Conscription in the United States, commonly known as the draft, has been employed by the federal government of the United States in six conflicts: the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
After the Vietnam War, President Gerald Ford abolished the draft entirely in 1975, however President Carter established the draft system in place today as a response to the potential threat posed by the Soviets.
There were ways to avoid the draft. If you had children you had a lower draft priority. If you were clergy you were exempt from the draft. Mitt Romney avoided the draft because he was on a 2 year Mormon mission. You can also claim a sickness. During the Vietnam draft, people would stay awake for days ahead of their medical screening by doing drugs, or otherwise make themselves appear generally unhealthy to avoid military service. In the 60's and 70's being gay kept you out of the military. Between 1965 to 1975 40,000 American dodged the draft by fleeing to Canada. Student deferments were very common ways of beating the draft and Joe Biden had 5 such deferments. Having an "essential" job kept you from being drafted. Some went into business selling forged National Guard or National Reserve paper for $5000.
There are 64 countries still have the draft such as Russia, Austria, Israel, Greece, Switzerland and Norway.
Ayn Rand had harsh words for the draft: "Of all the statist violations of individual rights in a mixed economy, the military draft is the worst. It is an abrogation of rights. It negates man’s fundamental right—the right to life—and establishes the fundamental principle of statism: that a man’s life belongs to the state, and the state may claim it by compelling him to sacrifice it in battle. Once that principle is accepted, the rest is only a matter of time. If the state may force a man to risk death or hideous maiming and crippling, in a war declared at the state’s discretion, for a cause he may neither approve of nor even understand, if his consent is not required to send him into unspeakable martyrdom—then, in principle, all rights are negated in that state, and its government is not man’s protector any longer. What else is there left to protect?...Politically, the draft is clearly unconstitutional. No amount of rationalization, neither by the Supreme Court nor by private individuals, can alter the fact that it represents 'involuntary servitude.'"
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2021/07/help-mark-jones-stage-4-cancer-journey.html
You may also be interested in 220 Books on the American Civil War on DVDrom 1861-1865
For a list of all of my disks, with links click here
For a list of all of my disks, with links click here
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