Military Draft

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Solstice

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INFJ
Today I learned something new about American politics that succeeded in frustrating me beyond belief.

Why is it that no one told me about the Selective Service System in America, which requires all male citizens when they turn 18 to register to have their name added to a list of people to be drafted "in case of a crisis"? As an INFJ liberal I was completely outraged by this.

First of all, it's apparently a felony for a man to avoid registering if he's caught. Yet women don't have to register at all for anything? I thought America was starting to get over all that sexist nonsense but apparently it's not ready for that. I'm not saying women should be drafted to unwillingly fight in wars, but it definately says something about the country. Just think of all the great brave women fighting in the American army by volunteer. Is the government saying in a "crisis" a woman would be completely useless to them and they would prefer a man? To me it seems like the government's supporting a patriarchal society where women aren't "good" enough to be useful soldiers. Or maybe it's the opposite?

It's also saying that men are disposable when compared to women. It doesn't matter if we send off a few thousand more men to die, but they wouldn't want any women to die. See how sexist this is both ways?

But the even bigger issue and my true opinion on the subject is the lack of basic civil rights. Why should ANYONE, regardless of gender, be forced to possibly fight in a war they might not even support? Or kill people simply because politicians can't get along with foreign governments? I can't even imagine myself, being a human-loving INFJ, being forced to hold a gun and shoot others. To be honest... I don't even think I'd be able to. I would just stand there. It'd simply be suicide.

We remember what happened last draft with Vietnam, right? Of course it's unlikely that we'll ever have a draft again because of that, but the fact that the System still exists is unnerving. It shows that they'll still consider it, even if it's a last resort.

I do understand why people might see a "necessity" in having a draft, but I don't think it has to be. I'm not good with politics, but aren't there "international laws" that most countries abide by? Well, I was thinking... what if there was an international law that made a draft illegal in any country? I realize the draft isn't just in America, but in just about every country in the world. Think of how this could benefit humanity as a whole.

In a sense, it would be like shrinking every country's army. The volunteers would remain of course, while those who truly do not want to fight would be exempt. Another problem might be: what about countries that rely on the draft for most of their soldiers? Well, it says something about that country's government if it can't get enough volunteers to support the army. Namely that the people probably aren't too patriotic meaning they probably are unhappy with the government to begin with. Wars would be a battle of patriotism, not who can throw the most "disposable" people at each other.

With smaller armies, much less people would die. Unwilling soldiers are deaths waiting to happen of innocent people who could be leading a beneficial life of helping others. Once they're dead, they can't help anyone.

What are you opinions on the draft in America? In the world? Do you think there's enough awareness about this in America? Do you think countries should continue to use drafts or is it time to move on?
 
First of all, it's apparently a felony for a man to avoid registering if he's caught. Yet women don't have to register at all for anything? I thought America was starting to get over all that sexist nonsense but apparently it's not ready for that. I'm not saying women should be drafted to unwillingly fight in wars, but it definately says something about the country. Just think of all the great brave women fighting in the American army by volunteer. Is the government saying in a "crisis" a woman would be completely useless to them and they would prefer a man? To me it seems like the government's supporting a patriarchal society where women aren't "good" enough to be useful soldiers. Or maybe it's the opposite?

It's also saying that men are disposable when compared to women. It doesn't matter if we send off a few thousand more men to die, but they wouldn't want any women to die. See how sexist this is both ways?

The only justification for this, that I can think of, is that women can make babies to repopulate the country if something goes drastically wrong and the army gets almost completely wiped out (but I don't see that happening).
 
If you don't like it, write a bill and ask your state senator to back it. If he doesn't, send it to every single senator and the president asking them to back it.

Send it along with an open letter that you also send to every media company including internet media.

If nothing gets done to remove it, emmigrate to a better country.
 
lol welcome to the club I said all the same things. What worries me is the situation in the world today. You very well could get drafted. Better go for a tech job so at least you can fight from behind the scenes. The air force is a great place to land if you don't want to fight. I don't want to get drafted either that's why I am looking into Canada.
 
my woman's mother is full Canadian and she is still a Canadian citizen. I am in like flint!
And shai Canadian woman are so sexy!!
 
You're not going to get drafted. Thank the volunteers for that.

My husband's in Iraq.

I'm not a hippie, but I'm not all about the war, and frankly this thread makes me want to roll my eyes. There's a general lack of knowledge about the military in this country that really makes me a little heated. You referred to the US military as the "American army." Okay, the United States has the US ARMY, US MARINE CORPS, US NAVY, US AIR FORCE, and the COAST GUARD. It is not "THE AMERICAN ARMY." That is not an all encompassing term you can slap on anyone who serves in our military. It's an insult and a slap in the face to each respective branch. My husband is not in the 'army,' he is a United States Marine. He went through hell to earn that title, so please be careful of how you label our VOLUNTEERS.

The truth is that it is very unlikely you will ever be drafted. Another truth is that war has been happening since the beginning of human existence, and will continue to happen long after you and I are gone. Does that make it right? Does that make it pleasant? Do I want anything to happen to my husband? No. I think the current system is acceptable. The all-volunteer military has kept you from getting drafted. Thank them.

I'm serious. Thank them.
 
Then why is this still law? It makes a Draft feasible.

And why thank people for volunteering? Their volunteering didn't stop the draft, public outrage over Vietnam did.
 
Then why is this still law? It makes a Draft feasible.

It's like a precautionary measure. A "just-in-case." Fighting is not fun, but it will always happen (and always has. Just be glad you're not living in Sparta). And if you don't like it, you are not forced to live in this country. No one's telling you to stay here.

I get that no one wants to be forced into it, but look, I was raised by a Marine and I married one, I've been around this my entire life. This thread seems like a whole lot of whining to me. I'm really not trying to be rude, but the truth of the matter is that the chances of anyone getting drafted at this point are really slim.
 
My dad has been deployed for 9 months now... He has been deployed before.

His job is to help the soldiers feel that they are not toiling in vain. Not an easy job when the soldiers job is to rebuild the afghani buildings and cities after the American MARINES blow them to hell or knock them down. They've done this twice so far. My dads job just keeps getting harder because of the American MARINES. Everytime a NATO General who is not American comes in the job gets easier, but when an American NATO General comes in, well the buildings get knocked down again. I won't be thanking the American Volunteers any time soon.

It's not the Australian Volunteers who keep the Australian People from being Drafted. It's the knowledge that their political careers will be destroyed just like the last Politicians who enacted National Service that keeps our Politicians from drafting.
 
My dad has been deployed for 9 months now... He has been deployed before.

His job is to help the soldiers feel that they are not toiling in vain. Not an easy job when the soldiers job is to rebuild the afghani buildings and cities after the American MARINES blow them to hell or knock them down. They've done this twice so far. My dads job just keeps getting harder because of the American MARINES.

Everytime a NATO General who is not American comes in the job gets easier, but when an American NATO General comes in, well the buildings get knocked down again.

Don't generalize an entire branch of service by what SOME do. My husband is a freakin' photographer, he's not dropping bombs on anyone. And for that matter, there are a few key people who even make those decisions. The young guys who are volunteering and being TOLD what to do, are not responsible for the decisions of a General. Surely you understand that.

And once again, fighting will always happen and has happened since the beginning of humankind. Like it or not, it is human nature to fight. It's one thing we're REALLY good at.
 
I understand that the Volunteers are choosing to give away the freedom to say no when a General tells them to murder someone. I also understand that their free choice ensured that they'd have to take the responsibility for their actions under the orders of someone else.

The people contesting this Draft Law are the people who don't want to be told to murder someone.

Why not Generalise them? The USMC exists to kill people, not to photograph them. If they have people acting in the role of photographer, that's their decision. But the USMC is not a Photography Corps.
 
The draft will not happen. No one in there right mind would instate it in this day and age. Even if it did so many people would contest it that there would be horrible logistic problems involved with it. It simply will not work.

They'd be very hard pressed to get me to agree with what they would do with a draft. I simply don't have the mental facillites to make it through basic training, or being told what to do like that; I would quite literally go mentally insane.
 
With all due respect to those who have chosen to serve in the military,

for those who do not choose to do so, sing a song:

[YOUTUBE]rDSxmFlQxsw[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]uYS2lHobcxo[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]UwxpAu42LWI[/YOUTUBE]

(The original version of this song came out in 1967, and, IMO, is a little bit funnier than this version, which must have come out in the mid '90s. I couldn't find the original version though. If you can make it all the way through, it's worth it.)
 
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Well they're not going to impose a draft over something like Iraq. It will be when World War 3 breaks out and we are on the brink of nuclear holocaust.
 
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