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Sorry, But That’s the Rule: President Asterisk Is A Draft Dodger
Townhall.com ^ | January 25, 2021 | Kurt Schlichter

Posted on 01/25/2021 4:16:17 AM PST by Kaslin

I didn’t want it to come to this, but I am compelled by my loyal adherence to the rules and norms and cultural regulations put into effect by our glorious, competent, and not-at-all-inexplicably-smug ruling caste to characterize President * as a cowardly draft dodger of cowardice.

I think it is stupid, but I am bound to these New Rules. As are you.

Say it with me: President * is a cowardly draft dodger.

You should also know that Asterisk is also not an Army Ranger, which became a fake issue when a bunch of liberal media hacks, led by some toad-like reporter who looks like Ron Jeremy’s less attractive fraternal twin, recently began talking out their Schumers about who is and is not a Ranger with regard to Tom Cotton. It is indisputable that * is nothing, having – as the New Rules compel me to characterize it – cheated his way out of Vietnam.

I sure think these New Rules are dumb, but what can you do? In fact, I have always hated the whole chickenhawk thing, the idea that, rather than military service being a character resume plus, its absence is a minus and some sort of character flaw. Only about 30% of people can qualify physically and otherwise for service, so right off you are consigning about 70% of folks to some sort of second-hand moral status. That’s stupid. Further, the idea that an American citizen who did not serve has some sort of disqualification from opining on military issues is utterly unAmerican.

Now, there are times when playing the military service card is an appropriate flex, and on those occasions, I will certainly play my undistinguished, but existent, hand. When your patriotism is questioned, voluntary military service is a pretty good bit of evidence of patriotism, and it is by no means unfair to deploy it to counter lies to the contrary. You get those a lot now that the people calling the United States a hellish dictatorship built on white supremacy and general badness three months ago are collectively wetting themselves over the peril posed by Viking-costumed “insurrectionists.” It’s always amusing to observe that the only thing the lefty patriots du jour on social media who usually 1619 all over America but, when convenient, rally ‘round the flag, ever served were pumpkin spice lattes at the Common Grounds coffee house. 

The other proper occasion for using your military service is when expertise is involved. If you were in the military, you know and have done stuff other people have not, and that credential is properly offered to demonstrate your competence to offer a useful observation or opinion on relevant topics. It’s not determinative, but when I talk about civil support operations it’s relevant that I served in them, commanded large formations in them, planned them from platoon to above division level, and wrote both law review and military journal articles on them. I might just have more useful things to say about them than @BidenFan69.

Maybe. 

The big secret about military stuff is that not all of us are war heroes like Audie Buttigieg and Saigon Dick Blumenthal. I ran a heavily armed carwash in one war, and did civil affairs on another deployment. If you want to know about nuclear-biological-chemical defense, or starting up mushroom canning factories so locals have jobs to distract them from killing each other, those are two of the perspectives I can probably help with. Navy stuff, somewhat less so, though having commanded (including acting) at every level below a division probably gives me some leadership insights. You should take my, and every vet’s, views for what they are worth and decide issues for yourself.

But my preferred rule – military service should be offered only to dispute personal attacks on one’s patriotism and as a credential demonstrating expertise – has been repealed. The New Rule is that if, via legal procedures in conformance with existing regulations, you did not serve in Vietnam, you are a coward and a draft dodger. I oppose this New Rule, but this New Rule was been enacted in January 2016, and I am sadly bound by it.

President * is a cowardly draft dodger. Sorry, not my rule. It’s *’s fans’ rule. And they can live with it.

This was demonstrated with the whole “Cadet Bone Spurs” thing about Donald Trump. The “cadet” part relates to him having gone to military school, which I guess the New Rules decree is something to be ashamed of now. As with shifting attitude toward the National Guard troops from violent threats to the literal safety of oppressed people to heroic defenders of the country from Thor-wannabes to tiresome eyesores to be consigned to a Congressional parking garage, you need constant updates on whether military stuff is good or bad at any given moment. 

Anyway, the “Bone Spurs” part was the medical diagnosis that kept Trump from draft eligibility. For some reason, this diagnosis strikes people who have never had to do a long ruck march over rough terrain with half their body weight on their backs as hilarious.

Now, I have some military personnel experience too – you get a lot of experience in 27 years – and back in 2016, when I was Trump Skeptical (I was never Never Trump, in large part because I eschewed bow ties and virginity), I was provided his Selective Service records and asked to review them with an eye to digging up dirt. I found none. It was all in order. Trump got four student deferments as an undergrad. Then the Army – not anyone else – decided he as not physically fit for military service. No shock – go to a MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station), tell the doc you have bone spurs on your paws, and see how fast you get transferred back to Fort Living Room.

And here’s another thing, and maybe I’m a bit technical, but Trump was never drafted. So, it’s kind of hard to “dodge the draft” when you weren’t drafted. Draft dodgers typically got their induction notices and split to Manitoba. That was draft dodging – and St. Jimmy Carter pardoned them all, so it’s weird that draft dodging is now bad again. Regardless, the New Rules are the New Rules and I am helpless to alter them. * is just as much of a draft dodger as the Bad Orange Man. 

The Asterisk-In-Chief got five student deferments as an undergrad. Then the Army apparently decided that he had a history of asthma and that was that. Putting aside that he’s more known for gaffes and wandering about aimlessly than coughing fits, President * was disqualified, just as a huge percentage of potential recruits are. And like Trump, he was never drafted, making it hard in any but the most meta way to fairly consider him a “draft dodger.” But none of that matters because of the New Rules.

The New Rules decree that * is a cowardly draft dodger unfit to hold the office of president, so there you are. Sorry.

Again, I think this is stupid. This is not a rule I support. I think it’s stupid, bordering on an outright lie. But I was outvoted by our glorious ruling class, which changed the rule when it became useful to apply it to Trump. And, to the extent observing that exactly the same rule must be applied to * as it was to Trump constitutes “whataboutism,” well, yeah. What they call “whataboutism” is a moral necessity. For too long we’ve allowed ourselves to be Muh Prinicipled into supine surrender in the face of double standards, and that must end.

They enacted these stupid, dishonest, and obnoxious New Rules, and we should obey them. If they want to change the rule, great – that’s a terrific idea. They just have to first clearly and sincerely exonerate Donald Trump from liability under the New Rule. Until then, sorry folks. 

President Asterisk is a cowardly draft dodger.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2020preselection; doublestandard; joebiden

1 posted on 01/25/2021 4:16:17 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

I saw a guy in boot camp (1976) getting bounced at the day 2 during the recruit medical examination for... excessive acne scars, he obviously had a bad case when he was young as he had a pockmarked face and it went down his back somewhat. We were all volunteers at that point so it wasn’t about beating the draft, but I felt kind of bad because I think he really wanted to serve.


2 posted on 01/25/2021 4:25:05 AM PST by Clutch Martin (The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.)
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To: Clutch Martin

My husband served almost 22 years in the Army. He was never drafted because he volunteered to join the Army when he was 17. His first overseas tour was South Korea right after the Korean war.


3 posted on 01/25/2021 4:37:03 AM PST by Kaslin (Joe Biden will never be my President, and neither will Kamala Harris)
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To: All
The New Rules of our Overlords decree that cowardly draft dodgers are unfit to hold high office,
but they smile benignly on those who got "deferments." The Thief-In-Chief got five (5)
undergrad student deferments; his asthma got him an Army deferment.

The Alleged President is also known
<><> for his dumb gaffes,
<><> for doddering around aimlessly,
<><> for a pack of Chinese pals in high places,
<><> for his crackhead son who makes major money working from home,
<><> for his (cough) love of young children,
<><> for waging a "successful campaign" from his cellar
<><> for getting more votes than Obama.

Not bad for an all-time loser wearing Depends and a $10,000 Rolex watch.

4 posted on 01/25/2021 4:37:16 AM PST by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use. )
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To: Kaslin

In accordance with the new rule, it should be mentioned that the teenage asthma that kept Joe Biden out of Vietnam did not keep him off of the high school football team where he was described as an outstanding half back that actually lead his perenialy losing team to an undefeated season. Sounds like he had real bad teenage asthma.🙄


5 posted on 01/25/2021 4:38:09 AM PST by RC one (Lying, cheating, deceiving & manipulating are as natural to Democrats as swimming is to fish.)
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To: Clutch Martin

I know a local kid who went AWOL to avoid being sent to Iraq. The military dropped the charges when they found out he had suffered a broken back as a teen. They didn’t want to absorb that cost.

They turned me down because I had been treated for a heart murmur which I didn’t have


6 posted on 01/25/2021 4:44:15 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston? )
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To: AppyPappy

They turned me down when I tried to enlist right after 9/11. Had to have parental consent (I was 17) and they turned me down for being 6 pounds overweight.

Lost the weight in a couple weeks, tried again, and they refused me because I’m a GED recipient.

In hindsight, for a country with multiple endless wars, it sure is hard to get into the military.


7 posted on 01/25/2021 5:03:35 AM PST by This_Dude
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To: Kaslin
I wanted to serve, but a number of medical issues kept me from it. Bad knees, varicose veins, even my poor eyesight would not have kept me out, but a defective heatbeat, ended that.

So I decided to work in electronics in the defense industry. I figured since I couldn't be boots on the ground, I'd do everything in my power to make sure the guys that did had the best I could give them. That included helping design better and better GPS systems, night-vision equipment, and phased array radar circuitry.

8 posted on 01/25/2021 5:03:46 AM PST by Wizdum
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To: This_Dude

I tried to go OCS after Reagan entered office but the alleged heart murmur stopped me. They were awash with candidates.


9 posted on 01/25/2021 5:23:44 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston? )
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To: Kaslin

I prefer leaving off the “-terisk” part!


10 posted on 01/25/2021 5:29:06 AM PST by kaktuskid
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To: Kaslin

.


11 posted on 01/25/2021 5:34:52 AM PST by sauropod (#RecallMcConnell. #Resist. #NotMyPresident.)
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To: Kaslin

Did 25+ years...

Always figured the Military would take anyone that could fog a mirror...


12 posted on 01/25/2021 5:38:54 AM PST by dakine
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To: Kaslin

Beautiful!


13 posted on 01/25/2021 5:46:45 AM PST by FamiliarFace
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To: RC one

“...he was described as an outstanding half back...”

I think you meant half-wit.


14 posted on 01/25/2021 6:10:18 AM PST by euram
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To: euram

“...he was described as an outstanding half back...”

I think you meant half-wit.


And harris was described as, “outstanding on her back...”


15 posted on 01/25/2021 6:23:46 AM PST by AFret.
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To: RC one

So Biden is a draft dodger. As I was drafted after my college exemption expired, I hate draft dodgers.


16 posted on 01/25/2021 7:00:08 AM PST by diatomite (That grifter crook Biden or Kamella isn't my president and never will be!! Resist!!)
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To: Kaslin

LBJ drafted me into the Army. Went to the Navy recruiter and got a better deal.


17 posted on 01/25/2021 7:03:17 AM PST by Captain Compassion (I'm just sayin')
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To: Kaslin

But Joe took out Corn Pop... that’s all one needs to know...


18 posted on 01/25/2021 7:05:27 AM PST by PigRigger
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