cjh (11/08/82)
In response to your message of Fri Nov 5 14:22:36 1982: WHAT a hole you drive through your arguments with the last paragraphs of your msg! First, since the military definitely constitutes unusual service (it's the only one of the publicly funded services for which there is significant normal approval for conscription (not surprising since it's the only one in which you are supposed to stand a large chance of being broken up)) it is NOT fair for the rich to be able to buy their way out. Second, if a lot of people think a war should be fought but not by them, that suggests a degree of selfishness that brings into question the validity of their reasons for supporting a war; there's been some fascinating speculation on what would happen if the warmongers were the first to be drafted. . . . Many of the Boston-area libertarians (note small 'l') constitute a longer-running comedy than anything on stage, but this was too big a gaffe to let by. CHip
jhh (11/09/82)
If you think the draft is illegal because it constitutes involuntary servitude, you better work on outlawing jails, as they are an even more apparent example of I.S. If you still want a place to lock up dangerous people, you can draft people on the same principle. Methinks if you wish to stop the draft, you better find a better basis than that it is already unconstitutional, especially since the Supreme Court does not agree with you. John Haller
markm (11/09/82)
Ah yes, the good ole draft debate - one of my fave's. It's always amused me how people will beat the crap out of each other at anti-war demonstrations. Pacifism obviously applies differently on the global and personal levels. I think the problem is not so much draft registration, as not trusting the government that they won't send us off to some stinking jungle. Had Carter started up when the Iranians took the embassy, NOBODY would have complained. We'd have been over there real quick and had a 'good ole time'. Like Patton said: 'Americans love to fight . . .', and it's true. Lets face it, this we are carnivorous preditors. We prey on each other through industrial competition. It's not right or wrong, it's just the way things are. Technological advances accelerate incredibly in times of war. It is this instinct to compete, dominate and survive that keeps the planet going. If we were pacifistic and docile (and I know I'll be flamed for this) we'd still be living in caves (man is also the only creature endowed with laziness). I wouldn't call myself a war monger. I wouldn't support blowing the crap out of every country that talked back to us - even if they deserved it. I do think that war is inevitable, and we can't afford to loose. I'm not talkin' communist domination or anything like that - just simple economic survival. If third world countries take our embassies, shoot up our people and all those other 'hate American' things they should pay. No more foreign aid to start with. If they continue to harras us (like Lybia), we make them a black splotch on the map (in incindiary spendor). Some may say, why punish an entire country for the acts of a few. Wouldn't those countries be better off under American rule than their own dictators??? We are the lamest occupiers around. I'd rather have the rest of the world hate us and be afraid to say so than hate us and show it with acts of terrorism. Anyway, I think the Swiss have the right idea. Manditory National Guard service. Everyone is part of the Army (or whatever), no-one looses 2 or so years just before or after college and there is a well trained army on hand. Imagine if we had such a scheme!! Right now we're being traeted like garbage by the rest of the world. I'll admit we're pretty screwed up, but we got the highest standard of living around. We probably won't have to fight the Russians or the Chinese (neither of the big three are that stupid), but the Mid-east, Africa and S. America are possabilities. Then there's Korea. If we nail just one of these countries (not like the British did though - stupidity wise), the rest would shut up and we'd regain our respect. Oh well, that's enough . . . I figure the flames will get pretty high . . . 'Pass the Lord and Praise the Ammunition' (sorry - couldn't resist) MSMiller GR Concord, MA