Senator Kerry

[BigBank_Hank]

Rat you brought up the draft and it got me wondering if you were drafted would you go? I know that you firmly appose the war but if your country needed you would you go even though you don't agree with the cause?

[Rat Faced]

Originally posted by BigBank_Hank@2 May 2004 - 01:58
Rat you brought up the draft and it got me wondering if you were drafted would you go? I know that you firmly appose the war but if your country needed you would you go even though you don't agree with the cause?

I have served.

I was in Bosnia, and was quite willing to go to the original Gulf War.

I was in the TA (our version of the National Guard) when this all started and received a phone call saying i was going to be called up... I told them straight then, i'd rather go to jail. I never received any call up papers.

I did not then, and do not now, believe that this war was justfied on the grounds given. Further I believed then, and still believe, it was illegal under International Law.


The figures for the UK are that 30% of the TA soldiers called up, told the Government to F*ck Off.... that compares to an average of 6% that dont go, mostly for legitimate reasons, in any other conflict.

Not one of these TA soldiers is being taken to court for not going.... They know it would be laughed out of court.

The Government is doing everything possible NOT to go to court over anything to do with the present Iraq conflict.


I've also put my money where my mouth is.

I havent attended the TA since halfway through 2002 over this, and i wasnt discharged until late last year (as i wouldnt re-engage).... for me that equates to a 25% drop in disposable income (more if the annual Bounty is taken into account).

At the moment im fighting to keep my house, so that maybe puts it into perspective for you.

I was very active in the TA prior to all this, however i couldnt take their money when I didnt believe in what was happening. I joined up to Defend my country, and maybe fight for Humanitarian Reasons....not attack an independant Sovereign Nation that we had already been bombing the crap out of for the 10 years previous, despite them doing everything asked of them by the UN...although slowly and under protest.

[BigBank_Hank]

Well that's something that I never would have assumed that you were in a branch of the armed service.

I myself have never done any time in the military but if called upon to go I would do my duty.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying you are wrong for what you did,you should have gone ect. That's your decision to make.

I do however find it interesting that you were willing to go to serve in the gulf war but so firmly oppose this one.

[Rat Faced]

Originally posted by BigBank_Hank@2 May 2004 - 02:29


I do however find it interesting that you were willing to go to serve in the gulf war but so firmly oppose this one.

Its very simple.

1/ We werent the aggressors in the original one.

2/ We were asked for assistance by an ally that had been attacked.

3/ We had UN sanction for it.

4/ We also had the backing of the entire Middle East, Moderate and Fundamental both.


I wouldnt have complained if we'd carried on and "Liberated" Iraq as part of the original one.... that was the time to do it. (although we would have lost some of the Arabian backing then, we could have justified it)

[BigBank_Hank]

It may just be me but I think that the reasoning for pulling out when we did was we were scared that this might happen. And by not taking out Saddam the first go round and leaving he killed thousands in retaliation. I think that has a lot do with what's going on right now there; they're scared we'll just up and leave again like we did the last time.

[Rat Faced]

Its a shame El Jefe is absent at the moment, you could possibly talk to him.

He was definatly in Desert Storm, and i get the impression he may have been in the loop in a small way....