Draft avoidance and war protest have been around for ages and represent a form of boycotting and refusal. Sentiment against the war was very prominent during the invasion of Vietnam when opposition was high and marches were frequent. A more recent example is documented in the latest season of Serial, an investigative journalism podcast that is covering the controversial case of Bowe Bergdahl, an American soldier who chose to abandon his post in Afghanistan. He was then captured by the Taliban and held captive for five years. Upon his release to the US in 2014, he was charged with desertion. The circumstances of Bergdahl’s capture are uncertain, but comments and letters sent home indicate that he had become disillusioned with the military and did not approve of the way Afghans were treated by Americans. This situation represents a form of protest and boycotting. To leave your post in the middle of the war is a huge statement against your American citizenship and the military’s stringent code of conduct. However, the question now is whether Bergdahl deserves further punishment after the torture he endured under the Taliban.
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