...And they picked YOU, would you go? Why or why not?
If no what would you do?

(Please keep in mind they will probably be drafting women also, it not just the men anymore!)

No, never. I would never go to war and especially kill anyone for political reasons.

CandyEyce said:

Yes, I would go. In fact, when I used to get calls from military recruiters during high school and college, my stock answer was something to the effect of, "If I'm drafted, I will serve my country. But until then, I don't think the military is for me."

I'm registered with the Selective Service System (a federal agency that maintains a list of men who could be called into service in the event of a draft), which is a requirement in the U.S. for most men between the ages of 18 and 25. I'm on their list--they know who I am and where I live.

Why would I go? Well, aside from the fact that I'd be compelled by law to do so, I highly doubt I'd be put into combat. My eyesight, although correctable with glasses or contacts, is very poor, and if I were to lose my glasses in the middle of a battle, I'd be a sitting duck.

Instead, I think they'd probably look at my education and work experience, and put me in one of the JAG Corps (military lawyers).

Besides, I doubt I'd get drafted anyway. Why?

1) The Selective Service System says they do not anticipate a reinstatement of the draft in the foreseeable future.

2) I'm almost 25. Once I hit 26, I'm exempt from being drafted, unless the age range gets changed.

3) During the Vietnam era, my dad got called to appear before the draft board. They examined his eyes (bad like mine) and classified him as "1-Y," which meant that he'd only be drafted in the event of a Congressional declaration of war. That hasn't happened since World War II. (As the U.S. was pulling out of Vietnam, my dad got something in the mail telling him that he'd been reclassified "4-F," which means "rejected.") I expect that if I were summoned before a draft board, I would also be classified 1-Y.

TRON said:

Would you leave the country or stay and protest?

CandyEyce said:

I'm not eligible to be drafted, but if I were and I were drafted, I would probably move to Canada.

No

It's not going to happen, but those of you who said "no" ought to be ashamed. You obviously take your liberties for granted.

If you don't like the laws of your country perhaps you should move to Canada NOW. I am against war moreso then the next guy, but I know that as an American if I called I have to do my duty. It's the cost of living here and enjoying all the great things America has to offer.


Plan to reinstate draft appears doomed

Associated Press

Published Jan. 7, 2003 DRAF08


WASHINGTON -- A proposal to reinstate the military draft has little likelihood of being approved, lawmakers say, despite sympathy for the goal of sharing the burden of fighting a war more evenly among Americans of all races and classes.

Defense officials, lawmakers and analysts say the military is more effective and less expensive as an all-volunteer force than it would be under a draft.

``My read at this time is that there is not a lot of enthusiasm or support for it, either within the civilian community or perhaps most importantly within the military services themselves,'' said Rep. John McHugh, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee.

The proposal to reinstate the draft was made last week by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., a Korean War veteran and a strong opponent of a war with Iraq. Rangel said he was concerned that ``the burden of military service was being borne disproportionately by members of disadvantaged groups.''

``If our great country becomes involved in an all-out war, the sacrifice must be shared,'' he said.

Blacks made up about 11 percent of the adult population, according to the 2000 Census. But they accounted for 20 percent of the military overall and 22 percent of the enlisted force, according to the Defense Department. Most serve in non-combat positions.

Rangel was backed by Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., who has also opposed a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. He said administration officials and lawmakers would be less likely to go to war ``if their own family members and neighbors faced the prospects of serving in the military on the front line.''

The military personnel subcommittee's top Democrat, Rep. Vic Snyder of Arkansas, said Rangel and Conyers' concerns are valid ``but I think there are other ways to deal with it'' than a draft.

He said today's military needs well-trained soldiers capable of handling complicated weapons systems.

``I'm not sure that having a draft system of bringing in people who otherwise would not have gone into the military for a two-year period of time would give us the kind of expertise and professionalism that the military today thrives on,'' he said.

McHugh said volunteer soldiers ``tend to be more family-oriented, more career-oriented and stay longer. And that obviously reduces the cost of training.''

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has repeatedly said he opposes a draft. At a news conference Tuesday, he said the military has attracted the personnel it needs by paying competitive wages.

``We're not going to re-implement a draft. There is no need for it at all,'' he said. ``The disadvantages of using compulsion to bring into the armed forces the men and women needed are notable.''

The Pentagon opposes a return to the draft. The all-volunteer force has provided a military ``that is experienced, smart, disciplined and representative of America,'' the Defense Department said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said last month on CNN's ``Larry King Live,'' ``We've got people serving because they want to serve, because they care about the country.''

The last draft ended in 1973 as U.S. troops were leaving Vietnam. Draft registration was suspended in April 1975, but resumed by President Carter in 1980 following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. As of October, 11.1 million men between the ages of 18-25 were registered, according to the Selective Service System.

Under current law, if a draft were resumed, 20-year-old men would be the first called up. Draft order would be determined by a lottery of birth dates. If more soldiers were needed, another lottery would be held for 21-year-olds, continuing on through age 25. Younger men would not be drafted until the pool of men age 20-25 was exhausted.

The military now has about 1.4 million active duty service personnel and 1.3 million reservists, a smaller force than during the Cold War. Concerns have been raised that the force could be stretched thin with the prospect of war against Iraq, the fight against terrorism and growing tensions with North Korea.

But Marcus Corbin, an analyst with the private Center for Defense Information, said technological improvements mean that a large force isn't as necessary as it once was. ``The theory of military transformation is that you can do more with less,'' he said.

For example, the use of precision-guided bombs means fewer planes are required for missions. That means not as many pilots, mechanics or other support staff are needed.

Rangel said his proposal would include not only a military draft, but other forms of mandatory national service. That makes it more appealing to Lawrence J. Korb, who was assistant secretary of defense in charge of readiness under President Reagan.

Korb opposes a military draft, but said he believes national service is ``terrific.'' Yet he said mandatory national service would be expensive, would anger unions that fear losing jobs and could set off debates about who, if anyone, should be exempted.

``National service is an idea that sounds great in theory, but we've never been able to figure out how to do it,'' he said.



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[This message was edited Wed Jan 8 19:04:09 PST 2003 by lovemachine]

yes... i am not a pacifist and cannot sit idly by...
though i may not agree with all the politics that float wildly throughout the USA, i will stand (and fall) as generations of my family before me have done.

I think everyone should be required to serve in the military one year after turning 18. It would do some people a lot of good to learn a little discipline.

My nations on nationstates.net require it, too!

No way. I will not fight for someone I don't support at ALL. Bush can .

I'd pretty much be useless anyway- I wouldn't kill anyone.

No worry here... I probably wouldn't be drafted to a neighborood basketball game with kids.

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

Yeah, you americans really need more people trained in firearms.

Aerogram said:

Aero... lol

lovemachine said:

Yes, move here to Canada, where our laws are so much different than in the US. We have in fact had drafts, the last one being in WW2. We didn't fight in Vietnam, so there was no need for a draft, not that I think there was need for a draft in the US either, much less a war... er... sorry, it had some other name didn't it? Not Police Action? ummm... I can't remember. They thought the word "war" gave off a bad vibe I guess.

And... if you completely disagree with what old Bush wants to fight for, aren't you supposed to have the freedom to decide if you want to fight or not? Ashamed? What is really shameful is when the civil liberties a country stands for are taken away, when those who have dissent are no longer allowed to express it. When anyone who takes different perspectives from the gung-ho anti-terror campaign are considered outsiders. When trying to seek the real motivations for policies is considered treacherous.

And you're right, a draft ISN'T going to happen. That makes it a lot easier to say you would support it if it did happen.

AMERICA is a great country. The democratic process, and free thought and speech is worth fighting for. But just because there's a draft, doesn't necessarily mean that AMERICA is at threat.

Those are just my opinions, of course. Outsider labelling may or may not occur.

Side note: I just started reading Mao II, by Don DeLillo right now. It really focuses on groupthink ideologies, and some scary allusions to terrorism and removal of freedoms. It also shows the perspective that we're all living in a dream world, in part due to the media, but we refuse to acknowledge this because we don't want to. Sound kind of familiar? Keep in mind the novel was written in '91

No not I, count me out. I would have to be dragged kicking and screaming (cannot live without my Prince CD's). No not for 1 million dollars or more. War is not for me. Peace.

matt said:

How can you be able to go to war and still maintain this site??? Would they allow you to fix this site if and when it crashes???

CandyEyce said:

Hey, you can come live with me!!! I live in Canada!!

HELL NAW&Go Chill in Canada.