Trump's military past vs his present
You fellas who have served, and thank you for that, how do you reconcile the fact that your president fought the draft? He successfully deferred 4 times for what some call questionable reasons. He's now head of our military, but when he was called to serve, he fought it like his life depended on it.
You folks like me who haven't served - how do you see it?
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
He sounds like this guy
https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996...ns/draft.shtml
Quote:
In the autumn of 1969, Clinton entered the draft but received a high number (311) and was never called to serve -- however, Clinton made every effort to avoid the draft prior to entering it.
First, Bill Clinton received education deferments while at Georgetown and Oxford (where he helped organize demonstrations against the war). Second, Clinton attempted to avoid the draft for four years by enrolling, but never joining, the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Clinton had enrolled in the ROTC hoping to avoid military service for four years, but, wanting a future in politics, had a change of heart and entered the draft.
In December 1969, safe from the draft with his high lottery number, Clinton changed his mind about joining the ROTC program and wrote a letter to the director of the ROTC program thanking him "for saving me from the draft" and regretted misleading him by not revealing the extent of his opposition to the war. The letter was leaked by the Pentagon to ABC news early in the 1992 fueled criticism of candidate Clinton's character.
Later in the 1992 campaign, it became known that Clinton's uncle had attempted to get Bill Clinton a Navy Reserve assignment during the Vietnam war. Clinton said he didn't know anything about it to the press on September 3, 1992 but a day later admitted that a former draft board member had informed him of his uncles' attempt several months before.
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
Not admirable. Cheating on his wife not admirable either. Guess he's not a saint. Anything else? At least he loves the military and doesn't hate the country like our last president.
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jettyman
Not admirable. Cheating on his wife not admirable either. Guess he's not a saint. Anything else? At least he loves the military and doesn't hate the country like our last president.
We compare current to past presidents a lot. That's probably a good thing.
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
I tried to join the Air Force, but was turned down due to asthma, so I can't comment from that angle...but here's how I see it. You seem to be implying that the military shouldn't be run by a person you consider a coward.
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, if somebody had used a loophole to get out of the draft, I would consider it cowardice. After 9-11, when the war on terror began, if there had been a draft, I would have considered it cowardice to refuse to serve.
Vietnam, on the other hand, wasn't about retaliation or protecting America from foreign invaders, it was simply an extension of the Cold War...western democracy vs. communism. It was a stupid war of ideals that nobody wanted. If somebody tried to get out of going into a conflict that the government had no real intention of winning, I don't really consider it cowardice per-se.
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
As a vet that has been in 2 wars I don't like when anyone defers when the country calls. However, there was/is a need for educational deferment. Some people just aren't cut out for the military and no one should criticize them for that. Most people (90%) don't get through all the requirements anyway. Who knows if Trump would have. I have more of a problem with people like Cassius Clay-Muhammad Ali who just refused.
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BigAl205
You seem to be implying that the military shouldn't be run by a person you consider a coward.
Well yeah. How can someone who's never been in a fight know how to fight?
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rob feature
Well yeah. How can someone who's never been in a fight know how to fight?
Or it is easier to abide the decision from someone who knows what it means to serve?
Or it gives him credibility which the draft dodger is not afforded.
Re: Trump's military past vs his present
Really though
In a bar fight
Who would you rather have get your back?
a. Trump
b. Mcauuly Caulkin
c. Pauly Shore
d. Madonna