Obama to take on military gay ban at `right time'

[Admiral Yi]

Draft in Eastern European countries is not quite the same thing as draft in Western countries.  In Russia or Ukraine, only the destitute or unfit parents do not bribe their sons out of the draft.  You're better off fighting a war in the American army than living in peace in the Russian conscript barracks.

Destitution I can see, but since when has having poor parents equated to being a lowlife?

[Martinus]

Draft in Eastern European countries is not quite the same thing as draft in Western countries.  In Russia or Ukraine, only the destitute or unfit parents do not bribe their sons out of the draft.  You're better off fighting a war in the American army than living in peace in the Russian conscript barracks.

Destitution I can see, but since when has having poor parents equated to being a lowlife?

Ok maybe it's a language issue. I used "lowlife" to mean "lower class" or the "poor".

[Admiral Yi]

Ok maybe it's a language issue. I used "lowlife" to mean "lower class" or the "poor".

Ah.  Same confusion with "social rejects" then?

[Berkut]

Ok maybe it's a language issue. I used "lowlife" to mean "lower class" or the "poor".

Ah.  Same confusion with "social rejects" then?

[Martinus]

Ok maybe it's a language issue. I used "lowlife" to mean "lower class" or the "poor".

Ah.  Same confusion with "social rejects" then?

Pretty much. I guess I just don't get your American egalitarianism.

[Octavian]

Lol, really? 

Wow, that's low.

Draft in Eastern European countries is not quite the same thing as draft in Western countries.  In Russia or Ukraine, only the destitute or unfit parents do not bribe their sons out of the draft.  You're better off fighting a war in the American army than living in peace in the Russian conscript barracks.

Finally someone who knows what he is talking about.

That Poland and Russia are the same!

Neil has been saying that for a long time now.

[Martinus]

Hey, I've never been a big fan of Poland, to be honest. When I support it, it's because I live here, not because I think it is some great country.

If I wasn't a Pole, I'd have been definitely against Poland joining the EU 5 years ago.

Neil may be an abrasive boor trying desperately to troll a reaction out of me, but he is no idiot. Many of his more generalist observations are pretty spot on.

[Admiral Yi]

How much did it cost to bribe your way out of the draft?  And for purposes of comparison what was average wages at the same time?

[Martinus]

How much did it cost to bribe your way out of the draft?  And for purposes of comparison what was average wages at the same time?

I didn't bribe my way out of it. First of all I went to college, so I would have been exempted anyway. Other than that, in my childhood I had a medical condition (mild epilepsy which disappeared when I was like 7 or 8 and the doctor who was treating me when I was a kid gave me a certificate about this stating it may recur at a later age (which is true albeit hopefully not very likely). This was enough to get me out of the draft. Anyway at the time people got out of draft for being gay too so I wouldn't have to serve anyway if I needed to.

I know my very conservative nationalistic work colleague paid a bribe of about 2000 zlotys few years ago, though. This is about $600 and is about 70% of the average monthly pay in Poland, after taxes.

[Martinus]

I wonder if my avatar colors the perception of my opinions somewhat. 

[AnchorClanker]

Truman did it with an Executive Order - something Obama doesn't want to do.
I wonder how the 'softly, softly' approach will play out.

[ulmont]

Truman did it with an Executive Order - something Obama doesn't want to do.

Truman didn't have a statute passed by Congress keeping the armed forces segregated to contend with.

[Tonitrus]

Meh, the finer points of law regulating the military can sometimes be ignored. 

After all, we don't court martial people for (hetero) blow jobs.

[DontSayBanana]

Truman did it with an Executive Order - something Obama doesn't want to do.
I wonder how the 'softly, softly' approach will play out.

He did it with an executive order, but Obama wants to avoid that because that's technically verbot- the President can issue orders, but the Constitution is pretty explicit that Congress is in charge of policies and regulations.

[The Brain]

I think we should ban all posters without military experience.