How will the affluent evade the draft?

[bluestateguy]

Lets just say that George W. Bush is elected this fall, and the draft is quickly reinstated next winter. We can also assume that college deferments will be scrapped. But that's not to say that the children of the affluent won't still find many ways to evade the draft. I can think of many creative ways, and I invite your comments as well.

Such examples could include: extended European vacations dressed up as "independent study"; "attention deficit disorder" (a little doctor shopping may be necessary for some to get the diagnosis); "hyperactivity"; and I also fully expect some conservative somewhere to call for a clause in the draft law allowing draftees to pay a substitute to serve in their place, as was done during the Civil War. The Heritage Foundation and other conservative think tanks could publish papers and extensive "studies" arguing the economic virtues of such an idea.

[oldhat]

1. Gay

They suddenly discover their fabulously gay inner selves.

[Iris]

24. With tips from "Queer Eye" no doubt!

Hey, this could even work for the poor! They may have to be more Klinger-esque - claim they are women trapped in men's bodies, but still . . .

[Wilber_Stool]

38. Unless they want

pictures of me in action, thats the way I'd go.

[cliss]

2. I have a couple of points:

1) Expect a draft, no matter who gets the nomination. We are seriously undermanned around the world, and we desperately need more people. So even if Kerry is elected, count on a mandatory draft. There's legislation moving through Congress right now.

2) I've heard the ages will be between 18 and 30. College will no longer get you out of it. I've even read that young ladies will be called up.

3) Do not expect the rich people to send their kids, just because they get a draft notice. Robert Kiyosaki said, "the wealthy will always find a way".

4) Expect the wealthy to find creative ways to hide their kids. Probably at a boarding school in Switzerland, or on a Peace Corps mission in Indonesia, and so on.

5) I've read that in the entire Congress and Senate, only ONE child is currently serving in the armed forces. Not likely.

[Dems Will Win]

11. Kerry has a NO-DRAFT PLAN

Ask me about it.

Also re-enlistment rates are cratering. The DoD is guess what--lying about their current numbers! Here's the truth from the guy who helped break Abu Ghraib, Col. Hackworth:

"Speaking off the record," writes a military wife, "my husband was supposed to come home from Iraq this week but has just been extended another 120 days. His old unit, 3rd Infantry Division, is already seeing an exodus of junior officers. Since their return from Iraq, 35 captains have left the Army for greener pastures. Several more -- read: another 15-20 -- are due to leave, but who knows whether or not they'll manage to do so before more stop losses and stop moves come down prior to their return to the desert. ... Between separation from family, no guarantee of tour lengths, no clear mission and consistent pay problems, folks are pretty fed up. If they can get out, which is no small feat, they seem to be doing so while the getting is good."

"Don't use my name," writes a senior sergeant. "I believe we are going to have a massive attrition problem in the Reserve. I have 24 years in the Army Reserve, and this is my second time in the Gulf. They're talking about reservists having to deploy once every five years. I doubt our civilian employers and families are going to buy into that. I've got to get out when I redeploy if I want to stay married."

"We're stretched too thin," reports a sergeant. "Our CO (commanding officer) admitted this to us during our tour in Afghanistan. He also admitted that morale is down due to the extending of tours. Yet the Pentagon insists there's no problem with morale. We lost over 75 percent of our unit when we got back. I know other units are having the same problems. If this trend continues, we won't have enough people to defend this country when the need arises."

An Apache pilot in Korea says, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Army is going to be losing a lot of people as soon as they get the chance to vote with their feet."

http://www.lenconnect.com/articles/2004/05/28/news/news09.txt

[immoderate]

13. "we are seriously undermanned"

of course, you meant to say underpersonned.

According to Chalmers Johnson we have over 700 military bases around the world. do we really need that? That's not defense, that's empire.

Rangel and others, who are calling for a draft, are IMO doing it in such a way as to preempt these loopholes. In effect, they will prevent it.

I have heard of several (though not many) congressional offspring in the service, though not necessarily in combat.

--IMM

[pinniped]

3. If one studies overseas can they be recalled?

I wouldn't think so but I dunno.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Rest assured...

the draft rules will be written to protect the connected.

they will be written BY the connected, after all.

[0007]

45. When did the wealthy ever fight in numbers as the common folks

Who has the best attorneys? And these attorneys are always looking for loopholes and legislating the laws in their favor and supporting politicians that almost always win.

[mitchum]

5. Change their gender?

[Dont Hurt Me]

6. I don't think

there will be a draft, reenlistments are up and recruiting goals are being met.


if there is a draft it'll be the gay thing.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

19. Reenlistments are up?

I've heard it's down. Way down.

[Dont Hurt Me]

21. From CNN

In the article you'll find

"And despite the bloodshed, soldiers are re-enlisting at rates that exceed retention goals"

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/05/19/military.recruiting.ap/index.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

22. You forgot:

"...according to the Pentagon."






Edit for full quote:
And despite the bloodshed, soldiers are re-enlisting at rates that exceed retention goals, according to the Pentagon.

[Dont Hurt Me]

28. Um...

considering the Pentagon runs the military who else would it be from. The notion that they would lie about reenlistment numbers i don't believe because it's something they can't hide. Not everything is a conspiracy.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

41. Yeah, why would the Pentagon lie? Silly me.

It's not a conspiracy, it's self-interest.

[Timefortruth]

29. They reduced the retention goals in order to meet them.

Check it out.

[Dont Hurt Me]

31. I can find

no evidence of that please post a link if you have one.

[jpgray]

42. Yes. These goals were reset after the rates were established

SOP for the Pentagon, I believe.

[liarliartieonfire]

7. Question about enlisting or the DRAFT..are all those Florida Felons

exempt from either.
Can't vote-can't be called to serve?

[jayavarman]

8. I've always been skeptical about the whole "they are going to

reinstate the draft paranoia" . . . . has always sounded like bullshit to me. But it seems to me that the best way for the affluent to deal with the draft is to do what many of them, including Al Gore, did . . . . enlist in the armed sevices . . . It is my understanding that people who enlisted were able to pick & choose their mission (like working on an army newspaper for example) while many times draftees were sent to the infantry. So if your gonna get drafted, pull a gore (I could just as easily say to do what my uncle did, or my father in law . . . but you dont know them 7 do know Al)

[ima_sinnic]

23. the bills to reinstate it are already working their way thru Congress

--"paranoia"? I don't think so

[Vickers]

9. Surgically-implanted pilonidal cysts

You read it here first, folks!

:crazy:

[heidiho]

15. My son had one - they removed it, he was fine

Don't know why Rush got out forever with one. They are easily removable and curable quickly.

[Vickers]

20. Exactly! I had a friend in the military who had that procedure

done in 1988 or so.

Beleive me, they were medically discharging people left and right at that time (the down-sizing of the military was begun under Reagan/Poppy, despite what the Clenis-haters tell you), and if this had been a debilitating condition, you can bet your bananas they would have medically out-processed him in no time.

Rush got out of service the same way a lot of the chickenshit chickenhawks did: lying, cheating and plumb not showing up.

[mopaul]

10. anal cysts....other priorities...flat feet, gay republican...lots & lots

of fine excuses will be coughed up, while our sons and daughters go die and kill

[ThomWV]

12. What Makes You Think That It Won't Be Easy For Anywone To Avoid The Draft?

Look, it doesn't seem to have occured to anyone just how easy it is going to have to be to avoid the next draft. The reason is we have so many eligible draftees but so small a need. Lets say that we really need to draft a lot of troops, lets say as many new troops as there are troops in Iraq right at this moment. What is that 135,000 or so? How may potential draftees are there in the pool? How many young guys between the ages of 19 and 26 who have finished school and are not currently enrolled in college? How's this, there are 3 million of them. So, if you have 3 million in the pool and you only need a little over 100,000 per year you have to go to some effort to figure out a way to expempt a hell of a lot more people than you intend to take. It seems to me that avoiding the next draft might just be as simple as saying "I don't want to go". Anyone care to argue with that presumption?

[ima_sinnic]

25. It didn't work during Vietnam, it certainly won't work this time

--during Vietnam there was a lottery--so while there were more people in the pool than were actually called to serve, your chance of actually having to go was (theoretically) random. Nobody whose number was picked could just refuse to go. They had to fit into a loophole or a legitimate excuse, such as CO status.

on edit: reading the post just below reminded me: yes, refuse to go, serve the time, come out with a clean conscience and a much better chance of not being blown up.

[Paranoid_Portlander]

33. That was often the situation in 1954 to 1964.

A huge draft pool and only limited needs by Selective Service. In those days there was no lottery and you had to have some kind of excuse before your 26th birthday. With so many men to choose from, I wonder if Selective Service ever asked questions like "do you think you could adapt to military service?" in order to select just those who want to be in the Army. The situation is very different today. Will Selective Service choose a lottery cutoff number, as they did in 1970-1972, and try to harass the lucky winners into service? Or will they be more flexible with the cutoff number to enlarge the pool?

[Auntie Bush]

14. You could always get arrested ...later get the conviction

pardoned by your influential/rich/political buddies.
That should work just fine!

[chookie]

16. Fly the Friendly Skies of Air National Guard

For cowards and hypocrites who plan future political careers in which they will hold power to send "ordinary" men and women into combat.

Look at all the mileage George W got out of being part of the Champagne Brigade in Texas!

He got to dress up in a uniform and pose on ladders on aircraft, thus documenting his manliness and warrior status. To the credulous. Heck -- he even went AWOL. Doesn't matter. Pickles gets in front of a camera and glows about her husband the "combat pilot" and that's enough for most folks. Doesn't matter that the only action he ever saw during the Viet Nam war was in Tijuana.

[Lone_Wolf]

17. Selective Service is tied to college financial aid

In order for males to receive college financial aid, we have to be registered with the selective service. If I were among the uber-rich and presumably didn't need financial aid for college, there is no way I would have registered with the selective service. If you aren't registered then you can't be called up.

I also guess some states require you to register in order to receive a driver's license. The ruling class can get around this by chauffers or by having dual residency in a states that does not require this for a drivers license. The rich often have multiple homes in different states.

[vetwife]

26. Howdy L Wolf..In Georgia if

you don't register they revoke your drivers license or used to. In some states I have heard they will issue a warrant for ya ! Of course now they don't need a warrant..they will just come and take your butt to Gitmo.....unless of course you have a portfolio, stock options, and registered republican and have anal cysts. Deferments cost and poor people don't have the money for all the legal wrangling. That is why they get drafted.

[MAlibdem]

30. OK, I'm not uber-rich

well, my parents aren't. And I won't be receiving financial aid next year for a private, expensive college.

You have to register for selective service or you go to jail...

[against all enemies]

18. Marry one of the twins.

And if women are drafted, marry one of them in Mass.

[msmcghee]

27. Did you mean to say . .

. . "how will the effluent avoid the draft?"

I know, stupid joke.:eyes:

[historian]

32. trick knee

Or as mr delay said during vietnam years - give my spot to a needy minority - i dont need an extra salary (or something to that effect)

[shimmergal]

34. Here's a way open to rich and poor alike.

But they'll have to plan for it early.

The armed services are no longer a place where the uneducated can have a second chance.

I've read that the army takes only a maximum of 5% recruits who have a GED. This goes along with "raising standards." Ergo, 95% have a regular high school diploma or higher. I guess they take _no_ recruits who are h.s. dropouts, period.

The Air Force, I know, has even higher educational standards. Presumably, so do the other branches.

Lots of young men and women would be willing to skip the end of high school if it keeps them from being drafted. Hell, if you're ambitious you can always go back later in life and graduate from an adult h.s. or get the GED. If you then graduate from college, nobody's going to know or care about the GED/diploma distinction.

True, induction standards like this can always be changed. But if we have a larger draft pool than we need, I'll bet things like the gay exemption, the minor-health problem exemption, and the study abroad ploy would be blocked first. More people know about them!

[kodi]

35. the way they always have, doctors & draft boards bribed

.....or for a certain connecticut family, the texas air national guard

[Paranoid_Portlander]

37. Bribery is often used with Russian draft boards. n/t

.

[Paranoid_Portlander]

36. Here is the order to report for induction.

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1645920 This form is from 1981, even though there was no draft then. When this was first posted there was almost no response except a futile kick from me.

[Walt Starr]

39. Easy, they just won't register

they suffer no consequences by not registering.

[Festivito]

40. Run the economy further down, keep health care for few.

After the election the economy can tank badly and it will only help Republicons. Add in a terrorist attack just after "Bush wins" and the it will be treated as an attack against democracy.

Since many will have little choice between no jobs and military service, eating might become a priority.

[spanone]

43. Just like our "esteemed" resident did. Dodge it.

[ShaneGR]

44. "Oh Canada, god sheds his grace on thee"

Wealthy and poor, Canada here they come!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

49. Nope...not going to happen this time. Written agreements have....

...been in place between the U. S. and Canada since 2001 that REQUIRES Canada to return ANY and ALL Americans found in Canada who do not have proper documentation to remain in that country.

The same is true of every other country that was used by Americans fleeing the draft or deserting during the Vietnam War.

That loophole has been slammed shut.

[randr]

46. Same way they always have

Get their kids into local Guard units where they can hide and learn to fly at our expense. It a win-win thing.

[0007]

47. Who is kidding who?

When did the wealthy ever fight in numbers as the common folks

Who has the best attorneys? These attorneys are always looking for loopholes and legislating the laws in their favor and supporting politicians that almost always win.

Not much has changed in the last five thousand years.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

48. Have you read the legislation? The language is already there...

S.89 (language identical to H.R.163)
<http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:S.89:>

Excerpt:

"To provide for the common defense by requiring that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, and for other purposes."

....snip....

"SEC. 2. NATIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION.

(a) OBLIGATION FOR YOUNG PERSONS- It is the obligation of every citizen of the United States, and every other person residing in the United States, who is between the ages of 18 and 26 to perform a period of national service as prescribed in this Act unless exempted under the provisions of this Act.

(b) FORM OF NATIONAL SERVICE- National service under this Act shall be performed either--

(1) as a member of an active or reserve component of the uniformed services; or

(2) in a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and homeland security."