Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Bring back the Draft

[Aurielius]

In this respect Vagraant is correct, the modern battlefield is not the battlefield of days gone by, it requires a technological expertise and group interactive ability that would be exceedingly hard to impart within the traditional time frame of Boot Camp of yore. I find it amusing that some think their sorry butts are worth more than others in terms of expendability. There was a disproportional induction rate in the Vietnam War of minorities and poor due to the deferment process. There was also a tendency for continual scholarship that had little to do with the quest for knowledge and much more to do with keeping Johnny out of harm's way, something the inner city poor could not afford. If this is a democratic republic, then all citizens male and female share an equal responsibility to the nation not just the underprivileged. What I do find disconcerting is the resistance to any form of national service even an internal civilian one. It seems that we have a generation that feels it's all perks and no pay back, something that would have appalled my father's generation.

[tetradite]

Just to clarify one of my previous points - re national service. I'm very much in favour of it for CIVIL purposes. Just not for MILITARY ones.

 

EDIT: Even more so during periods of cripplingly high youth unemployment, as many countries currently are experiencing.

 

In the UK we're currently making unemployed kids go and stack shelves in supermarkets for free, I'd far rather they were cleaning up parks, staffing the public libraries we're closing at an alarming rate, or something else that is genuinely for the public good, not the enrichment of corporations.

Edited July 6, 2012 by tetradite

[Deleted1744345User]

I wouldn't be surprised if the draft came back in the near future, since the U.S. government is growing increasingly fascist these days. I think if the draft was brought back, our next war would just be another Vietnam with mass protesting.

 

Also, draftees aren't nearly as skilled or motivated as volunteers, so they'll just end up as cannon fodder on the front lines. Throwing away American lives is not the way to build up national unity.

[grannywils]

I am with Aurielius and Vagrant0 on this one entirely. The idea of a draft for military purposes in this day and age seems to me pointless for all of the reasons already mentioned. However, the need for ALL of our young men and women to get back in touch with reality and to become involved in some form of hands on service to their country is imperative if we ever expect to regain a citizenship with any knowledge of and/or interest in the nature of this Nation and why it came into existence in the first place. :confused:

[Ghogiel]

I am with Aurielius and Vagrant0 on this one entirely. The idea of a draft for military purposes in this day and age seems to me pointless for all of the reasons already mentioned. However, the need for ALL of our young men and women to get back in touch with reality and to become involved in some form of hands on service to their country is imperative if we ever expect to regain a citizenship with any knowledge of and/or interest in the nature of this Nation and why it came into existence in the first place. :confused:

The issue is that why the nation came into existence, or at least what I thought it meant to be American and live in the 'greatest country in the world' etc and what that actually turned out to be when I grew up and realised what the nation stood for was more than disappointing. It ain't freedom and equality like I thought.

 

I have a moral duty to stand up for what I believe in after all. I would have to refuse the order of a draft. Perhaps a different government and different wars, just not this one and certainly not these.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Ghogiel

[Aurielius]

I am with Aurielius and Vagrant0 on this one entirely. The idea of a draft for military purposes in this day and age seems to me pointless for all of the reasons already mentioned. However, the need for ALL of our young men and women to get back in touch with reality and to become involved in some form of hands on service to their country is imperative if we ever expect to regain a citizenship with any knowledge of and/or interest in the nature of this Nation and why it came into existence in the first place. :confused:

The issue is that why the nation came into existence, or at least what I thought it meant to be American and live in the 'greatest country in the world' etc and what that actually turned out to be when I grew up and realised what the nation stood for was more than disappointing. It ain't freedom and equality like I thought.

 

I have a moral duty to stand up for what I believe in after all. I would have to refuse the order of a draft. Perhaps a different government and different wars, just not this one and certainly not these.

Lets see standing up for what you believe in...now in your own words...

"A few years ago I got my papers from the gov exempting me from ever being drafted."

Looking for a way out when there has not been a draft for decades from 3000 miles away. The government doesn't just hand out such blanket exemptions without someone diligently pursuing them.If your assertion is true one must assume you made the effort to acquire such a document. A 'tough' Baltimore kid like you certainly isn't going to claim conscientious objector status. Forgive my skepticism of your litany of excuses for not wanting to serve except on your terms, sounds more like a self serving ex pat rationalization.

[Ghogiel]

I am with Aurielius and Vagrant0 on this one entirely. The idea of a draft for military purposes in this day and age seems to me pointless for all of the reasons already mentioned. However, the need for ALL of our young men and women to get back in touch with reality and to become involved in some form of hands on service to their country is imperative if we ever expect to regain a citizenship with any knowledge of and/or interest in the nature of this Nation and why it came into existence in the first place. :confused:

The issue is that why the nation came into existence, or at least what I thought it meant to be American and live in the 'greatest country in the world' etc and what that actually turned out to be when I grew up and realised what the nation stood for was more than disappointing. It ain't freedom and equality like I thought.

 

I have a moral duty to stand up for what I believe in after all. I would have to refuse the order of a draft. Perhaps a different government and different wars, just not this one and certainly not these.

Lets see standing up for what you believe in...now in your own words...

"A few years ago I got my papers from the gov exempting me from ever being drafted."

Looking for a way out when there has not been a draft for decades from 3000 miles away. The government doesn't just hand out such blanket exemptions without someone diligently pursuing them.If your assertion is true one must assume you made the effort to acquire such a document. A 'tough' Baltimore kid like you certainly isn't going to claim conscientious objector status. Forgive my skepticism of your litany of excuses for not wanting to serve except on your terms, sounds more like a self serving ex pat rationalization.

Your assumptions are wrong.

 

I made no attempt to gain said document. It was right out of the blue.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Ghogiel

[Aurielius]

I am with Aurielius and Vagrant0 on this one entirely. The idea of a draft for military purposes in this day and age seems to me pointless for all of the reasons already mentioned. However, the need for ALL of our young men and women to get back in touch with reality and to become involved in some form of hands on service to their country is imperative if we ever expect to regain a citizenship with any knowledge of and/or interest in the nature of this Nation and why it came into existence in the first place. :confused:

The issue is that why the nation came into existence, or at least what I thought it meant to be American and live in the 'greatest country in the world' etc and what that actually turned out to be when I grew up and realised what the nation stood for was more than disappointing. It ain't freedom and equality like I thought.

 

I have a moral duty to stand up for what I believe in after all. I would have to refuse the order of a draft. Perhaps a different government and different wars, just not this one and certainly not these.

Lets see standing up for what you believe in...now in your own words...

"A few years ago I got my papers from the gov exempting me from ever being drafted."

Looking for a way out when there has not been a draft for decades from 3000 miles away. The government doesn't just hand out such blanket exemptions without someone diligently pursuing them.If your assertion is true one must assume you made the effort to acquire such a document. A 'tough' Baltimore kid like you certainly isn't going to claim conscientious objector status. Forgive my skepticism of your litany of excuses for not wanting to serve except on your terms, sounds more like a self serving ex pat rationalization.

Your assumptions are wrong.

 

I made no attempt to gain said document. It was right out of the blue.

Cough..cough sure it was, because the government is always in the habit of informing someone for no particular reason that they permanently ineligible for a non existent draft.

[Ghogiel]

I found it odd myself

 

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/383697-rip-4th-amendment/page__st__120__p__3189461#entry3189461

[Aurielius]

I found it odd myself

 

http://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/topic/383697-rip-4th-amendment/page__st__120__p__3189461#entry3189461

These are the only exceptions other than conscientious objector status.

"In times of peace, the SSS's main task is to put together a list of potential draftees in the United States. Under current law, women cannot be drafted, as the Department of Defense does not employ them in ground combat. A few select groups of men are also excused automatically. These groups include:

Men who are actively serving in the military

Men who are attending a military service academy or select university military officer procurement program

Foreign citizens in the United States on valid student, visitor or diplomatic visas

Certain foreign agricultural workers

Men who are confined to a hospital or psychiatric institution

Handicapped men who cannot function in public

Inmates"

(-SSS homepage)

 

Care to pick a category?