Well, here's a reason why I can celebrate turning 25 in July – I'm that much closer to being out of the eligible range for a draft.
During the weekend, Ralph Nader held a press conference where he told youth that another draft was coming. "The Pentagon is quietly recruiting new members to fill local draft boards" – which I'm trying to find independent confirmation of, but even the hint of it is scary enough.
People hit the trenches on the radio this morning about the possibility of a draft; a major theme for everyone how the youth today "have it so easy" and "are too busy worrying about Christina Aguilera than worrying about issues in the world" (an actual quote).
As if all people ages 17-20 in 1966 were sitting around talking about containment theory instead of smoking and debating whether Clapton was a better guitarist than Hendrix; and if young people have it any easier today than 25 years ago I'd really like someone to explain it to me in concrete terms.
Speaking of people who should never see combat, aspiring Navy S.
E.A.L., ginandtacos.com founder, and biophysics grad student Erik Martin turns 25 this week! Email him a b-day wish, and see how his competitive mustache growth is going.
Ed says:
My father was solicited by the local GOP to join the draft board.
He declined.
mike says:
Man, like the blackwater employees making $400,000 a year, this is one of those times where I really wish we were paid to do this webpage so we could investigate and break some part of these stories (instead of having to write summaries under the noses of bosses and advisors).
Can we go public with stock yet?
Ambrosini says:
Ill buy 3 and a half shares Mike. I don't really see the point of a draft right now, its not like there is a huge shortage of troops. I was just talking with friends at Murphy's about a guy who graduated last year who was just sent to Iraq. He was in the national guard and was called to go over there, well they talked to him yesterday and I guess there really isn't anything for him to do over there. He said he is mostly sitting around and lifting weights and then they have him fill out part request forms when they need that done.
Tim
mike says:
The fear is that most of the initial wave of people over there are National Guard and they have all had their stay extended once, often twice. They eventually have to be sent home. If they are forced to rotate home 20-50,000 people in the next 4 month period, they could be screwed.
Ambrosini says:
Good point, I didn't even think of that. I don't want to have to go over there…I'll get all sun burnt…
Rock Mananoff says:
Can Bush really believe that in an election year even the vague notion of a draft would be something that would keep him in the white house? It would seem to me that with the "war" growing in unpopularity all the time and more people questioning the motives and knowledge of our government he should be more worried about kissing babies and visiting the local steel mill, then shipping potential voters off to Iraq
mike says:
testing away how's it going *test*
mike says:
hopefully the last test. *test*