Theoretical Draft

[Ice]

Now, this is all hypothetical. Imagine you are between the age of 18-25. I use this age because that is the draft age for the USA, and I'm not sure on other countries ages. Your country has just declared war on another country. Your country's current military strength is not sufficient for the upcoming war. They require additonal manpower and require a draft.

You recieve a letter in the mail, saying you've been drafted. What is your reaction?

[Big_John]

i'd need to know my options in the military (would i be able to be an officer, for example) and the penalties for not showing up for the draft.

[Ice]

i'd need to know my options in the military (would i be able to be an officer, for example) and the penalties for not showing up for the draft.

Ok. Your rank would be based on your education and an evaluation of yourself. The penalty for not showing up would be jail time.

[Big_John]

ok, well, i'm pretty well educated and whatnot. so , depending on the nature of the war (who we are attacking/why we are attacking them), i'd go with either option 2 or 3.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

It would depend on the war, I'd have to think it over carefully. I voted 1 because that's closest. I don't care to be a part of a country that attacks another country in a major war that I consider unjust. If it's a just war I'd go for it. I can't understand someone who'd blindly join because it's their "duty".

[Lemur]

I'm too old now, but when I turned 18 I turned in my Selective Service card, and I knew what it meant. And I wouldn't sign something like that if I didn't intend to honor it.

[Ice]

I'm too old now, but when I turned 18 I turned in my Selective Service card, and I knew what it meant. And I wouldn't sign something like that if I didn't intend to honor it.

You really don't have a choice. You have to sign up.

[Lemur]

I know people who didn't, for various reasons. And you shouldn't do it if you don't intend to honor it.

[Redleg]

No worry for me at all. If I am recalled from medical retirement - I will do return to service. But I am disqualified for combat, so its really doubtful that I will ever be recalled.

Besides like Lemur I signed the selective service registration without hestitation knowning what it meant. And he is correct - one shouldn't sign the form if one does not intend to honor it.

[master of the puppets]

if it comes to war, if i believe it is right, my body then belongs to the just cause of my united states and all those dignified people there-in. the not so dignified ones can be fed to rabid iguanas. but if its a just cause i will fight for my country, real opinion is i love my patriam and will fight for the freedoms and heritage it gives.

[Cha]

How about "I'd fail the physical exam?" I can't hear with one of my ears so I'm exempt from the American military.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

For the US to put the draft back into effect the war would probably have to be pretty big. I'd serve without hesitation, despite the protests of my mother and probably half of my classmates. I might even head off to basic if I didn't truly believe in the war, but didn't think it was wrong as well. But if I felt it was a totally unjust war or something like that I'd refuse to aid it. I wouldn't run off to Canada or anything though. If I thought it was unjust enough to not serve I'd like to think that I'd be strong enough to stay for the consequences.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I'd use my new found military 'friends' strength to KILL CHUCK NORRIS!!!

Die!!!

[solypsist]

i'm outta there. even if the US is invaded, I'm still leaving. this is the only life i have, and i'm not throwing it away because someone else says i need to risk it.

remember folks, "Now I want you to remember that no ******* ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb ******* die for his country." - Gen. Patton.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Depends on cause actually...

If it was Iraq, I might move to Canada...

I've always wanted to live in Calgary, Edmonton, or Toronto...

[solypsist]

it must be an alien concept to many that a person can have a good, fullfilling life without the need for reactionary nationalist patriotism.

liberal mindset? you should try looking into the [non-existent] service records of your conservative congressional chickenhawks.

There you have it folks. The liberal mindset at work. He even managed to take a Patton quote out of context.

[solypsist]

enjoy your theoretical war, then. i have better things to do.

dying in a war is for fools and the unfortunate. look at the list of people* who fled europe at the onset of WW2 to come to america and what they contributed to this place by doing so. i guess you're calling them disgusting, too.

That someone wouldn't join a draft even if the country were invaded is just disgusting. You don't have to be a reactionary conservative to defend your homeland.

*scientists, artists, doctors, scholars, etc.

[solypsist]

personal attack? hmmm...

Well, at least you admit you're a coward.

[Tachikaze]

I would go live in Japan and scout models for soly.

I would leave the US as soon as there was a strong possibility of the draft being instituted. And, indeed, Japan would be my destination.

I'm sure my answer surprises no one.

[solypsist]

we can watch the war on NHK television after the fashion shoots.

I would go live in Japan and scout models for soly.

I would leave the US as soon as there was a strong possibility of the draft being instituted. And, indeed, Japan would be my destination.

I'm sure my answer surprises no one.

[Tachikaze]

[Divinus Arma]

personal attack? hmmm...

Personal attack? I would call it an observation.

When war is personal to you, a war with your country is the same as a war with your family. If some values are not worth dying for, then life is not worth living. At what point do you take up arms against your oppressors? Or do you bow to slavery and domination at every turn?

I am sure that even you, Soly, would reach a point to where you would fight rather than be enslaved.

What's more, why should your neighbor fight for your liberty if you will only turn your back on him? That is what Cube is talking about. Dropping your selfish ideals and supporting something of meaning to the community a a whole.

Ya, I'm pretty disgusted with your perception of liberty. From your comments, it seems safe to assume that you take everything in this country for granted.

Just look at it this way: Would you defend your home from murderers and rapists or would you let them destroy your home and ravage your family?

If you would, then would you defend your neighbor if he cried for help? Would you want him to help you if you needed it?

These are the values that Americans share. Real Americans. And this is why your liberal elite attitude is so disgusting to so many.

Enjoy your day.


And Big John, you scare the heck out of me. Think about what you wrote man!

i'd need to know my options in the military (would i be able to be an officer, for example) and the penalties for not showing up for the draft.

What kind of leader do you think you would make with an attitude like that? It's a privilege and an HONOR to lead men for their country. A responsibility that should only be entrusted to those willing to sacrifice the most, willing to continue on when all others have given up. When everyone around you is dead, dying, or ready to surrender, the offier is the one who bears the responsibility to his country more than any other. Supposed to be the elite... not desperate for meager positional authority. With an attitude like that, your men would spot you so ****ing fast it would make your head spin. And then guess who will REALLY be in charge of your puppet self?

Man, disgusting reactions to this thread.

THIS IS WHY WE DONT EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER WANT A DRAFT AGAIN. THE QUALITY OF MEN GOES INTO THE TOILET.

Glad to see at least some of you are men of honor here...

[Big_John]

have fun dying with your honor DA, what a privilege. whatever i "owe" to my country, i can certainly fulfill in better ways than taking a bullet in some far-flung land. to wit, my mind would be of better service to an army in a strategic/tactical role.. not to be modest, but being some sort of common soldier would be a waste of my talent. i guess by "officer" i meant something else, but you know what i'm talking about, i should hope.

in any case, we'll never know what sort of military leader i would make. but i can tell you that i'm pretty good at coercing the weak-minded. take that for what you will.

[Banquo's Ghost]

What kind of leader do you think you would make with an attitude like that? It's a privilege and an HONOR to lead men for their country. A responsibility that should only be entrusted to those willing to sacrifice the most, willing to continue on when all others have given up. When everyone around you is dead, dying, or ready to surrender, the offier is the one who bears the responsibility to his country more than any other. Supposed to be the elite... not desperate for meager positional authority. With an attitude like that, your men would spot you so ****ing fast it would make your head spin. And then guess who will REALLY be in charge of your puppet self?

I'm glad you made this point so eloquently to save me the trouble.

THIS IS WHY WE DONT EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER WANT A DRAFT AGAIN. THE QUALITY OF MEN GOES INTO THE TOILET.

Also well said. This is why I respect the views of those who do not wish to fight, for whatever reason. Solypsist's reasons, for example, are well-argued and perfectly valid. In war, I would rather lead twenty dedicated professionals than a thousand half-hearted conscripts.

As for the above question, my options don't appear. Not surprisingly really: I served as a captain of Royal Artillery in the British Army for several years before transferring back to the Irish Defence Forces.

Since I am still registered for call-up in both countries, I guess I have to hope we never war each other again!

So I wouldn't be drafted in this scenario, I would be recalled. In detail, I would assert my right to refuse participating in a foreign adventure by the British, but would fight in her defence.

If someone threatened my Irish homeland (we're neutral, so unlikely to get involved in invading other countries) they would have to step over my cold, dead body to do it. As has happened to generations of my ancestors, of whom I am justly proud.

These questions are never simple, are they?

[Tribesman]

Volunteer , and get a nice little supply job miles away from any action , then rip off as much money as I could .
War is a dirty dangerous business , why let the arms dealers make all the money ?

[Ironside]

Now, this is all hypothetical. Imagine you are between the age of 18-25. I use this age because that is the draft age for the USA, and I'm not sure on other countries ages. Your country has just been declared war upon by another country. Your country's current military strength is not sufficient for the upcoming war. They require additonal manpower and require a draft.

You recieve a letter in the mail, saying you've been drafted. What is your reaction?

Swear, complain and draw memories from my previous military service I had due to the increased threat from that other country (in reality I didn't need to do it due to the current relaxed drafting, because the lack of enemies), then I would serve.

You see, the scandinavic countries is quite different compared to the US in this issue.
Here the draft is a fact and during the cold war "every guy" had done some kind of military service and this still lingers enough to make the same system re-appear if the situation is deemed neccissery, with the difference that it would most likely involve "everyone" this time.

[Kagemusha]

Ironside is right. Here its a citizen´s duty to protect his country against foreign attacks. In Finland only certain medical conditions leave you out of the army. So this staff sergeant in reserve would be shipped in, in the case war would break out.

[Paul Peru]

We have a draft in Norway. (it may be on its last legs)
As a conscientious objector, I served 16 months of civilian service in lieu of 12 months in the armed forces. In case of war, I'd called on to do humanitarian work or provide some other vital service to keep society functioning. That's what I'd do.

[_Martyr_]

I disagree with all you people calling soly a coward. Read Sean O'Caseys play The Plough And the Stars, it examines the the themes of loyalty and duty on various levels; duty to one's self, one's family, one's community, one's country, and to one's ideals.

Ultimately I personally dont put too much weight on the notion of a nation. In my humble opinion, Im a human first and formost, with a family and friends and people I love, that just so happens to have been born where and when I was. Nothing makes me more nauseous than teary eyed patriotism and blind nationalism. Take a step back, had the fluke of birth happened in any other way, you would feel exactly the same way about where ever else you were born. Not exaclty a very strong basis for an undying love, devotion and preparedness to kill and to die for an abstract ideal that just devides humanity.

Dont get me wrong, I am fond of where I live, the people and places here are very dear to me, but as a whole I dont really buy the broader, encompassing, almost devine entity of "Ireland" or indeed any nation. Its all just a result of violant human history - wars, murder, assisnations, plunder, slavery and division - not something I am particularly proud of. In short there's nothing at all sacred about a "country", no more than I dont particularly feel excessive loyalty to my bank, ISP or College as institutions, I dont feel that much loyalty to the State. Its the people I care about, not the institution that was created to govern them. I dont have kids yet, but when I do, my loyalty will be squarely to them, not too the State, what good of a father would I be to them dead for an abstract political cause?

Based purely on a willingness to fight a politically motivated war for this abstract (and imo) rather counterproductive construction of modern pollitical and millitary consolodation and centralisation I would dodge a draft. On the other hand, not all wars are politically motivated (I mean this in the sense that Iraq II was certainly to some extent motivated by the strategic value of the large oil reserves, and indeed Iraq's location, and lots of other political factors, not really by an honest threat to the safety of Great Britain or America, but you might disagree) some are indeed wars of survival. In these wars you and the people you love, your very existance is threatened I would fight to the death.

Basically it boils down to this, I would fight and die for people, but not for politics.

[BigTex]

In 2 weeks I go and sign up for the draft. No, if called I would go and join without moaning, it would be my duty. The least I can do in thanks to my forefathers for the freedoms they have granted, and maintained. Some things are worth dieing for, and the continuance of these United States is one of the better of them. Whatever you may call it, blind patriotism, evil nationalism, it has brought us to the top in the world and it will keep us there.