Does the phrase “draft dodger” have any meaning to people under the age of 55? I seriously doubt it. The youngest people who would have been drafted cannot have been born after 1955. Today’s professional military don’t care one bit about the concept.
Ronald Reagan opposed the draft as it meant that citizens were fundamentally considered property of the state. As one of the younger generation it just seems to me that “draft dodger” is a term applied in bitterness towards people who for whatever reason were able to avoid the draft. Do people here fundamentally believe that the government has the right to all males of fighting age? I sure as hell don’t.
if trump runs and the best they can do is call him a draft dodger he gets the win..
To me, "draft dodger" is someone who fled the country or avoided the draft through an illegal or fraudulent means. It doesn't apply to someone who took advantage of school deferments, that were available to anyone willing to go to school.
In a situation like WWII, absolutely. And if a war of that scale happened again we'd end the all volunteer military and draft every male and female needed for the war effort.
“The youngest people who would have been drafted cannot have been born after 1955.”
I was born in 1953. Nobody born in 1953 was drafted, even if your number was one. I knew guys born in 1951 who were drafted and thier numbers were below 100. I have met a lot of guys who are younger than I am who claim they were drafted and sent to Vietnam....100% b.s. Nixon kept his campaign promise to end the draft.
First, only individuals have rights. Governments have powers and duties granted them by individuals exercising their rights. However, to answer your question Article I Section 8 variously grants Congress has the power to, "...provide for the common Defence..." of the U.S. In order to do so, it is granted the power to, "...To raise and support Armies..." and, "To provide and maintain a Navy." Furthermore it is fully within its powers, "To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions," and finally, "To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."
Certainly, I think a draft in times of national emergency, and quite certainly "to suppress an insurrection or repel an invasion" is well within the powers accorded Congress.
Having said that, I think most small unit leaders in the military would much rather prefer soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that wanted to be there.