Anyone, Democrat or Republican, gets a mulligan from me for any dumb shit they did before the age of 25. We were all idiots at that time in our life.
So he wasn't eligible for the draft because he was listed as a Mormon Missionary......typical. They should send the Mormons in first. They can annoy the enemy to death in their white shirts and black plants wanting to talk about a horse thief that started a cult.
What a piece of shit. Collect you draft exemption and then picket against others who are not as fortunate. Fuck him.
Yeah, as long as they weren't apart of some radical type of group - you know, blowing shit up, or where killing police officers is deemed acceptable.
Fucking this. I have an acquaintance from the army who seems to have made it his personal duty to make sure people know Ted Nugent was a draft dodger. Once I hit 30 and started looking back on my early 20's, I started giving people a pass for stupid shit they did as kids.
To be fair to Mitt Romney, even if he hadn't received a deferment for being a Mormon missionary he probably would have got one for being the son of a millionaire governor.
Even if he had gotten drafted, he probably would not have seen combat. He most likely would've been assigned to a desk.
I agree; I don't give "draft dodgers" shit like I used to when I was a kid. They might have been hippie douche bags, but they were right. Also, I never trust a man who has never drank a beer. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2064518/Mitt-Romney-tasted-beer-tried-cigarette-once.html
I hate to say it. But if I had been around in the late 1960s', I would have been a draft dodger as well.
I was born in a country with a mandatory draft, so I recuse myself from this debate. Drafts are a natural thing for me, and I was drafted, as was pretty much everyone I know there...
I don't believe in drafts but I understand that it's a little different when you're Israel's size and in Israel's difficult geographic and sociopolitical position.
That's true, but countries like Greece also have a draft, and they don't have the same type of problem. I meant more in a psychological/conceptual sense. If the US suddenly found itself in a full scale war with China or Russia and you asked me if I thought there should be a draft, I would say "Fuck yes." Should it have been done for Vietnam? Fuck if I know...
I think that war should have been run better period, but I don't know whether part of that better running would involve no draft. Does that make sense? Like would you have supported the draft if the US wasn't just sending green kids into a meat grinder? If the whole thing was run better? Or is it an objection based on the war itself?
I would say "no". America is large enough and populated enough and geographically isolated enough to justify a volunteer only military. The reason I give Israel a pass is because it's a small country that's surrounded on three sides by extremely hostile nations (it's position sitting on a body of water is the the only reason it's not surrounded on all four sides). On a philosophical level, I don't think it's right to order anyone to put their lives in danger without their consent unless death is almost guaranteed if you don't.
Its partly based on an objection to the war itself. But it also has to do with things like draft exemptions. You ever hear the saying, "Rich man's war, poor man's fight".
But is it ok to enjoy the luxuries of your country of origin without helping to defend them when they are at risk? See, that's why I don't think I can really participate here. I think I have a total outsider's view of this issue. Objection to draft because of objection to a specific war is a problematic issue, but never mind that now. However, again it seems like you are basing your objection to the concept based on the execution. Even if I supported a draft, it doesn't mean I supported THE draft (i.e how it was carried out). But again, as I said above, I really think I can't truly get into your heads because I wasn't born here. There are many topics where I consider my thinking to be very American, but I don't think this is one of them.
I definitely see your line of thinking here. I think this really is a difference in origin. See, America was sorta founded on the basis of government being separate from individual people. Israel was founded more like an "us against them" as a whole, and there is an implied social contract of serving your country woven in to that mentality. Even the Israel advocacy work I did here in the States was sorta related to that. Definitely interesting to hear you guys' perspective on it, though. Normally I just hear the tired old "Maaaaan!" arguments against it, which automatically want to make me support it.
I think that a draft is completely unconstitutional, as there is no authority to force any person into military service. It is also quite antithetical to the spirit of the this country and the Constitution. If there are a number of things that the federal government cannot do to you, how is it excusable to completely take over one's life and force them into servitude against their will? EDIT: after doing a little reading, it would seem that there is a constitutional argument for the draft, but I disagree with the reasoning. There are also Supreme Court rulings on the subject. If you care, read here: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_drft.html
