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 Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:06 am What do you think of the American Selective Service System? |
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I think the Selective Service System is necessary in case we enter a really huge war, like World Wars I and II.
During normal times it's not necessary to draft people, and the US military avoids using the Selective Service System, because an army of willing volunteers is more effective than one partly consisting of unwilling draftees. The other problem is that, since the draft is usually conducted as a lottery, it means that the military would end up with a lot of recruits who are below the minimum educational level they require, and they'd have to figure out what to do with the people.
I think the penalties for not registering are harsh but justified. For citizens not to register is a form of treason. Besides, since the US government allows exemptions for conscientious objectors (such as the Amish, the Jehovah's Witnesses and others who can prove that they object to all war), registering for the draft does not automatically mean one will have to serve.
Here are the penalties, by the way, from the Selective Service website:
| Quote: | What is the penalty for not registering?
If you do not register, you could be prosecuted and fined up to $250,000 and/or be put in jail for up to five years. Registration is also a requirement to qualify for Federal student aid, job training benefits, and most Federal employment. |
I think the fact that women are not allowed to register is trivial, and if anyone gets upset about it, I think they're soft in the head. Currently, women get into the US military the same way men do -- they enlist voluntarily. If a war becomes so huge that men have to be drafted, women can enlist voluntarily just as they do now. And it strikes me as completely weird for anyone to object to not being allowed to register to be forced to do something. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 3915
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| Sat Dec 02, 2006 19:41 pm What do you think of the American Selective Service System? |
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Hi Jamie (K),
| Quote: | | Besides, since the US government allows exemptions for conscientious objectors (such as the Amish, the Jehovah's Witnesses and others who can prove that they object to all war), registering for the draft does not automatically mean one will have to serve. |
That's true. I also suppose people who suffer from certain illnesses are exempt from military service.
| Quote: | | I think the fact that women are not allowed to register is trivial, and if anyone gets upset about it, I think they're soft in the head. |
I don't know if such people are really soft in the head, but what's perhaps more worthy of our attention is the fact that women are excluded from combatant fighting.
Englishuser |
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Englishuser
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 06 Jun 2006
Posts: 806
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| Sun Dec 03, 2006 2:57 am What do you think of the American Selective Service System? |
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| Englishuser wrote: | | Quote: | | Besides, since the US government allows exemptions for conscientious objectors (such as the Amish, the Jehovah's Witnesses and others who can prove that they object to all war), registering for the draft does not automatically mean one will have to serve. |
That's true. I also suppose people who suffer from certain illnesses are exempt from military service. |
Yes, mentally ill people are excluded from service. It's not like in some countries where you have to do alternative service. If you're rejected from military service, then you have no further obligation.
| Englishuser wrote: | | Quote: | | I think the fact that women are not allowed to register is trivial, and if anyone gets upset about it, I think they're soft in the head. |
I don't know if such people are really soft in the head, but what's perhaps more worthy of our attention is the fact that women are excluded from combatant fighting. |
Women are NOT excluded from combat! They serve in many combat roles. You must not have seen the stories all over the media early in the current Iraq war about an 18-year-old female recruit who was captured by the army loyal to Saddam and had to be rescued -- in very bad condition -- by US troops who were tipped off by an Iraqi lawyer.
However, since women have been integrated into the regular army, navy and air force, there have been certain problems that make people argue against their inclusion. Those include high rates of pregnancy on submarines, various weird sexual liaisons, morale problems due to romantic or sexual jealousy, etc. Also, many women soldiers time their pregnancies so that they will be exempted from combat deployment. Many people think President Clinton did a lot of damage to the armed forces when he decided to put women and men together in combat roles. |
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Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 3915
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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