War isn't abstract and certainly no Hollywood blockbuster. The reality of war is found piece by broken piece, deep in the dirt. Lessons for the next crop to be harvested by the mad men.
I remember returning to college my sophomore year, the Vietnam War and the draft staring every young man down. In particular I remember the night of the lottery when birthdays were pulled out randomly assigning us to our place in line for selection. Dozens of us sat around a radio, yes a radio no stadium size TV’s in 1970, waiting anxiously to hear our fate. The announcer stated in very clear terms, ‘if your number is chosen at number 150 or less you will be going to Vietnam.’ The first birthday was drawn. One of the guys in the room literally screamed as his draft number was #1. The next day this guy jammed a knife into his thigh thinking this would protect him. Doctors who worked on him did not turn him in, informed his leg would heal just fine, but a murmur discovered while in the operation would. Story after story appeared because of that night. The kid whose number 365 labeled luckiest kid on campus. Kids joining ROTC the next day. Others on deferment and low number doubling down on studying, that was me, #112. It was quite a night leading to the eventual deaths of some in that room from war, others finding their manhood and others relieved and able to just drink and go to class. I wouldn’t wish that night, a draft or a war on anyone. Except those that want it and then let them go fight it.
I remember when my turn came up my number was something like 186. I was naive enough at that time I would have probably gone into the military if I had been below 150, but it wasn't so I just considered it luck-of-the-draw and a bit callously went on with my life. My father wanted me to go into the ROTC, but luckily I somehow never managed to get over to that part of campus..
The best way to avoid the draft is to be a medical student.
My brother wanted to be a priest. My immigrant dad told him , no, you’re gonna be a doctor or a lawyer. Since he had no interest in the latter, he started pre-med at our community college following high school. The big prize was when he was accepted to the University of Michigan’s medical school, a high honor indeed.
He was drafted after he completed internship and assigned to Dyess Air Force base in the capacity of…well, a doctor. He spent two years there and went on to a successful practice for many years.
It saved him from Nam.
I am currently trying to talk my brilliant 15-year-old grandson into medicine as a career.
That's true, but there are military health facilities near combat zones. My father was at an Air Force base in Illinois during the Korean War then went through dental school on the GI Bill.
We've been on this path for years. When I railed about Ukraine, NATO, and Nuland and our provocations, in 2014, my friends berated me. Putin supposupporters. When I shared my suspicions that Netanyahu was aware, and allowed, if not orchestrated, 10/7, my friends called me antisemitic. (Me. Married to a Jew. With children, and beloved extended family.) When I declared both parties are complicit in promoting hegemony, oppression, colonialism, oligarchy and genocide, they said I was a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Maybe. Maybe all of that is true. But I'm no Cassandra. And I'm grateful for writers like you on Substack who offer similar world views. It does seem more people have their eyes open, but they look more shocked than awakened. Wish I had more solutions than exclamations of "oh, crap." I've rewatched 1971 on Apple+. I think: why aren't people in the streets like we were back then? And my main observation is: they ended the draft, and everyone went to work for The Man. Just a theory. Maybe when they reinstitute the draft....if we aren't burnt toast by then. Peace out, y'all. Keep up the good reporting!
The military recruit in high schools and colleges, with ads in movie theaters and on TV and the internet. In some schools, parents have successfully protested against high school recruiting in assemblies and classrooms. Every high school is encouraged to administer the ASVAB test, which is a timed test that seeks out certain skills or whatever needed by the military. It is not mandatory, but perhaps most parents do not pay attention. A camel's nose sort of thing. They show up with booths at fairs and other events. They do not knock on doors unless invited to. The government is not really interested in what mothers and fathers, or, really, any citizens think. If kids are over 18 parents cannot keep them from joining. The high college fees and extortionate student loan system can push people into the military. Which is why there will never really be government funded colleges. Too much money to be made, and the military benefits.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery - this is soft-sold as just a handy little aptitude test, but it is really a recruiting tool. Here is the official site -
You're not wrong about thinking nothing will happen to them. (Us.) I'm anticpating a terrorist attack before the election. That will spark an enlistment, like after 9/11. Seriously: the mad hatters (funny, it typed "haters" first) running this shit show are crazy, but not stupid. Same show. Different decade. Beam me up, Scottie.....🖖🏼
Once upon a time when a boy turned 18 he was required to register with the selective service. Now a days, and recently, that registration happens automatically. If your number is drawn you SHALL, read must, report for duty. If you don't you can and will be arrested. Both borders are currently locked down and they're building cop cities nationwide as the draft is incredibly unpopular they are expecting and preparing for the protests that will follow😞
I wish they'd stop lying to us. We all know they want eternal war in order to keep making more money off their MIC stocks... They don't care about our children. They're just want more cannon fodder to fatten their wallets. Guillotining is too good for them.
The war racket is a self licking ice cream cone - There are so many things wrong with the US I do not understand why this has been allowed to continue like it has.
Since the assassination of JFK, RFK, MLK and Malcolm, the American people have had no control over the government. It's a CIA/Wall Street Ponzi scheme based on profiteering off war. It's why I call my Substack DeMOCKracy.ink .
There's something very fishy about the proposed conscription [And in UK AU perhaps more]
The announcement that not enough people are voluntarily signing up to be slaughtered should be viewed as a ruse to ram through conscription - then consider the possibility that people might be fed up to serve in one lie based war after another all funded by debt.
Anyone who fails to meet the repayments on their loans will automatically have their creditor foreclose on them.
imagine a business or whatever that's unable to meet the repayments demanded on their loans yet is looking to hire more staff - It simply doesn't make sense that they're able to continue.
Interest payments on US debt would exceed the entire defense budget - There is no way the actual repayments can be made - so how much influence does the creditor have over US policies as US foreign policy appears wholly designed to please the insatiable greed of the financial elite while the working class is reduced to cannon fodder.
----
*Since you mentioned MLKjr - During one of his famous speeches he quoted from a book '' None dare call it conspiracy'' by Gary Allen and Larry Abraham on page 35 - The question is asked....
Where do governments get the enormous amounts of money that they need? - most of course comes from taxation - but government often spend more than they are willing to tax from their citizens - so governments are forced to borrow.
The public is led to believe that the government borrows from the people - through saving bonds - actually only the smallest percentage of the national debt is held by individuals in this form - most government bonds except those owned by the government itself through its trust funds are held by vast banking firms known as international banks - for centuries there has been big money to be made - by international bankers in financing governments and kings - such operators however are faced with certain phony profits - we know that smaller banks operate to protects themselves by taking collateral but what kind of collateral can you get from a government or a king ?
The process through which one collects a debt from a government or a monarch is not a subject taught in the business schools or the universities and most of us, never having been in the business of financing Kings or governments have not given the problem much thought. But there is a King financing business, and to those that can ensure collection, it is a lucrative business.
An economics professor named Stuard Crane notes - that there are two means used to loan money to governments and kings and two means of collecting* on that money.
Whenever a business firm borrows big money - the creditor obtains - an influence in management to protect its investment - like a business - no government can borrow big money unless that government is willing to surrender - to the creditor - some of its sovereignty - suddenly international bankers who have loaned hundreds of Billions of dollars to governments around the world command considerable influence in the policies of such government. [From a speech by MLK]
I am reading the best book on the Kennedy assassination I've read: "JFK and the Unspeakable" by James W. Douglass. Kennedy was actually much further along in getting troops out of Vietnam than I realized and was in regular direct dialog with Kruschev and indirect communication with Fidel Castro about reaching arms agreements, de-nuking the weapons stockpiles and working collaboratively for peace.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff were almost in open rebellion and the CIA was pissed. The "Unspeakable" was first described by the peace activist monk Thomas Merton, who JFK also had contact with. Explains a lot. The motivation for all the assassinations are clear.
It's a volunteer military, Jenny. Nobody's knocking on anybody's door. Nobody's being dragooned off in the middle of the night to trenches.
There are a number of promised benefits, like health care, educational benefits both while in the military and afterward, health care after service, some level of future retirement benefits and some help at buying a home etc.
Now, how many benefits actually manifest is questionable given that an average of 17 veterans commit suicide every day in the US and veterans make up a sizable portion of the homeless. Veteran mental health benefits can be scarce or too far away from one's home -- accessing mental health services in the US is hard for everybody. There are long waiting lists at VA facilities.
When I was a psychotherapist, I worked with a few veterans dealing with PTSD, which is more common for veterans because now with a smaller military force when we have hot wars going on guys are cycled through multiple combat tours instead of one-and-done, like Vietnam. I had one client who had gone through four combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and had experienced at least four traumatic brain injuries. He was seeing me outside the military system because he was near his 20-year retirement and was afraid that if the military learned he was seeing a counselor he'd be booted out and lose his retirement.
When the draft is reinstituted after -- as I said in the post -- a false flag terror event, it will be interesting to see if young people fall for the sales pitch once more.
I have three teenage grandchildren. The oldest boy has Asperger’s, so he’ll be safe. If they draft women, I’ll encourage my granddaughter to get pregnant soon as she turns eighteen, and I’ll help her raise the baby if necessary. It’s my middle grandchild I’m worried most about. He’s consistently at the top of his class and I refuse to allow him in all his wonderfulness to become cannon fodder for Uncle Sam ( you know that uncle who molests his nieces and nephews.)
I’ll handcuff myself to him before I let them take him!
Another feature of war is intimidation, regardless of which side you are on, it is very effective. Imagine being tied to a pole in a rural village or town and accused of aiding the enemy. That same enemy that threatened to burn your village to the ground if you aided their enemy. All family members and village friends are present as you are ever so carefully cut open and your intestines are fed to the pigs. There will be no battleground evidence of this atrocity.
I remember returning to college my sophomore year, the Vietnam War and the draft staring every young man down. In particular I remember the night of the lottery when birthdays were pulled out randomly assigning us to our place in line for selection. Dozens of us sat around a radio, yes a radio no stadium size TV’s in 1970, waiting anxiously to hear our fate. The announcer stated in very clear terms, ‘if your number is chosen at number 150 or less you will be going to Vietnam.’ The first birthday was drawn. One of the guys in the room literally screamed as his draft number was #1. The next day this guy jammed a knife into his thigh thinking this would protect him. Doctors who worked on him did not turn him in, informed his leg would heal just fine, but a murmur discovered while in the operation would. Story after story appeared because of that night. The kid whose number 365 labeled luckiest kid on campus. Kids joining ROTC the next day. Others on deferment and low number doubling down on studying, that was me, #112. It was quite a night leading to the eventual deaths of some in that room from war, others finding their manhood and others relieved and able to just drink and go to class. I wouldn’t wish that night, a draft or a war on anyone. Except those that want it and then let them go fight it.
I remember when my turn came up my number was something like 186. I was naive enough at that time I would have probably gone into the military if I had been below 150, but it wasn't so I just considered it luck-of-the-draw and a bit callously went on with my life. My father wanted me to go into the ROTC, but luckily I somehow never managed to get over to that part of campus..
That part of the campus!! Hahaha So true So true I hadn’t remembered that separation of the geeky guys with short hair in the green coats. WOW
Hi Mark
The best way to avoid the draft is to be a medical student.
My brother wanted to be a priest. My immigrant dad told him , no, you’re gonna be a doctor or a lawyer. Since he had no interest in the latter, he started pre-med at our community college following high school. The big prize was when he was accepted to the University of Michigan’s medical school, a high honor indeed.
He was drafted after he completed internship and assigned to Dyess Air Force base in the capacity of…well, a doctor. He spent two years there and went on to a successful practice for many years.
It saved him from Nam.
I am currently trying to talk my brilliant 15-year-old grandson into medicine as a career.
That's true, but there are military health facilities near combat zones. My father was at an Air Force base in Illinois during the Korean War then went through dental school on the GI Bill.
We must remember how the Gulf of Tonkin, Pearl Harbor, 9/11, tragic as they are, was used to expand/cement dominance and extract resources…
We've been on this path for years. When I railed about Ukraine, NATO, and Nuland and our provocations, in 2014, my friends berated me. Putin supposupporters. When I shared my suspicions that Netanyahu was aware, and allowed, if not orchestrated, 10/7, my friends called me antisemitic. (Me. Married to a Jew. With children, and beloved extended family.) When I declared both parties are complicit in promoting hegemony, oppression, colonialism, oligarchy and genocide, they said I was a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Maybe. Maybe all of that is true. But I'm no Cassandra. And I'm grateful for writers like you on Substack who offer similar world views. It does seem more people have their eyes open, but they look more shocked than awakened. Wish I had more solutions than exclamations of "oh, crap." I've rewatched 1971 on Apple+. I think: why aren't people in the streets like we were back then? And my main observation is: they ended the draft, and everyone went to work for The Man. Just a theory. Maybe when they reinstitute the draft....if we aren't burnt toast by then. Peace out, y'all. Keep up the good reporting!
MissAnneThrope (love the name)
I don't believe that the majority of Americans have 'opened their eyes.'
They are still in the 'swamp' of winning.
People in the US are cowards....I keep making suggestions of what to do but the Americans think nothing will happen to them!
I agree about the draft............which has not been done YET.
Which is why I urge Mark to deliver us something different.
Go to any house in the USA and reveal to me what exactly the military are saying to these mothers and Fathers if they have kids of a certain age.
This will be proper reporting.
This could be an 'in depth' report.
The military recruit in high schools and colleges, with ads in movie theaters and on TV and the internet. In some schools, parents have successfully protested against high school recruiting in assemblies and classrooms. Every high school is encouraged to administer the ASVAB test, which is a timed test that seeks out certain skills or whatever needed by the military. It is not mandatory, but perhaps most parents do not pay attention. A camel's nose sort of thing. They show up with booths at fairs and other events. They do not knock on doors unless invited to. The government is not really interested in what mothers and fathers, or, really, any citizens think. If kids are over 18 parents cannot keep them from joining. The high college fees and extortionate student loan system can push people into the military. Which is why there will never really be government funded colleges. Too much money to be made, and the military benefits.
djean111
Many thanks for this and interesting points.
Has not heard of this ASVAB test. Yes I imagine many parents don't know what it is.
What does ASVAB mean?
Also, the military does direct mailings.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery - this is soft-sold as just a handy little aptitude test, but it is really a recruiting tool. Here is the official site -
https://www.officialasvab.com/
Again. I thank you.
You're not wrong about thinking nothing will happen to them. (Us.) I'm anticpating a terrorist attack before the election. That will spark an enlistment, like after 9/11. Seriously: the mad hatters (funny, it typed "haters" first) running this shit show are crazy, but not stupid. Same show. Different decade. Beam me up, Scottie.....🖖🏼
Is Scottie still up there????
I think he died!
I'll take Simon Pegg's portrayal, although the OG, James Doohan, dropped his mortal coil in 2005.
They recently made selective service registration automatic. The draft is coming.
That's been true since the end of the draft. They gotta have their list handy.
BUT they won't do it before the election I bet.
Thanks for deconstructing the mechanics of war, Mark.
I've been really busy lately, but my next post will be along somewhat similar lines.
Looking forward to it, Diana.
I am getting bored to death by 'similar lines.'
I want to know how Americans are recruited!
Similar, but quite different lines, Jenny. I hope it doesn't bore you.
They say North Americans are the most propagandized people in the world, and that's how I think Americans are recruited.
Not good enough. I want to know what happens when the Military knocks on the door of a house with young people inside?
Once upon a time when a boy turned 18 he was required to register with the selective service. Now a days, and recently, that registration happens automatically. If your number is drawn you SHALL, read must, report for duty. If you don't you can and will be arrested. Both borders are currently locked down and they're building cop cities nationwide as the draft is incredibly unpopular they are expecting and preparing for the protests that will follow😞
The Quakers have information on how to apply to become a conscientious objector. We need to give this info out to our children ASAP.
Yes! Check out Quaker House, which works with active duty military who have found their soul: https://quakerhouse.org/
We all need to get the word out to young people and active military.
I wish they'd stop lying to us. We all know they want eternal war in order to keep making more money off their MIC stocks... They don't care about our children. They're just want more cannon fodder to fatten their wallets. Guillotining is too good for them.
They are lost to Wetiko: https://www.innertraditions.com/blog/wetiko-in-a-nutshell
Our society has become Wetiko.
The war racket is a self licking ice cream cone - There are so many things wrong with the US I do not understand why this has been allowed to continue like it has.
Since the assassination of JFK, RFK, MLK and Malcolm, the American people have had no control over the government. It's a CIA/Wall Street Ponzi scheme based on profiteering off war. It's why I call my Substack DeMOCKracy.ink .
Longer then that *
There's something very fishy about the proposed conscription [And in UK AU perhaps more]
The announcement that not enough people are voluntarily signing up to be slaughtered should be viewed as a ruse to ram through conscription - then consider the possibility that people might be fed up to serve in one lie based war after another all funded by debt.
Anyone who fails to meet the repayments on their loans will automatically have their creditor foreclose on them.
imagine a business or whatever that's unable to meet the repayments demanded on their loans yet is looking to hire more staff - It simply doesn't make sense that they're able to continue.
Interest payments on US debt would exceed the entire defense budget - There is no way the actual repayments can be made - so how much influence does the creditor have over US policies as US foreign policy appears wholly designed to please the insatiable greed of the financial elite while the working class is reduced to cannon fodder.
----
*Since you mentioned MLKjr - During one of his famous speeches he quoted from a book '' None dare call it conspiracy'' by Gary Allen and Larry Abraham on page 35 - The question is asked....
Where do governments get the enormous amounts of money that they need? - most of course comes from taxation - but government often spend more than they are willing to tax from their citizens - so governments are forced to borrow.
The public is led to believe that the government borrows from the people - through saving bonds - actually only the smallest percentage of the national debt is held by individuals in this form - most government bonds except those owned by the government itself through its trust funds are held by vast banking firms known as international banks - for centuries there has been big money to be made - by international bankers in financing governments and kings - such operators however are faced with certain phony profits - we know that smaller banks operate to protects themselves by taking collateral but what kind of collateral can you get from a government or a king ?
The process through which one collects a debt from a government or a monarch is not a subject taught in the business schools or the universities and most of us, never having been in the business of financing Kings or governments have not given the problem much thought. But there is a King financing business, and to those that can ensure collection, it is a lucrative business.
An economics professor named Stuard Crane notes - that there are two means used to loan money to governments and kings and two means of collecting* on that money.
Whenever a business firm borrows big money - the creditor obtains - an influence in management to protect its investment - like a business - no government can borrow big money unless that government is willing to surrender - to the creditor - some of its sovereignty - suddenly international bankers who have loaned hundreds of Billions of dollars to governments around the world command considerable influence in the policies of such government. [From a speech by MLK]
I am reading the best book on the Kennedy assassination I've read: "JFK and the Unspeakable" by James W. Douglass. Kennedy was actually much further along in getting troops out of Vietnam than I realized and was in regular direct dialog with Kruschev and indirect communication with Fidel Castro about reaching arms agreements, de-nuking the weapons stockpiles and working collaboratively for peace.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff were almost in open rebellion and the CIA was pissed. The "Unspeakable" was first described by the peace activist monk Thomas Merton, who JFK also had contact with. Explains a lot. The motivation for all the assassinations are clear.
I imagine the writer of that book will devote some time on JFK desire to inspect Israel's nuclear ambitions at the time.
The immediate falling in line of his replacement made the assassination all the more suspicious.
I have NO idea what is going on:
I went on Spottify tonight to listen to BOB (Dylan)
He has taken over ...and gives a fantastic report on the USA machinations.
Hello Uncle Sam....great cartoon (by the way).
I have a question that only Americans can answer.........and this should be written about.
How do the military go about recruiting?
Are they saying: We will pay for college education?
Are they saying after 2-3yrs (or less) you will be expected to fight for your country?
THIS should be on all media!
It's a volunteer military, Jenny. Nobody's knocking on anybody's door. Nobody's being dragooned off in the middle of the night to trenches.
There are a number of promised benefits, like health care, educational benefits both while in the military and afterward, health care after service, some level of future retirement benefits and some help at buying a home etc.
Now, how many benefits actually manifest is questionable given that an average of 17 veterans commit suicide every day in the US and veterans make up a sizable portion of the homeless. Veteran mental health benefits can be scarce or too far away from one's home -- accessing mental health services in the US is hard for everybody. There are long waiting lists at VA facilities.
When I was a psychotherapist, I worked with a few veterans dealing with PTSD, which is more common for veterans because now with a smaller military force when we have hot wars going on guys are cycled through multiple combat tours instead of one-and-done, like Vietnam. I had one client who had gone through four combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and had experienced at least four traumatic brain injuries. He was seeing me outside the military system because he was near his 20-year retirement and was afraid that if the military learned he was seeing a counselor he'd be booted out and lose his retirement.
When the draft is reinstituted after -- as I said in the post -- a false flag terror event, it will be interesting to see if young people fall for the sales pitch once more.
I understand this Mark and I think you should be writing about this so that US people become aware.
I am pretty sure right now that the US (after the election -circus) there will be a draft.
Agree, Jenny.
I have three teenage grandchildren. The oldest boy has Asperger’s, so he’ll be safe. If they draft women, I’ll encourage my granddaughter to get pregnant soon as she turns eighteen, and I’ll help her raise the baby if necessary. It’s my middle grandchild I’m worried most about. He’s consistently at the top of his class and I refuse to allow him in all his wonderfulness to become cannon fodder for Uncle Sam ( you know that uncle who molests his nieces and nephews.)
I’ll handcuff myself to him before I let them take him!
Hello dear Gypsy.
Hope you are home now and happier?
Yes. I have two grandkids of military age in the UK.
I am not sure how I would be able to help them from France BUT I would find a way. Perhaps a long extended holiday in Sri Lanka.
Really worried about this StormtrooperStarmer.
Another feature of war is intimidation, regardless of which side you are on, it is very effective. Imagine being tied to a pole in a rural village or town and accused of aiding the enemy. That same enemy that threatened to burn your village to the ground if you aided their enemy. All family members and village friends are present as you are ever so carefully cut open and your intestines are fed to the pigs. There will be no battleground evidence of this atrocity.
I think this was a LONG time ago...........
Happens in every war.