Hey Yo... A question from the out of the loop englishman.

I have heard from numerous sources that Dubyah has made some remarks about 'the draft' and a possible re-introuduction. Now hopefully i am jumping in to this one blind but i'm just prayin somebody can tell me that he definatley isn't gonna even consider introducing like any sort of draft,. be it up front or a backdoor one.

Although i live in england i am also a US National, and you guessed it, am at that age when our leaders would love to send me off to get shot at.. so maybe if somebody could clear this up for me... :-\\

While Congress just voted overwhelmingly against a draft bill, it is an election year.  Who knows what they will do next year.  Bush can't be hurt, no "read my lips, no new taxes" effect since he can't run again.  The troops are streached very thin, and enlistments are down (surprise surprise).

I assume you have duel citizenship, so you can stay in jolly old England as long as you like.  But if you registered for the draft, they might try to call you up.  If you don't appear they might try to extridite you.  I don't know if they can or not.  Good luck.

oh dear... Hmmm.. well yeah im a dual citizen, but i am on basically every record in the US POssible, i am on the social security list, on doctors lists, i do a lot of banking in the states (favourable interest rates for me) hmmm, then again of course if it ever came to it, i could just renounce my citizenship, but that's something i hope and pray i never have to do.

As you British gents like to say, "not bloody likely"!

Charles Rangel, an African-American Congressman from New York, and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, the 84 year old senior senator from South Carolina are the only two who voted for the bill.  Their support for the draft is part of a political point questioning how we are going to get all the soldiers we need to conduct this imperialist war effort.  Rangel believes the poor people and minorities are the ones doing the fighting because they're the ones who volunteer for the military.  They volunteer for economic reasons.  Rangel believes the draft would equalize the battlefield.  I think he's dead wrong.  The draft didn't have that effect in Vietnam, and it sure wouldn't now.  I'm also unconvinced that today's military is largely minority and poor.  Maybe it's not the stomping ground of little rich boys, but it hasn't been for two generations.  However, there are plenty of white middle class soldiers out there.

In my youth I needed a sense of discipline and direction.  I was attracted to the military, but didn't join because my health did not allow it.

I do respect Rangel because, unlike the lily white Republican chicken hawks, Rangel DID serve!

Hey.. a Republican actually serving in the military they all love so much... get outta here

Hey.. a Republican actually serving in the military they all love so much... get outta here

You got Colin Powell, but he's kind of on the outs.  Alexander Haig, now he's my main man!
:D

"Draft Beer, Not Boys!" was a slogan in the Vietnam era.  To be gener neurtal, you'd have to say, "Draft Beer, Not Soldiers," but that's not as catchy.

We'll Powell is a given... Haig is he the guy from Arizona?

You got Colin Powell, but he's kind of on the outs. 


Unless I have missed something, didn't the current President serve in the military?  What about his father?  Dole?

We'll Powell is a given... Haig is he the guy from Arizona?

Haig is from under the big rock in your back yard.  Actually, I don't know what Haig's hometown is.  Haig was Deputy Secretary of State under Henry Kissinger in the Nixon Administration, and played a significant role in the Watergate scandal:
http://www.watergate.com/
Haig was Reagan's first Secretary of State, but he didn't last because he was just too nasty and whacked out--even for the Reagan Administration.  George Schutze replaced Haig in 1982, I think.

Unless I have missed something, didn't the current President serve in the military?  What about his father?  Dole?


Oh, of course, Daddy Bush served heroically in combat in the Pacific theater of WWII.  Dubya, yeah he served, but no one can quite confirm where, when, and for how long.  And anyway, he made it clear he'd rather have his family connections get him into the Harvard MBA program.

wooooow you let yourself in for it on that one buddy... Dubyah... Military? The survey says Naaahaaaahhh

I think we all know enough about Dubyah and his impreccible military service

Haig is from under the big rock in your back yard.  Actually, I don't know what Haig's hometown is.  Haig was Deputy Secretary of State under Henry Kissinger in the Nixon Administration, and played a significant role in the Watergate scandal:
http://www.watergate.com/
Haig was Reagan's first Secretary of State, but he didn't last because he was just too nasty and whacked out--even for the Reagan Administration.  George Schutze replaced Haig in 1982, I think.

Oh that Haig  ::)

"Draft Beer, Not Boys!" was a slogan in the Vietnam era.  To be gener neurtal, you'd have to say, "Draft Beer, Not Soldiers," but that's not as catchy.



How about "Make love, not war."  ;) My brother had a puzzle that had two frogs on it that said, "Make love, not warts."  :D



Cat

oh dear... Hmmm.. well yeah im a dual citizen, but i am on basically every record in the US POssible, i am on the social security list, on doctors lists, i do a lot of banking in the states (favourable interest rates for me) hmmm, then again of course if it ever came to it, i could just renounce my citizenship, but that's something i hope and pray i never have to do.



Being a dual-citizen myself (US/CAN), I have a little experience here. If the US reinstates the draft, and you're called and you don't show up, then that means you could be in big trouble *if* you are in the United States, or in another country where you are not a citizen, if they sought extradition. But, as long as you are in England, as a citizen of England, the US has no authority over you, and the British government will not (perhaps cannot) turn you over to the US for not reporting.

The US doesn't recognise dual-citizenship, which means that when you are in US territory, the government will recognise you as an American and only an American. In countries that do recognise multi-nationality, one is recognised by that government first as their citizen, then as a citizen of another nation as well. This means that as long as you are in the UK, you are British first, and therefore, presumably, extradition is not an option because you cannot be guilty of breaking an American law WHILST in Britain... You see what I mean?

So, as long as you stay in the UK, you'll be 'sound as a pound,' so to speak.

Superb, that's far clearer than any other explanation i have recieved from the Government.

Thanks a lot everyone, i will now sleep at night  ;D

I assume you have duel citizenship, so you can stay in jolly old England as long as you like.  But if you registered for the draft, they might try to call you up.  If you don't appear they might try to extridite you.  I don't know if they can or not.  Good luck.


I'll second what McDonald wrote...being the wonderfully efficient beast that is our legal system, if you were to be extradited you'd probably be reaching retirement age...!!

We're still having a dickens of a job extraditing Hamza...

I know I have deferments so I am not worried about it.

HOWEVER, I know people will not like me for this, but I don't think a draft would be a bad idea. I think it keeps the military a lot more honest, you know, a bigger connection to civilian life, and it balances out the burden of national service more. Just my thoughts.

However I think refusing to comply should not be a felony unless it is a time of war(declared too).

Why is this one being laid on the President.  The person that introduced the bill was a Dem and the only two yea votes were also Dems.  I am glad that the rest of the house was smart enough to vote no.  Not a good idea at all.

I know I have deferments so I am not worried about it.

HOWEVER, I know people will not like me for this, but I don't think a draft would be a bad idea. I think it keeps the military a lot more honest, you know, a bigger connection to civilian life, and it balances out the burden of national service more. Just my thoughts.

However I think refusing to comply should not be a felony unless it is a time of war(declared too).

Yeah but pal how old are you.. draftable?

If a state of war existed between the US and another nation, and i mean a proper state of war like, THEY attacked us, then yeah i would agree to serve, it is the honorable thing to do, serve in battle i mean. However, just 'cus Georgie want's to go kick a few asses 'cus they didn't like his daddy shouldn't mean that thousands more young men and women have to go die in some godforsaken country.

I'm kicking this up again because it seems to me that the vote in the House was meaningless.  Call me paranoid if you like, but I'll bet &&& to donuts that if Bush wins a draft will be reintroduced and Repubs in both houses will overwhelmingly support it. "Read my lip, no new taxes"  Said GHWBush, before raising taxes.  He was stupid enough to do that BEFORE getting re-elected.  Mark my words.