Let’s say that in the not too distant future, various radical Islamic elements become ascendant throughout the Middle East, and the region becomes completely unstable, and our oil supply from the Saudis etc. is threatened. Bush (or whomever he hands the problem off to) realizes we don’t have enough bodies to fill the miltary slots, so a draft is initiated.
This is directed to the male dopers as the likelihood of female draft is beyond remote. Forget about your age for a moment, and whether or not your are in the demographic cross-hairs for this, would you serve if called up?
I consider myself pretty patriotic, but if called up to defend our oil supply, I think I would resist being drafted.
An admirable sentiment, and pre-Iraq I probably would have shared that sentiment, however, watching the current war in Iraq unfold has caused a sea change in my attitudes regarding the moral authority of the President, and the government to wage war. The assumption that the powers that be know what they’re doing, has vanished like a fog being burnt off by the sun. I look at the squirming, specious rationales by civilian and military leaders for why we have almost 3000 dead soldiers and countless dead Iraqis, and the lies and stupidity makes me want to vomit.
Beyond the lives of my children and loved ones, my life is one of my most precious assets. If called to serve and stand by the United States to quell Middle east uprisings, I would have little confidence at this point regarding whatever reasons the US Government would put forward that would necessitate this. After the Iraq debacle I no longer trust the government to do the right thing.
If a draft began, & 43 year olds were declared draftable, I would leave before I got the notice.
America is in no danger from Iraq, & we could leave whenever we wanted to. I refuse to give one day of my life, much less die, so Bushie Jr. can prove how much bigger his dick is than his Daddy’s.
O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
On 9/11 I was prepared to re-enlist or offer my services as a Computer Professional to the Military if there was a call. This is what is known as a knee-jerk reaction. Many of my friends that I served with felt the same way.
Today, having watched the disaster known as the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld administration unfold, I do not believe I would be willing to serve and I would seek to avoid it.
When I was draft-eligible during the Vietnam era (another unnecessary war,) I delayed my fate by going to college for a year and a half. I had decided that, if drafted, I would go. The alternatives were Canada or prison. As it turned out, I got as far as the draft physical, where I was declared physically unqualified for service. I felt very fortunate, and I have never wished it had gone differently.
I respect those who served. I respect those who fled to Canada, too. I also respect those who, like Muhammed Ali, stood their ground and went to prison rather than going out to kill people who had done us no harm before the war. Better them than me.
Hmm. Tough question. If I perceived any sort of valid reason at all for the war, and a draft was called, I’d probably start in the Air Force ROTC, or maybe find work with some defense contractor. First, a lot of my family has been career Air Force. Second, I’d be able to contribute a hell of a lot better as some sort of analyst or engineer type, while I’d be less useful as a grunt. Finally, and this is not unimportant, this way I’d have a hell of a lot less risk of being killed.
But I may not see a valid justification. For example, war in Iran that the neocons seem to lust after is not justified in any way, unless they attack us first in some major way. In this case, I’d probably try to find some other legal exemption, like non-military government or academic research, which is sort of where I’m headed at the moment.
I think, like Dick Cheney during the Vietnam War, I would very likely have “other priorities.” If another WW2 or Civil War comes along, though, I’m all over that. Gimme a good war any day.