(May 18, 2013 at 9:28 am)festive1 Wrote: Bush joined the National Guard to avoid being drafted.
True.
I am certainly no fan of Bush - but I find fault more with the policies that allowed preferential placement into "champagne units", and allowed for the existence of such units in the first place. The system in place allowed him to avoid combat because of his station, and that was the true evil of the situation. That's not to say that I find virtue in taking advantage of such policies - but it is certainly understandable that one would act in one's own self-interest. That motivation was little different than my ex father-in-law who enlisted in the Air Force to avoid the draft and losing control of his future, along with countless others. I find no fault with those who enlisted into safer forms of service, or even those who followed their conscience and accepted the risk of their actions.
That war was an enormous shit sandwich and I can hardly blame anyone for not wanting to take a big bite.
The corrupt system of conscription and service that existed in that time was grossly inequitable and I for one am glad that many of the injustices that once existed no longer do.
Now, his later actions, that I can find great fault with.
