Students and the Draft.

[Spinaroonie]

Disturbingly, times have changed. No longer is a male student making progress towards a degree exempt from the draft, now they just wait till he finishes the semester, pass or fail, and take him out and send him off to die.

If Bush's proposal comes to pass and we have a multi-year land war in Asia, then the time will come to enact the draft and then America will become a 17 year old's paradise- all the 18-25 year olds either shipped off or running for the border.

http://www.sss.gov/viet.htm

 

[bluntforcemama]

If push comes to shove, there's only one male in the 18-25 year range that I'm kidnapping and shipping to New Zealand with Juspar and I, and that would be Monk. His life is too precious to me, and he doesn't have the heart to kill, even in the face of the enemy. Socrates would be proud of me: familial before civil. The men in my life are NOT dying for justice against Osama Bin Laden or the Taliban. Like ShyGuy's sig line says "A brilliant man will find a war not to fight a war."

 

[Spinaroonie]

The time to really worry is whenever your draft eligible one turns 20. The 20yo's are the first ones to be shipped out.

 

[WriterDom]

I guess that means if there is a draft that the rich white boys will have to join their poor black brothers.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Nah. Then the rich white boys will learn the lyrics to "Oh, Canada" or the Mexican national anthem and hope for a Pardon.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Well, Juspar isn't American, and he's old! Monk, though... he's 22, and he ain't no fortunate son.

 

[KillerMuffin]

This isn't a vietnam style war where it's all over there and it really doesn't have anything to do with the United States. This is a war that began on our shores and will continue to be fought here along with whatever we do over there. The terrorists are still here and they are still in position to attack us again. You have no idea how utterly vulnerable we are. In a word "infrastructure."

It's extremely premature to panic of the draft notion. First of all, a republican congress shot it down twice during a period of piss poor recruiting and retention. A democrat led congress is not likely to approve a draft when everyone and their brother, minus a few, has already beat feet to the nearest recruiting station.

So, take a deep breath, take your lips off of your ass, you don't have to kiss it goodbye just yet. We don't even know how we're going to fight a war and you've already gotten about 2 million people killed off in your head so you can be drafted. You think Bush's proposal is going to send you off to die and you don't even have a clue what the military is up to beyond "being ready." "being ready" does NOT equal dead, buried, and drafting.

Myst, NZ has an extradition treaty. I'd suggest you run to a third world country where there are no extradition laws if you plan on taking Monk with you. Since all reports from a recently turned 19 year old male friend of mine indicates that NZ currently has mandatory military service in place, you may want to rethink things.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Damn! Hmm.... okay, we're moving to Greenland. How's that? Wait! I'm not going to let Monk sign up for citizenship! He'll just have to be illegal. I'll protect him to the death.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Once you sign a Selective services card it just begins to run in the back of your mind.

What everybody is proposing is a long, long, long war in the valleys of Afghanistan and other 'exotic' locals. Yes, this won't be a Vietnam style war, but the styles of fighting can be similar. Bush is proposing a military combat sweep of the land to have troops come in and destroy the Terrorist camps.

The problem lies in the Afghani civillians- a lot of them aren't civillians at all. They're on the dockett and they'll let the soldiers pass them by and then them and their children will open fire on the backs of soldiers.

Maybe you're right, it is just me. It's just when the son of the last president to declare war, starts talking a long term war you have to worry as the day comes when we need more.

 

[Guest]

The problem lies in the Afghani civillians- a lot of them aren't civillians at all. They're on the dockett and they'll let the soldiers pass them by and then them and their children will open fire on the backs of soldiers.

Children, really? Have you been there? (I'm not being facetious here, dead serious. India has turned over all intelligence information they have on the Taliban. I hope their cooperation doesn't swing around and kick them in the ass.

 

[CelestialBody]

Unregistered was me

 

[Spinaroonie]

I've never been there, but I've been reading up like everybody. There was something in the Christian Science monitor about it. It was a photo-eassy called "A Day in the Life of Kabhul" The part with the children is that out of Afghanistan's 25 million population 10.3 Million are children and they're being brought up to believe in the Taliban and Bin-Laden. 60 Minutes did an interview with 9th graders there, they were proud of Bin Laden and his evasion of US forces.

 

[Starfish]

What does 18-25 have to do with anything?

At first maybe, but then it's whom ever is able bodied.

In Nam, 18 year olds bunked and died with 30 year olds.

One thing that also hasn't been adressed is the inevitable need for in-states militia groups to gaurd and fight here in the US. We are going to see battle here if it is going to be a 3year+ war, no doubt.....
So? Who is going to do that civil defense fighting, if all of our 18-25 year olds are off to Afganistan to die?

25-50 year olds, that's who.

My husband included. I'd rather have him die here than in some god forsaken mountainous terrain, but now that they all get GPS and tagged then they aren't going to be lost, or die out there never to be recovered, like it was for the British and Russians.

I hope no one runs away.
Hell, I am even willing to die for justice, but I can't kill people. I just can't.

 

[CelestialBody]

Can you

 

[KillerMuffin]

You can't predict a war or what will happen. You can't predict what civilians will do.

I'm not just a civilian sitting on her fat ass and blathering about these things. I'm retired military sitting on her fat ass and blathering about things. My retirement can be revoked the moment the Navy decides they need me more than they don't need me. My husband is still on IRR, inactive reserves, basically. He's also an infantry soldier, LRRP, and has desert combat experience and a clearance. He can be recalled at any moment. My father in law is a retired combat pilot. While it's unlikely he'll be recalled for anything, he can be called in as a trainer for the pilots who will fly. WE will be called to service before you are. And I already know what the effects of war look like. I live with one of them every day.

It may be in the back of your mind, do yourself a favor and leave it there. Don't dwell on what might happen to you if Bush finishes this war that the terrorists started. Dwell on how you're going to get through this semester with straight A's.

Believe it or not, lots of people have lived through wars.

 

[Spinaroonie]

18-25 year olds are the only ones eligible to be drafted. Once a man turns 26 he gets to yell "OllyOllyoxsentfree" cos he doesn't have to worry about it.

As for a non-religous source for that information, I don't really know. I'm not too terribly religous myself, but I was pointed to the CSM and the photo eassay was really good.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Yeah, I should leave it there. It's just that that I'm not even that good at the shooting video games much less the real thing that has no respawn.

 

[Starfish]

KM is right again.


Readiness is one thing, but worried panic is damn distructive to readiness.
We here are just being cautious and prepared.

 

[Weird Harold]

What I think of the draft:

(This is how I dodged the draft in 1968 -- I enlisted and served four years to get the 4A classification.)

 

[registered "^^"]

Don't worry about students. They are going to have a reverse draft, it will ease the SSI drain.........

 

[Svedish_Chef]

Re: What I think of the draft:

(This is how I dodged the draft in 1968 -- I enlisted and served four years to get the 4A classification.)

Explain...

I dont get it

 

[YoungGun69]

Re: What I think of the draft:

(This is how I dodged the draft in 1968 -- I enlisted and served four years to get the 4A classification.)

whats 4A?

 

[A_Jacks]

There will not be a draft...

This is a country [Afganistan] of 24 million people (Atlanta has 14), many of whom (for DCL) have left, or are trying to leave.

There are plenty of volunteers.

The Taliban will be destabalized so the UN can come in.

That will not take much.

 

[Weird Harold]

Re: Re: What I think of the draft:

whats 4A?

4A = Physically able for service, Minimum service fulfilled.

4 = not draftable
A = no deferments.

(4F = not draftable because of medical condtions)

 

[YoungGun69]

what did you come down with?