But back to this notion of a national draft serving as a way of apprehending future criminals -- I bet the Vietnam war had to have taken the lives of 15-20,000 of America's best future drug dealers, dead-beats dads, sex offenders, and welfare benefactors; and reformed countless others. The same on the Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian side.
The fact that others, who were not as likely to fail in society, were also drafted, is due to their own personal lack of intuition or initiative to fight the system and use the law to their benefit, ala dontomasso. Plus, like the Marines said: we're looking for a few good men -- to lead the scum bags.
TO SUMMARIZE: I see a lot of low-life Neanderthals in my town who need to either be sent to prison, or Iraq. One or the other, I don't really care which...
I think nothing could be further from the truth. I was in grade school when the Viet Nam War ended, and know a good number of men and women, who served. I also have a cousin, whom I've never met, killed in the war. I am also aware that in the county where I presently reside, a judge would give convicted criminals the option of enlisting or serving a sentence in prison; most chose jail.
I've often heard it said that those, who resisted the draft and moved to Canada, showed as much courage and character as those that served. I don't believe this for a moment.
