[fintstone]

Originally Posted by 74-911

The draft in the Vietnam era was the most illogical, corrupt, unfair system that could have devised by a bunch of bureaucrats. Yes, the rich, famous and connected were seldom if ever drafted but they avoided the draft under the radar, not by publicly refusing to be drafted and suffering the consequences of that decision. I have tremendous admiration for those who had the courage of their convictions as Ali did.

and yes, I was intimately familiar with draft. I enlisted and spent four years in the USAF rather than 2 years in the army as the odds of ending up in Vietnam were considerably less in the USAF...

I have no respect for anyone who was a draft dodger. Ali's conviction was that he did not want to go get shot at...just like everyone else. He could have still served by joining the AF like you did and avoided the draft altogether. He chose not to. He was a coward who only served himself.

While the draft was not perfect, I don't know how to make such a massive undertaking any better. Your number comes up...you serve. There will always be those incapable of serving or doing war-related tasks the nation values more (deferments)...and those who try to game that system.