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BEWARE! Big swinging Rangel on the loose
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) has long advocated returning to the draft, but his efforts drew little attention during the 12 years that House Democrats were in the minority. Starting in January, however, he will chair the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Yesterday he said "you bet your life" he will renew his drive for a draft.
"I will be introducing that bill as soon as we start the new session," Rangel said on CBS's "Face the Nation." He portrayed the draft, suspended since 1973, as a means of spreading military obligations more equitably and prompting political leaders to think twice before starting wars.
"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," said Rangel, a Korean War veteran. "If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft."
What do I think about Rangel's move? It takes balls.
Big.
HUGE.
Morbidly MASSIVE.
COLOSSAL
COJONES,
to try to push this on Congress, needless to say, the American public.
My first reaction is, "Yes!" I absolutely think this makes sense. Then --and this is why I am not a quick to bash all men kind of feminist-- I think about my two boys. There is no way in fucking hell I will allow my kids to join the US Army.
So now, I have to not just think about retirement but about moving to a whole different country before they turn 18.
Lovely.
Which, by the way, takes me to this : The proposal better include both men and women.
Can you imagine the shitstorm?
Because, you know what? He wants to extend the draft to the age of 42. That's insane!
And yet.
And yet.
BRILLIANT!
Honestly, Machiavelli is dancing on his grave, all happy and proud. There's no better way to put accountability on the table than to bring on the subject of a draft. Impeachment just doesn't have the same kind of impact than the smell of rich people's fear in the face of impending accountability.
Just do it
I'd like nothing better than to see some wingers finally get basic training and then, ship out to the front. Start with the winger bloggers and all those fat toads in the various "think tanks".
Oh yeah, and draft Coulter and Malkin. Let's see how ferocious they are when they face something more intimidating than Cindy Sheehan.
What's the best way to do this then?
Liza: If not the draft, then tell me the best way to get fair and balanced representation in our armed forsces. Do you know that blacks make up around 14% of our overall population, but over 30% of the armed forces. Lately hispanic numbers in the armed forces have started to increase (surprise/ surprise). Now tell me Liza, is this fair- given all the shit that blacks and hispanics go through in this country?
I say Charlie Rangel is correct: reinstitute the draft. The only challenge will be to ensure that it is done without all the past loopholes, which got rich white boys like George Bush, Bill Clinton and others off the hook, whilst blacks and hispanics picked up the brunt of the dirty work.
Unless you give me better way to staff the armed forces, then I suggest you think deeper when considering Charlie's suggestion.
And no, I am not fighting you/ despite the tone/ lol. I am just tired of the perfunctory dismissive way that Charlie's proposal has been dealt with from junpstreet.
Draft is not practical
Reinstating the draft is not in any way financially practical. The american public won't stand for the massive tax increases that would be necessary to fund all the needed additional military bureacracy to facilitate a draft. The costs of a new draft would be enormous. We're talking hiring draft boards, building new bases, having to clothe, feed and house exponentially larger numbers of military.
Also the rich will continue to find ways to get out of drafts, as they did in days past (see W Bush and his no-show Guard duty) Drafts will thus disproportionately affect the lower classes, those of lesser financial means who can't afford to be away from their families. Who wants to re-live the anguish over receiving draft letters, and recriminations of draft dodging .etc Its a bad idea in my opinion. The Pentagon needs to be downsized, not inflated.