Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Gli anni '60 stanno ritornando...

Aspettate che Bush mettera' su una leva obbligatoria 
GT (Che ha appena accettato un lavoro in Canada, e anticipa di avere
un sacco di amici Americani in visita :-/)
http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/co/17087/1.html
Americans on the run from their own country 
Too young to buy a beer, but old enough to die for their country. This
irony is not lost on Americans who have chosen to flee the US in
search of refuge in Canada. For some it's a race against time before
the army figures out they are gone.
The story for many of these deserters is the same: a life in the
military appeared to be a good choice at first, not to mention a quick
and easy way to further their education. But few expected that they
would be sent overseas in very hostile conditions such as Iraq.
Most who decide to run away do so because they don't want to end up
dead or, if not killed by the enemy, then driven crazy and ultimately
shooting themselves. Sandwiched between Mexico to the south and Canada
to the north, the vast majority choose the latter for their escape.
There are a number of reasons for this, mostly because of the cultural
similarities and the ease by which they can cross the border.
Yet for some even the relatively open trek up to Canada is not that
easy. Americans rarely travel outside their own country, so a trip to
Canada is daunting to many. Some have found assistance on the
Internet, including former soldiers who will help those in desperate
circumstances to escape. Many of those helping young soldiers who have
gone AWOL reflect back to the 1960s at another generation's war. They
can sympathise with those who want to run today, and will do what they
can to help resurrect the underground railroad to Canada.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, there are others who have
been thinking and doing the same thing. During the 1960s, many
Canadians ran safe houses for American resisters. This included
religious organisations such as the Quakers, who have a philosophy of
not turning away anyone in need.
Although there are many similarities between Vietnam and Iraq, one
main difference is that those in the American military who are now
AWOL are, in fact, volunteers. Even so, those seeking refuge in Canada
still feel that they shouldn't have to pay with their lives for making
a mistake or, more precisely, their government's mistake.
After 9/11 the number of volunteers for the American military rose
substantially. Moreover, most American soldiers didn't have qualms
about initially serving in Afghanistan. At the time, they felt that
they were avenging an attack on their own country.
However, with Iraq the situation is much different. Unlike
Afghanistan, the resistance is much bigger. Also, while news from
Afghanistan has more or less subsided, the Iraqi conflict lingers.
Americans traditionally like their wars short and sweet; when they are
long and drawn out, with more and more casualties and the prospect of
defeat, as in Vietnam, American soldiers and the general public tend
to revolt against their own government.
Freedom From America 
Crossing over the border into Canada is not particularly difficult for
Americans seeking to flee their own country. At some small border
crossings, there is only a Canadian border guard asking a few routine
questions. At other larger checking points, such as at Niagara Falls,
the traffic between the US and Canada is so routine that often it's
enough for an American to claim that they are crossing over to see a
concert or a sporting event.
For most Americans on the run, the alternative to fleeing to Canada is
to lie low in the US and hope they are not caught. But for some the
experience is nerve-wreaking. Prison awaits any American who goes AWOL
and is caught. Given the deplorable state of US prisons, it's not
something war resisters look forward to. For most, going to jail as a
conscientious objector isn't even an option, especially at such a
relatively young age.
One they get to Canada, however, an American refugee's troubles aren't
over. They are still considered illegal immigrants and don't have any
legal status for being in Canada, which means legally they aren't
allowed to work.
Some of the lawyers representing Americans who have already escaped to
freedom in Canada think that the chances of these refugees being able
to stay is quite good, given the fact that Canadians don't like George
Bush nor his war very much. Likewise, the political implications of
sending back an American who has gone AWOL are great, for the Canadian
government isn't going to be able to say the war is illegal and Canada
won't support it, on the one hand, but Canada will send back to the US
those who object to the war, on the other.
Still, there is no doubt that it will be extraordinarily difficult for
any American to make a successful refugee claim against the US. The US
is considered to be, in theory at least, a liberal democracy which
respects human rights. For a refugee claim to be successful, this
official view of the US would have to be changed. The technical burden
of doing so is such that Canadian authorities are reluctant to even
try.
To make matters worse, the new Canadian government of Paul Martin,
unlike his predecessor Jean Chretien, has publicly stated its desire
to change course and be more friendly with the US on foreign policy.
This could mean that the young men and women who flee to Canada to
escape military service in the US may be treated more harshly than in
the past.
For most Americans, living as a refugee in Canada is not so bad.
Although they wouldn't be able to return to the US, as long as they
can work and their friends and families could visit, then they don't
mind. There isn't much of a difference between the two countries
anyway. With the exception of Quebec, language and customs are mostly
the same, so in many ways they are not that far away from home.
In the end, it will take months or even years before a decision on a
refugee's application is taken. And even after that, there are chances
for an appeal, which would then extend their temporary status for a
further several months or years. Ironically, bureaucratic red tape is
a blessing in disguise: the entire process may be just long enough for
a government to come into power in the US, one which will take back
and pardon those who had fled their country for having followed their
conscience.

and easy way to further their education.
Troppo facile volere la botte piena e la moglie ubriaca.
-Stefano

 Aspettate che Bush mettera' su una leva obbligatoria 
Torrieri... ma sei serio? Questi sono volontari!
Non avevano pensato quando si sono arruolati che con buona probabilita' 
si sarebbero potuti trovare a poter rischiare la vita?
E ancora, astraendo dal caso in esame, un soldato in un paese 
democratico IYO ha la facolta'di decidere quale guerra e' degna di 
essere combattuta e decidere di conseguenza se farlo o no? Ti ricordo 
che ammettendo questa possibilita' ammetti anche l'inverso, e non e' 
piacevole...
Ale

 piacevole...
Qualche volta si.   Vedi i refusenik Israeliani.
Francamente, non so se ci sia un principio generale.
Piuttosto, questi ragazzi avrebbero, in teoria, un modo facile per evitare
la naja e non finire in galera:  Vanno da loro ufficiale, e gli raccontano
di come gli piace, poniamo, succhiarlo al compagno di tenda (maschio). 
Il fatto che non ho sentito di un particolare aumento di soldati che ad
un tratto scoprono la loro omosessualita la dice lunga, su come certi
tabu' sociali siano MOLTO duri a morire.
GT

 tabu' sociali siano MOLTO duri a morire.
Vero.
Ale
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tenda (maschio).
*ROTFL*
Se pensi che una ca***ta simile ti eviti il problema conosci ben poco
dell'amministrazione militare USA :)
-Stefano

 un sacco di amici Americani in visita :-/)
Dimenticavo, aspettatiallora anche molti canadesiche passano la 
frontiera in senso opposto: durante la  guerra del Vietnam, mentre circa 
30.000 ragazzi USA andarono in Vietnam per sfuggire alla leva, circa 
39.000 ragazzi canadesi si arruolarono volontari nelle FFAA USA per 
combattere in Vietnam.
Ciao
Ale

 combattere in Vietnam.
Giuro che č la *prima* volta in assoluto che mi capita di sentirlo.
Avevano corpi canadesi separati o eranio  integrati nell'esercito USA?
C'č un libro su questo? Se non c'č, qualcuno dovrebbe scriverlo.
Tb

 C'è un libro su questo? 
Credo di si ma non ho riferimenti. Per riferimenti sul web puoi iniziare 
qui: 
http://www.vietnamvetcontacts.com/gpage35.html
Ciao
Ale

 Ale
Inoppugnabile.
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Admiror te, paries, non defatigavisti
qui tot scriptorum taedia sustineas.
Zadi Kof Resh
-Protokol Sheva-
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 Inoppugnabile.
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