Was it self-indulgence or did Americans get tired of seeing so many deferments for a particular segment of society and the ones being drafted were without options. (i.e. college, etc) One of the great problems comparing the reaction of the American public to WW II and say "Vietnam" was the very issue of "everyone being eligible" to be drafted. Ball players in the professional ranks were being drafted. How many were taken in the Vietnam era? Collegians were drafted in WW II and how many were drafted during the Vietnam Conflict?

 

Add to that the frustration of not seeing a clear goal or what "victory" looked like in Vietnam versus fighting for total capitilation of the Axis.

 

Self-indulgence is surely in there as you suggest but so are a lot of other things beyond that. Things like injustice in the systems and a sense of hopelessness.

 

Injustice in the systems??? As I stated earlier, when politics began to get into the way of victory, patriotism was lost. During a draft, you are always going to draft the segments of society that best fit being a soldier. For instance, would you want to draft all the doctors in the nation and make them infantrymen? Is it injust for a nation to use its human resources to the best fit? It is ludicrous to claim that our nation has had a common sense of group interest and working towards common like it had during the "Greatest Generation," and it is getting worse every day. We are at a ALL TIME HIGH for use of government assistance. We need to believe in being self sufficient and motivated again, or else we are in major trouble as a nation.

For instance, would you want to draft all the doctors in the nation and make them infantrymen?

 

The draft consists of citizens between the age of 18-25, and it typically starts with people 20 and under. None of the them are doctors.

The draft consists of citizens between the age of 18-25, and it typically starts with people 20 and under. None of the them are doctors.

 

Or lawyers, generally. Although, if they were intending to be, and had the right family connections, they could find their path uninterrupted by compulsory military service. Interesting how many of those guys -- who did not serve in the military -- are now making cold decisions regarding our military's operations abroad, decisions which seem to only benefit their campaign donors.

 

In WWII, there was a deep sense of shared sacrifice, and some of that carried over to Korea. By the time Vietnam rolled around, the uber-wealthy had found out how to game the system and shirk their military service responsibilities, and that sense of shared sacrifice amongst the general population started to disappear. It's only a fading memory among a dying generation, now.

The draft consists of citizens between the age of 18-25, and it typically starts with people 20 and under. None of the them are doctors.

 

That is the way the current draft was set up. That was not the case in WWII. There is a reason for that. It is the optimum age to be a foot soldier, and officers are not often drafted. The point is that is the way it should be. A society using its best resources for war.

Or lawyers, generally. Although, if they were intending to be, and had the right family connections, they could find their path uninterrupted by compulsory military service. Interesting how many of those guys -- who did not serve in the military -- are now making cold decisions regarding our military's operations abroad, decisions which seem to only benefit their campaign donors.

 

In WWII, there was a deep sense of shared sacrifice, and some of that carried over to Korea. By the time Vietnam rolled around, the uber-wealthy had found out how to game the system and shirk their military service responsibilities, and that sense of shared sacrifice amongst the general population started to disappear. It's only a fading memory among a dying generation, now.

 

Agreed.

Is there much of a difference between shirking one's military duties by avoiding a draft and shirking one's military duties by not volunteering in the volunteer military today?

 

In my opinion (a) those that were drafted can criticize a system that allowed the uber wealthy to avoid the draft and (b) those that volunteered can criticize a system that today has too few "Senator's sons" in it or has those who did not serve making the cold decisions concerning the military. Those that don't fit in either category have no standing with me to criticize others for not serving.

 

And many, many more people than the uber wealthy found ways to avoid the draft during Vietnam.

Is there much of a difference between shirking one's military duties by avoiding a draft and shirking one's military duties by not volunteering in the volunteer military today?

 

In my opinion (a) those that were drafted can criticize a system that allowed the uber wealthy to avoid the draft and (b) those that volunteered can criticize a system that today has too few "Senator's sons" in it or has those who did not serve making the cold decisions concerning the military. Those that don't fit in either category have no standing with me to criticize others for not serving.

 

And many, many more people than the uber wealthy found ways to avoid the draft during Vietnam.

 

 

Love the John Fogerty reference.