House Passes Bill To Automatically Register Young Men for the Draft

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House Passes Bill To Automatically Register Young Men for the Draft
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I might catch hate for this but I never understood why it wasn't automatic the entire time since it's illegal to not register.

Easy way to funnel the lazy into prison labor?

Not any more at least. Prior to this bill, failing to register for Selective Services was a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to five years and/or a fine of not more than $250,000.

Now you’re automatically enrolled. I think it’s actually better this way.

Eh, military service now is 8 years right? I'd take jail and file bankruptcy. At least you'll be alive instead of cannon fodder, and it's 3 years less.

We were always forced to register. The fine and imprisonment were penalties for avoiding registration. You’d be registered at the hearing as well as facing consequences.

At least you'll be alive instead of cannon fodder

I don't think the military is dying at a noticeable rate, especially as "cannon fodder." A quick Google says deaths by hostile action hasn't broken the triple digits annually over the last decade. I also didn't really look at the other deaths, so feel free to dive into that side.

https://dcas.dmdc.osd.mil/dcas/app/summaryData/deaths/byYearManner

This is about the draft. We haven't drafted in forever either, but you can bet if they draft it's because cannon fodder is needed.

if they draft it's because cannon fodder is needed.

That's a big if, as you noted US hasn't drafted in forever. But even if they did draft, the US hasn't used "cannon fodder" tactics for several decades. Their technology is so advanced (and military budget/spending so high) they don't need to in order to win. Trench warfare ain't really a thing anymore.

Because there has not been a draft since the 70s, where automatic registration was not feasible.

Yes, but failure to register was a felony.

Just say you have bone spurs

Pretty sure that doesn’t get you out of the registration, only actually serving. I think Trump was registered and said the bone spur thing later

It was not automatic so rich people can avoid it. I have never heard of someone facing criminal charges for failing to register. I have heard that failing to register can impact eligibility for college financial aid and scholarships.

I have heard that failing to register can impact eligibility for college financial aid and scholarships.

And this is why I hate the fucking neoliberals so much. As bad as the conservatives are they don't expect me to agree with them, they just want my money. Neoliberalism demands that you not only pay a shit ton of money for student loan debt that you also internalize that you deserve to because you were privileged. They have developed economic original sin

It should be automatic, and it is now. Why did I have to worry about it 40-years ago? Now? Now worries, done deal. Nothing has changed.

Of course lemmy thinks that serving means you're on the front lines as a grunt with an M4.

Might as well be. Giving a gun to a murderer is as bad as pulling the trigger, and that's what supply officers do. Mechanics fix killing machines. Cooks feed killers while they're off killing. The military is a machine, and every cog in that machine is a murderer.