What would you do if you were drafted?

[Brooker]

If you were to be drafted by your country's military during war time, what would you do?

[mad pierrot]

Depends. If it was now, for Iraq, then no. If it was for civil war or WWII, I'd probably go.

[Jungle Boy]

I would leave. I dont' beleive in war. The only war worth fighting in the last 60 years was WWII. So unless Hitler came back from the grave and tried to establish the third reich agian I would leave.

[Mike Cash]

You forgot to include "I have already served voluntarily" and "I have already served voluntarily and am past recall age"

[CC1]

You forgot to include "I have already served voluntarily" and "I have already served voluntarily and am past recall age"

Mike it is sooooo scary how much you and I think alike (sometimes)...I was just getting ready to post something similar!

[Brooker]

I've made the changes to the poll.

[Frank D. White]

Even though I'm over the hill, it would be great to put my long range shooting skills back to work! I would love to send deserving enemies to their graves; better than any video game out! What better way to lose your aggression then government santioned killing; makes me drool to think about all that blood & gore. Don't wait for the draft, run down & join now!

Frank

PS - KILL KILL KILL, RAH RAH RAH!!

[Mike Cash]

I've made the changes to the poll.

Thanks for remember us veterans. If possible, please shift my vote to that from the "would volunteer before being drafted" thingy.

[Brooker]

Even though I'm over the hill, it would be great to put my long range shooting skills back to work! I would love to send deserving enemies to their graves; better than any video game out! What better way to lose your aggression then government santioned killing; makes me drool to think about all that blood & gore. Don't wait for the draft, run down & join now!

Frank

PS - KILL KILL KILL, RAH RAH RAH!!

There's a stance you don't hear very often. Never really thought of it like that.

mikecash wrote...

Thanks for remember us veterans. If possible, please shift my vote to that from the "would volunteer before being drafted" thingy.

Done.

[kirei_na_me]

I think Frank was being sarcastic, so I wouldn't get too bent out of shape.

Well, I guess I'm not in danger of being drafted, but I do have a plan for my sons if ever they're drafted. They have dual citizenship, so if they are drafted, I'll just ship them to Japan.

[lineartube]

Patriotism versus Humanism... that's a though choice. I don't usually wake up in the morning with strange urges envolving Spaniards, a rusty sword and some Albrecht Durer visions of hell on Earth. But I admit I can get bitchy before my mourning coffee.
This being said, the only way I could get forced to fight was if the sovereignty of my country was in peril, like for instance in the last EuroCup, when hordes of tourists swarmed down into our towns and pubs and drunk all of our beer!

Two things come into mind though, that would make me think about raising even a fruit knife at my "enemy": One would be the "how moral is this conflict" and the other "how moral is my government". But in the end it is my country and for the good or for the bad I would have to defend it and I would volunteer. Though if I has faced into serving overseas and getting involved into overthrowing a over-the-hill dictator, I would say no and I would prefer the brig.

[mad pierrot]

I see it this way: I am willing to defend my country. Well, sending more troops to Iraq increases social unrest causing more people of Iraq to resort to terrorist tactics. Seems to me, sending more troops to Iraq only recruits more terrorists, which is the opposite of defending my country.




Perhaps we should try diplomacy.

[Satori]

I see it this way: I am willing to defend my country. Well, sending more troops to Iraq increases social unrest causing more people of Iraq to resort to terrorist tactics. Seems to me, sending more troops to Iraq only recruits more terrorists, which is the opposite of defending my country.




Perhaps we should try diplomacy.

What a great answer!

[kirei_na_me]

Yes, excellent answer, mad p.

[Wang]

It depends on what the reasons are for the war.
The enemy of Taiwan is the corrupt, oppressive and dictatorial People's Republic of China.
If Taiwan would be attacked by China then I would probably defend it, because I believe in the ideals of freedom and democracy and I don't want that to be taken away from us.

[bossel]

I would never join any army! Don't want to end up as cannon fodder.

In a case like Wang described, though, I would probably join some small (!) resistance group & try to take out the occasional soldier or tank.
Hey! That would make me one of those thugs & assassins Bush likes to talk about, wouldn't it?

[Glenn]

I see it this way: I am willing to defend my country. Well, sending more troops to Iraq increases social unrest causing more people of Iraq to resort to terrorist tactics. Seems to me, sending more troops to Iraq only recruits more terrorists, which is the opposite of defending my country.




Perhaps we should try diplomacy.

Wasn't the question about being drafted in general, and not about the current conflict?

[Lina Inverse]

Not bloody likely, since I had the luck to be classified "unsuitable" during the suitability test for the military service
Over here, once you become 18 there's a suitability test, and if you pass it, you have to serve for a year, However, you could still refuse and do social services instead (which are a bit longer, I think).

Even though I'm over the hill, it would be great to put my long range shooting skills back to work! I would love to send deserving enemies to their graves; better than any video game out! What better way to lose your aggression then government santioned killing; makes me drool to think about all that blood & gore. Don't wait for the draft, run down & join now!

Frank

PS - KILL KILL KILL, RAH RAH RAH!!

Uh-oh... Uncle Frank has forgotten to take his Prozac once again, and this time it's really bad
Run for the hills, he's already foaming at the mouth!

[Brooker]

Lina Inverse wrote...

Over here, once you become 18 there's a suitability test, and if you pass it, you have to serve for a year, However, you could still refuse and do social services instead (which are a bit longer, I think).

My father was a U.S. Marine back in Vietnam and he said he had to take a similar kind of test. He told some rather entertaining stories about what some guys did in order to FAIL this test. One involved putting the contents of a jar of chunky peanut butter down your pants. When asked about the strange substance during the physical examination, the potential recruit scooped some of it up into his mouth and declaired, "I believe it's sh**, sir". He was denied entrance for "mental reasons".

Sorry if that was too racey, but hey, I heard that story from my dad. I tried not to be too graphic about it.

[King of Tokyo]

My father was a U.S. Marine back in Vietnam and he said he had to take a similar kind of test. He told some rather entertaining stories about what some guys did in order to FAIL this test. One involved putting the contents of a jar of chunky peanut butter down your pants. When asked about the strange substance during the physical examination, the potential recruit scooped some of it up into his mouth and declaired, "I believe it's sh**, sir". He was denied entrance for "mental reasons".

Sorry if that was too racey, but hey, I heard that story from my dad. I tried not to be too graphic about it.

That story reminds me of the film 'Training Day'.

Oh, and to stay on topic, I chose "It would depend on the circumstances of the conflict, but probably not go." I am completely against war and don't see how a group of poor people (Me and everyone else getting the royal screwjob) murdering a group of another nation's poor people makes any sense. Why should I go and kill others who most likely don't wish to be there either? I don't need that on my conscience, I also don't need a bullet to the head. If I was drafted it'd be cool though, because my parents would pay for me to go live in Japan to get away from it, so I welcome them to draft me.

[Maciamo]

I appreciate that some countries (UK, Belgium...) do not have conscription ("draft" for Americans, although it sounds like beer ).

In the events of a war, I would rather leave my country (anyway, I already don't live there anymore ), as 1) I feel little attachment to it, and 2) why should I die for "my country", because some politicians decided it, when I could make the decisions instead of them. I'd rather fight politicians deciding to go to war than the so-called enemy. If "my country" (the EU ?) were attacked, then I would try to find a solution to end the war quickly and with few casualities. But that really depends on how desperate the situation is, I guess.

[Satori]

I appreciate that some countries (UK, Belgium...) do not have conscription ("draft" for Americans, although it sounds like beer ).

In the events of a war, I would rather leave my country (anyway, I already don't live there anymore ), as 1) I feel little attachment to it, and 2) why should I die for "my country", because some politicians decided it, when I could make the decisions instead of them. I'd rather fight politicians deciding to go to war than the so-called enemy. If "my country" (the EU ?) were attacked, then I would try to find a solution to end the war quickly and with few casualities. But that really depends on how desperate the situation is, I guess.

I definitely agree with that. Actually, I think the leaders who want to go to war should fight it out!

And I especially loved your reference to beer. If only it were about beer!!

[Brooker]

Someone (not me) added "I am beyond recall age" but I don't know if that's a good choice because the question is "What would you do IF you were drafted?". Even if you're too old to be drafted, you can surely imagine what you would do if you were drafted.

Besides, I'm 27, under current rules I'm too old to be drafted (I think), but if a draft were enacted, they could easily up the age requirement to include me. So I can't really say that I'm too old.

[Frank D. White]

all the young people leave the country, us old ones will be the only ones left to fight?

Frank

[Fantt]

There's another option for the poll, right? I would guess that if the US tried to draft today's 18 and 19 year old men, an awful lot of them would become gay overnight. Currently, I don't think you can be in the military if you're homosexual. Don't ask, don't tell and all that.

Is that the case? Could a young man get out of military service by announcing he's gay? If so, what sort of proof would the government require? Would young men be willing to prove themselves to be gay over dying for a war they feel is immoral? I might if I was draftable and considered the current war to be immoral.

As for me, I'm too old, but if my son is ever in danger of being drafted for an immoral war we would leave the country.