It would be interesting if we had a law that stated if the nation goes to war all first-born sons and daughters of the president, his cabinet and all members of congress must be sent to fight in the war as infantry. Perhaps that would change our foreign policy somewhat?
But for the most part, you have no choice at all. If your kid doesn't want to go to war, he will make the decision on whether to risk prison time over it, not you. I don't see how a parent would be involved in the draft decision.
Yes. I know it is their descision - thats why I said this previously:
If you disappear its quite difficult to have you tracked down - especially if your parents are not cooperating. If they are drafted, that doesn't mean you can't protest/lobby the government. Yes - your options are limited, but you can do some things. You don't just have to sit back and accept it.
Andy
- Oct 30, 2000
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Every generation in our family, traced back to 1812 conflict has served in the military.
I have two children in right now, one has already been in conflicts.
We accept our duty and do the best that we can, trusting our fellow warriors.
If we did not do our duty, then the anti-war activists would not be able to spout their baloney.
How much anti-war demos did you see in China & Russia in the '80s.
It seems like only the countries that risk lives are able to allow other to complain about it.
I have two children in right now, one has already been in conflicts.
We accept our duty and do the best that we can, trusting our fellow warriors.
If we did not do our duty, then the anti-war activists would not be able to spout their baloney.
How much anti-war demos did you see in China & Russia in the '80s.
It seems like only the countries that risk lives are able to allow other to complain about it.
Under what conditions/circumstances would you not want to be part of any military action? Where is the defining line?
Cheers,
Andy
Pray tell how you are not implying the draft by saying "if you had to send your eldest son to fight against Iraq?"
Why would you have to? The only way the someone could force you to is by the reinstatement of draft. Maybe you should CLARIFY what you mean in your original question. HAD implies some type of force or no other option. What is your "alternative scenario" if it was not a draft?
- Oct 30, 2000
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Only when I feel that the conflict is for a territorial advantage. After the Spanish-American War, the US has not battled for land.
Currently all of our foriegn conflicts before and afterwards have been from the "higher" moral ground, not supporting territorial ambitions.
Squisher
Lifer
- Aug 17, 2000
- 21,204
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Originally posted by: Millennium
Originally posted by: Dezign
0wn3d.
Owned.
Owned here by me again
Lick' em.
Agreed.
If someone has enlisted one would hope they had done this with assumption that one day they might have to go off to war. I would think the time for contemplation of the consequences of enlisting would have thoroughly been discussed at the time of the enlistment.
- Oct 30, 2000
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Originally posted by: InFecTed
What about financial ambitions and influence? You're not saying that this war is on moral ground. It's weird how almost every single nation in the world is against war. Better think about it. "higher" moral groundwhatever
1) I quoted the higher ground.
2) Remember, that history is written by the winners.
3) Many of the countries that are against the war have finanicial interests in the current Iraqi status quo.
4) The original Persian Gulf conflict was entered into to stop Iraq from controlling the world oil markets. Remember that weapons of potential mass destruction were launched against Saudi Arabia and Israel. What is to stop him from doing this again. He has the technology and/or ability to grow it beyond what is needed internally.
5) Iraq did not disarm as agreed to in the terms of the end of hostilities. The inspections have proven it.
6) In '81 Iraq was ready to build a nuke, only Israel had the guts to stop him. Where was the outcry then.
Iraq has demonstrated time and time again that Saddam can not be trusted to play peacefully in the same sandbox. The last time he said he would be good and it was agreed that if he played good, he could stay. The opposite of stay usually means go.
If the agreements are not enforced, what will stop any other tin-horned dictator from threatening their neighbor.
If we do not do something about Iraq, maybe we should also pull the thousands of troops out of Korea. /sarcasm After all Korea is not a threat, they are just saying that the US wants to get rid of them .
Ok Here's my response:
Well I'm not going to have kids in 5 years but since we're speaking hypothetically anyway...
Assuming we're still fighting over the same issues then I would tell my children that the U.S. government has enacted a number of policies which has done a great disservice to many countires. We are largely responsible for much of the unrest in Iraq today. Remember the Iran-Contra controversy in the eighties? Or when at different times we were allied with the Shah of Iran and Saddam Hussein. Both of them have wreaked absolute havoc in the lives of their people- and both of whom were put into power by our government.
I would try to teach them that war is usually not the answer to these problems, that a great deal of social injustice needs to be corrected for true peace to exist.
You should watch "The Secret Government" It's an older documentary that talks about US involvement in a large number of wars that were none of our business. Bill Moyers, a respected journalist and a long time White House advisor put this special together.
The draft randomly selects people to be in the military whether they or their parents are in support of the war or not.
Arguing for or against the draft is clearly not the purpose of my question. I simply wanted to see how much people would be willing to sacrifice (in this case the possibility of a dead child) in order to have this war.
As someone else mentioned earlier in this thread- if all the heads of state had to risk their own children in order to conduct wars, I'm sure the world would be a much more peaceful place.
I'm also inclined to wonder if the names of the children of those in power are even placed in the lottery of our draft system.
To those who said that they supported the war even if their own children would have to fight- I am amazed by your sense of conviction, b/c that is something I could never do (assuming I ever have kids), no matter what the circumstances.
considering my eldest son is 3 years old, that would be a pretty fvcked up war. And trust me, he would win
XZeroII
Lifer
- Jun 30, 2001
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very interesting. Please take what I say now at face value and as devil's advocate (I'm not trying to flame). I'm curious as to why you would blame our own country if we were to get bombed? What you seem to be saying is that 9/11 was completely our fault and that we deserved it. This is the message that you would seem to be teaching your children and I don't see how that can be the right answer. You claim to be against war, but terrorism is ok as long as you've been wronged in the past. Maybe you misunderstood my original question, but I am assuming that we do not go to war and the issue is dropped today. Then 5 years from now, we find out that Iraq really did have WMD and he used them on us. Perhaps we are misunderstanding each other, but this is how it seems to me.
Hayabusa Rider
Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
- Jan 26, 2000
- 50,879
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Originally posted by: Kiyup
I'm all for sending you.
I dont know about your flag avatar. I think I liked you better as a pussy cat
Originally posted by: InFecTed
What about financial ambitions and influence? You're not saying that this war is on moral ground. It's weird how almost every single nation in the world is against war. Better think about it. "higher" moral groundwhatever
If you're implying that the other nations are against war because they have morals, then how do you explain the rampant "we'll vote for war if you give us X billions in money" mindset of the "peaceful" UN nations?
Like Letterman said "the last time the French asked for more proof, it came marching into Paris waving a German flag".
I don't have any children, but I do have a brother, a sister, a brother-in-law, and two nephews currently in active service. One of my nephews is in Kuwait right now. I can say that I still support action in Iraq.
My sister will be leaving for South Korea in July. I still support action against North Korea if a political solution can't be reached.
My sister will be leaving for South Korea in July. I still support action against North Korea if a political solution can't be reached.
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