Poll: Would you have dodged the Vietnam draft?

Do college and grad school deferments count as dodging?

I'm curious to hear about the people that say no. Duty to your country? What makes me consider yes is the idea that war is an essentially human experience that may not exist for much longer, as we become more and more peaceful as society becomes more globalized. It is certainly not a good or romantic human experience.

Only if you ever want to run for high office. High being a senatorial seat or the Presidency. The issue is that there is bound to be a Kerry, McCain, Murtha etc when the time comes for you to run. Meaning you would have to search for a state without Ivy league war heroes, or opt out of being an office holder.

I think in our generation, though, that less heady decisions will impact our future lives and careers. I chuckle at the number of 'political' types that are shooting off emails, sms messages, Facebook posts, blog comments, and having phone conversations that will summarily disqualify them from, not only high office, but any of the nation's meaningful C-level executive suites and boardrooms of note. Certain executive search committees are already starting to sift through that stuff, where national security is involved. This practice will trickle down first to economically important corporations, like large banks or GE for example, and then on to the rest of the economy.

Chances are, your iPhone and your Facebook, coupled with a big mouth, will get the nation's elites to look down on you more than your decision on what to do when drafted will. Just imagine, for instance, the number of 20 year old democrats in 2003 who sent emails that may be misconstrued on the invasion of Iraq. Or the number of 20 year old republican hot heads who sent emails or sms texts when the hurricane Katrina incident happened. Many won't even make the connection when 25 years later they are summarily rejected by executive search committees.

So the next time you see one of those east coast boarding school type, Ivy league educated, lacrosse playing young men of ambition who refuse to use cell phones or email, I wouldn't snicker at them.

Without a moment's hesitation, and the same goes for today if the draft were to be put in place for Iraq- I'd likely emigrate the next day.