayn Rand Institute

She argued that without the draft, governments could not easily embark on "senseless ventures" like the Vietnam War, as they would struggle to find volunteers for wars lacking clear self-defense purposes.

Rand viewed the draft as an enactment of "altruist self-sacrifice," where individuals are forced to serve purposes they may not share or understand.

Ayn Rand was a staunch opponent of the military draft, characterizing it as a fundamental violation of an individual's right to their own life. She argued that conscription is a form of involuntary servitude and the most egregious "statist" violation of individual rights within a mixed economy. Philosophical Opposition