What would you do if you were drafted?

[Kaesekopf]

Yeah, there is no draft, but there is a database of 16 million young men over the age of 18 in the USA.  lol.

Draft by another name. 

[jovan66102]

Yes, because "we" (I use the term loosely) wanted Japan to end their war against China. Ending oil supply to the Empire of Japan would essentially cripple their war machine. It was political.

Actually, the US didn't stop selling them oil until July of '41, when they started moving into French Indochina with an eye to taking the Dutch East Indies which had oil.

[Bonaventure]

Yes, because "we" (I use the term loosely) wanted Japan to end their war against China. Ending oil supply to the Empire of Japan would essentially cripple their war machine. It was political.

Actually, the US didn't stop selling them oil until July of '41, when they started moving into French Indochina with an eye to taking the Dutch East Indies which had oil.

Thanks for the clarification, my friend. I haven't looked into this recently.

[MilesChristi]

I thought you had to go to jail if you didn't register.
Now I feel ripped off.

[Kaesekopf]

I thought you had to go to jail if you didn't register.
Now I feel ripped off.

Well, you can be tossed in jail.  But it's a lot harder to prove that you knowingly dodged the SS.

But, you wouldn't be eligible to file a FAFSA report. 

[jovan66102]

Yeah, there is no draft, but there is a database of 16 million young men over the age of 18 in the USA.  lol.

Draft by another name. 

As one who was of draft age from 1965 until the draft ended, I can guarantee you that a data base is not a 'Draft by another name'. In fact it would be awhile before they could actually conscript anyone since there is no infrastructure in place to call the young men up.

[Kaesekopf]

Jovan, what is the difference? 

I'm ignorant of the differences, to me, they serve the same purpose. 

[OCLittleFlower]

Funny, I was just talking with my uncle about this a couple of days ago. I said, "I wonder how long it will be before women have to register for the draft." He said, "Oh, they don't do that anymore!"  I was pretty sure that he was wrong, since I seem to remember seeing the question :"If you are a male, have you registered for Selective Service?" on some sort of form that I'd filled out in the past. Thankfully, I'm too old now, if women ever DO have to register, and I highly doubt that I'd pass the physical. 

Young men are, indeed, still required to register with the Selective Service Administration, tho' the actual draft ended on 1 July 1973. If they do not, they are ineligible for many Federal programs such as student loans.

My husband didn't register -- actually couldn't register, because he wasn't a green card holder.  When he did get his green card, he was past the cut off age.  Kind of sucks that green card holders of the right age have to register but they can't even vote about who will be sending them to war -- seems to me it should be a citizens only thing.

[OCLittleFlower]

So a bombing a la Pearl Harbor wouldn't cause you to draft young men if you were the Commander in Chief?

No, I would not consider that an invasion. Besides, didn't they know ahead of time that was going to happen? Or am I thinking of some other event?

Some say we knew, some say we didn't.

Personally, I would consider being attacked almost as bad as being invaded.  And waiting for a land invasion would be "a day late and a dollar short."  Think of the British in WWII -- the only reason they prevented being invaded by the Germans was the way they fought back.

[jovan66102]

Personally, I would consider being attacked almost as bad as being invaded.  And waiting for a land invasion would be "a day late and a dollar short."  Think of the British in WWII -- the only reason they prevented being invaded by the Germans was the way they fought back.

Excellent point!

[Der Kaiser]

So a bombing a la Pearl Harbor wouldn't cause you to draft young men if you were the Commander in Chief?

No, I would not consider that an invasion. Besides, didn't they know ahead of time that was going to happen? Or am I thinking of some other event?

Yes and no. Roosevelt knew Japan was up to something but not exactly what. Which was fine with him since he was dying to drag the US into the European conflict.

So what would you consider an invasion. If we would have waited for Japan to attack us on the mainland it would have been a little late.

[CoolCat]

So a bombing a la Pearl Harbor wouldn't cause you to draft young men if you were the Commander in Chief?

No, I would not consider that an invasion. Besides, didn't they know ahead of time that was going to happen? Or am I thinking of some other event?

Yes and no. Roosevelt knew Japan was up to something but not exactly what. Which was fine with him since he was dying to drag the US into the European conflict.

So what would you consider an invasion. If we would have waited for Japan to attack us on the mainland it would have been a little late.

You think Japan wanted to invade the US?

[Der Kaiser]

For Pearl Harbor, hadn't we imposed crippling sanctions on the Japanese (in terms of steel and oil) while continued to support the "Allies" with resources?  It was, in effect, an act of war, and the Japanese had no other action to take. 

Also, I thought Pearl Harbor was known about, FDR just needed some event to occur to give him the popular sentiment to enter the war.

But of course our leaders need an attack to occur.  They know we will rarely ever be invaded, but popular sentiment wins the day.  If you can find some Japs, Krauts, or terr'rists to pin it on, well....  we can't hear you over your impending freedom.

Yes Yes and Yes

The "allies" had crippled Germany with the heinous Verseille treaty which led to Hitler and when the Germans fought against it Roosevelt was just drooling to get into the war. Mostly to make up for his dismal handling of the depression.

[Der Kaiser]

So a bombing a la Pearl Harbor wouldn't cause you to draft young men if you were the Commander in Chief?

No, I would not consider that an invasion. Besides, didn't they know ahead of time that was going to happen? Or am I thinking of some other event?

Yes and no. Roosevelt knew Japan was up to something but not exactly what. Which was fine with him since he was dying to drag the US into the European conflict.

So what would you consider an invasion. If we would have waited for Japan to attack us on the mainland it would have been a little late.

You think Japan wanted to invade the US?

Heck no it was a hypothetical. Roosevelt caused Pearl Harbor by his sanctions against Japan. It was mostly a warning from Japan to stay out of their business and to cripple our navy so we wouldn't attack them Back in those days sanctions were considered an act of war for all intents and purposes. Of course we had to join the war(the US just doesn't have fun unless its involved in everybody elses problems) to stop the Germans and their concentration camps. Which is funny considering Roosevelt built his own for the American "Japs" and "Eye-talians."   

[Bonaventure]

And the Jerries