Powell Repeats Draft Loophole Objections

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-draft13sep13.story
THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Powell Repeats Draft Loophole Objections
Secretary won't join fray over service by Bush and Kerry, but criticizes Vietnam-era policies.
By Chuck Neubauer
Times Staff Writer

September 13, 2004

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, who served two tours in Vietnam before rising through the Army ranks to become head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, restated on Sunday his long-standing objections to Vietnam-era draft policies that allowed the "sons of the powerful" to escape combat.<snip>

In his 1995 autobiography, "My American Journey," Powell said of the Vietnam-era draft policies:

"The policies determining who would be drafted and who would be deferred, who would serve and who would escape, who would die and who would live, were an anti-democratic disgrace."

He went on: "I am angry that so many sons of the powerful and well-placed … managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units."<snip>

[Wickerman]

1. He was so pissed he went to work for one

Who managed to piss all over him - moron - ya got what you deserved. Don't work for someone who participated in behavior that you term "an anti-democratic disgrace".

[MsUnderstood]

2. You know if we wern't in an unneccessary war

We wouldn't need to worry about the friggin draft policies.

The draft talk scares me so much. I know that women can serve just as good as men and am waiting for Congress to figure that out and change the laws so ANYONE (who isn't white and privlidged) can be drafted.

Don't worry about your sons--its your CHILDREN they want.

[Warpy]

4. Exactly, the one reason Chicken George hasn't invaded Iran

and Syria is that his ambitions have been curtailed by an all volunteer peacetime army. In order to be a bigger Village People, macho swaggering WAH president, he needs a bigger WAH army, and that means a draft. Anyone under 26 needs to know that he WILL be drafted if that man gets another 4 years.

Oh, and what are you gonna do with the kids when you draft their mothers? Stick 'em in a footlocker for a few years, until Mom's free to play with them again? How you gonna feel when your daughters get raped? You do know that's the biggest danger they face in the military, don't you? Drafting women is a stupid idea, period, that becomes even stupider in peacetime, or when only wars of empire are being waged and the country is not in danger.

I'm against any draft under the above conditions, and I don't care who it targets. You can't even sell me on the idea of drafting the sons of the rich to fight their own family's wars of empire. Unless the country is in grave danger, NO DRAFT.

Somehow, though, I doubt the volunteer military would lack for volunteers were the country attacked by another power, and that includes both sexes. A draft would be necessary only to make sure the rich didn't get off scot free.

[lunarboy13]

3. I wonder if there are going to be more Powell headlines...

in the near future? This weekend he said there was no link between Saddam and Al Qaeda -- which was in direct contrast to recent statements made by Cheney. Now he restates his disdain for those fortunate sons who avoided fighting in Vietnam by having strings pulled by their powerful families.

It does seem like there is some tension within the Bush administration. Perhaps more will come out in the next few weeks?

[cheshire]

6. I heard he may leave in Jan05, maybe he's doing the right thing,

If so he should shout loud and clear.

[AndyTiedye]

5. There is No Such Thing as a Fair Draft -- Never Will Be

To protect one's offspring is one of the most powerful mammalian instincts.
The rich and powerful, by definition, are in a better position to
exercise it.

This means that no draft will ever be fair.

Consider only the matter of medical deferments. It is obviously easier
to get a medical deferment if you have good access to doctors. Yet it
would be a travesty, and militarily untenable, to send into combat
people who are too disabled to fight. That would be a death sentence
not only for the disabled person, but quite possibly for those of
his comrades-in-arms who were depending on him.

Not everyone is cut out to be a soldier.

Would you really have wanted George W in the foxhole next to you, or
worse, flying your air support (can you say "friendly fire"?)?

[cheshire]

7. I agree but there is always the latrene to clean. Ditches to dig.