There was a draft during the Civil War, both World Wars and the entire period from 1946 to 1973. How’d they get around that?
In the civil war that amendment wasn’t there yet. In WWI the progressive Woodrow Wilson said draftees weren’t against their will, because Congress declared war. He said that meant the entire nation had volunteered -collectively-.
It was carried on under that same concept until thankfully it died.
Spin it how you want, tell me about Elvis and WWII, etc. But the fact is, it is involuntary servitude. People are forced to perform service up to their deaths, against their will, at gunpoint. The survivors get nostalgia and think it was pretty cool. Unfortunately, there are many voices we don’t get to ask.
Civil War was for America’s immediate survival after decades of pretending that the very profitable practice of slavery would “go away on its own” blew up in our faces.
1st WW...slight justification...bunch of Americans rode on a British ship which was at war with Germany. German sub sinks it; cue American outrage and sudden interest in the latest European catfight. We came in to end the trench-warfare stalemate for England and (blech) France.
2nd WW...immediate survival of the WORLD at stake. ‘Nuff said.
Cold War...too many conflicts at the moment to speak to except that the draft during Vietnam caused one big fustercluck.