How do we all feel about the selective service system in the U.S. right now?

2013-04-18T17:54:37+00:00

Know of any well written articles on this topic?

Sure do.

National Coalition for Men Sues Selective Service for Requiring Only Men to Register for the Draft

Super_delicious · 2013-04-18T17:35:57+00:00

I don't know of any articles but I think it's pretty unanimous around here that no one should be forced into the military.

oneiorosgrip · 2013-04-18T19:56:09+00:00

The purpose of selective service is to provide rich politicians with the power to force middle class and poor (mostly poor) male citizens into military service to support a war the public isn't behind enough to inspire citizens to volunteer for military service. It's really the last bastion of overt slavery in the U.S. It presumes government command of men, representing the assertion of state ownership of a man's will, his body, and his life, and of the right to sacrifice all three for the state's chosen purpose, whether he agrees or not. With significant penalties resulting from failure to register, there is no other honest description for involuntary military conscription except slavery.

In recent conflicts, the U.S. population and the military have demonstrated that even if the draft were justified and not an abuse of power, it isn't needed. Our population has been able to support extensive and widespread military action without it, and without full public support. Even in controversial actions, enough people have enlisted that while our military is active on multiple fronts, there's no shortage of volunteers.

This is partly due to the existing level of public support for the current efforts. Even though it is not universal, it has been enough. The reason it's been enough has been partly due ot the second factor; advancements in technology and resulting advancements in tactics, which have greatly reduced the rate of injury and death occurring on the American side of a military action. Compare the current actions to the actions of the 20th century, and you'll see a decline in injury and death between the world war eras and today. Because of that, the military isn't having to constantly replenish its ranks to replace large losses (and there's a whole other discussion in that which won't fit in this comment,) and there is no legitimate excuse to claim a shortage of military personnel. The only reason state officials would have left to want to keep this antiquated, discriminatory and abusive system in place is to retain the power to enslave men in the event the administration decides to execute military action that isn't approved and accepted by the population.

On a side note, presidential actions on the draft; who did what, and when:

1917 - original Selective Service Act, signed by Woodrow Wilson.
1940 - Burke-Wadsworth Act (first peacetime conscription), signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
1948 - Elston Act (established the current system), signed by Harry Truman
1951 - Universal Military Training and Service Act (lowered draft eligibility age by 6 months, increased time of service mandate) signed by Harry Truman
1963 - Executive Order 11119 (exempts married men) signed by John F. Kennedy
1965 - Executive Order 11241 (revokes exemption for married men if childless/no dependents) signed by Lyndon B. Johnson
1967 - Military Selective Service Act (expanded conscription ages to 18-35, modified student deferment to end at age 24 or completion of 4 year degree, whichever first) signed by Lyndon B. Johnson
1969 - Amendment to Military Selective Service Act (created the draft lottery used during the Vietnam war) signed by Richard Nixon
1971 - Amendment to Military Selective Service Act (made registration compulsory, set up registration classifications - eligible or conscientious objector - and eliminated all student deferments except divinity school, changed draft board membership requirements) signed by Richard Nixon
1973 - creation of an all-volunteer armed forces announced by Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird during the presidency of Richard Nixon
1975 - Proclamation 4360, Terminating Registration Procedures Under Military Selective Service Act (Eliminated registration requirement) signed by Gerald Ford
1980 - Proclamation 4771, Registration Under the Military Selective Service Act (retroactively re-established registration requirement for anyone born on or after 1/1/1960) signed by Jimmy Carter
1986 - Executive Order 12553 (eliminated executive orders 11119 and 11241, by Kennedy & Johnson, respectively, along with a long list of other executive orders) signed by Ronald Reagan

rightsbot · 2013-04-18T17:32:17+00:00

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Title	How do we all feel about the selective service system in the U.S. right now?
Author	grimblegromble3
Upvotes	4
Comments	4
Date	April 18, 2013 5:31 PM UTC (13 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/mensrights/comments/1cm8w0/how-do-we-all-feel-about-the-selective-service-/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/how-do-we-all-feel-about-the-selective-service.1610860 https://theredarchive.com/post/1610860

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