Did Ali intentionally dodge the draft and use the war as an excuse?

I agree with that. It’s not the choice I’d have made — I’d have said to myself “that’s all true, but those boys got drafted and are trying to do their best for the country, a bunch of them are going to die, and all they really want of me is to hang out with them and keep their spirits up”, then went.

but I’m also not a black man who grew up in the pre-civil rights era. My opinions and decisions are based on my own life experiences. So it ain’t fair or right for me to judge a man taking a moral stance and suffering for it.

 

Drafts are pretty anti-american IMO. We got ideals, until pushed and then we become just like any other monarchy. All Vol Army ... unless you **** it up then it's forced. What a platitude.

I wouldn't go murder my economic equal in some other nation just because the elites of mine and his don't get along either.

 

“War is war and hell is hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse.”
— Capt. Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce

And he served in Korea, not Vietnam, which was much worse by comparison to Korea.