But indeed, as you say, if you refused to participate in the rape and pillage expeditions of the 60's you really don't get to propose more of the same for the 2010's.

... as Einstein's home country, from which he was forced to flee, was liberated by those he apparently despises.

Easy to bash, until you need one...

I believe Albert understood that too.

was trying to get out of the draft.

I can't understand why all of a sudden anyone who enlists has become a hero. I know some of these kids. There is nothing heroic going on there. Some of them are nice enough, they just don't know what they want to do with their lives yet.

like George Bush Junior.

I went to the same basic training. None of the folks who graduated with me became lieutenants at graduation and certainly none of us were sent to pilot training.

but I know that if they put a draft in place today for some bullshit war there wouldn't be anything that could make me go. I'd probably just be non-compliant. They can take me to boot camp in hand-cuffs but they can't make me participate in any drills or pay attention to anything anyone says to me.

He appealed, and his conviction was reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Years ago, some of us in my VN veterans' group would get invited every year to speak to a HS class taught by someone who actually DID do prison time for refusing to report when he was drafted. He spent at least 18 months in prison, if not the full 2 years he was sentenced to.

Our group of VN combat vets had enormous respect for that teacher. He accepted the consequences, and sacrificed, to honor his principles.

My husband's best friend was, too. My husband didn't need to: his number was too high to be worried about the draft. No one I knew personally (I was in high school and college during Vietnam) went, mostly because of student deferments. My best friend considered emigrating to Canada.

I'm not sure who you're talking about with regard to "draft dodging" in the 60s and then becoming warmongers. Dick Cheney? Believe me, none of the people I knew who by hook or by crook avoided the war ever became warmongers.

A couple of Democrats too perhaps.

into the National Guard then they were able to stay out of war. That was the way it was. When the draft came in I don't think it was fair and equal. As usual the poor kids got stuck going. They didn't have a way of getting out. But I tell you this much if this country goes into a WWIII there will be a draft and there better be no exemptions. Period. Everyone should be equal and have the opportunity to die for this country especially the rich who have led the great life. The first who should line up are all the Bush sons' and of course all those strapping Romney boys who have lived a life of reilly.

I'm talking about the hundreds of thousands of young men who in one way or another got out of the draft and who DIDN'T turn into war mongers. This is a kind of stupid and ahistoric thread. And it bears no relationship to today, because there is no draft, and hasn't been one for many decades.

There are people in power today who are in favor of war but who dodged the draft. They may be few but they have power. Mitt Romney is a chickenhawk. Dick Cheney was one of those people - got draft deferrments, but then mired us in the Iraq War II.

Here's a long list of 'em. These people are problematic because some of them want to send us into some kind of war or another.

http://www.nhgazette.com/chickenhawks/?sort_list=1

Moved back in 1981.

I had CO status when I left but found that I couldn't deal with working in the geriatric ward of the local mental hospital.

The Vietmam draft ended when I was 16...but he made it very fucking clear to me that if I was ever drafted he would ship my ass to Italy to go live with his cousins.

I will never forget that.

Think draftees for WWII, and volunteers for the Vietnam War.


The numbers for war dead are roughly 70% draftee in WWII, and 70% volunteers in Vietnam.

In 1970 22% of the US army were draftees, and unlike WWII the Navy did not have to draft at all, and the Marines not a whole lot.