This Just In
Aaaahhhh... here's a gem from our new Democratic Congress....
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/congressman-rangel-will-seek-to/20061119133009990016?ncid=NWS00010000000001
If you can't read it, it says that "Rep. Charles Rangel (Incoming Chair of the Department of Ways and Means) says he plans to introduce a bill to reinstate the military draft, an idea he believes would deter politicians from launching wars."
Yup. Basically, he says that the Administration and the previous Congress wouldn't have been so quick to start the war in Iraq if there had been a draft and the possibility that their kids would have to go to war.
Yeah, That's logical.
He also says that it's hypocritical to support the war and NOT support the draft. okaaaaaay. Sure. Hm. Supporting a war that people can and do volunteer for is hypcritical because why? Oh. Is he talking about the fact that the American people don't have a real choice in whether or not the country goes to war and so we shouldn't have a choice individually whether we go to fight? NOPE, still makes no goddamned sense.
Awesome.
Oh, AND he wants to expand the range from 18-26 to 18 to FORTY FUCKING TWO!!
However, this COULD also be the first glaring example of the media changing hands and starting that mudsling swing back over onto the Democrats.
The world may never know.
God help us all.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/congressman-rangel-will-seek-to/20061119133009990016?ncid=NWS00010000000001
If you can't read it, it says that "Rep. Charles Rangel (Incoming Chair of the Department of Ways and Means) says he plans to introduce a bill to reinstate the military draft, an idea he believes would deter politicians from launching wars."
Yup. Basically, he says that the Administration and the previous Congress wouldn't have been so quick to start the war in Iraq if there had been a draft and the possibility that their kids would have to go to war.
Yeah, That's logical.
He also says that it's hypocritical to support the war and NOT support the draft. okaaaaaay. Sure. Hm. Supporting a war that people can and do volunteer for is hypcritical because why? Oh. Is he talking about the fact that the American people don't have a real choice in whether or not the country goes to war and so we shouldn't have a choice individually whether we go to fight? NOPE, still makes no goddamned sense.
Awesome.
Oh, AND he wants to expand the range from 18-26 to 18 to FORTY FUCKING TWO!!
However, this COULD also be the first glaring example of the media changing hands and starting that mudsling swing back over onto the Democrats.
The world may never know.
God help us all.
posted by LC Greenwood at 8:44 PM
4 Comments:
So I had this huge response, but realized halfway through that I don't have enough research in this particular area, so I didn't post it. But this is going to be something I am going to study up on, because there's something equalizing about the draft. I'm not quite able to put my finger on it yet, at least not with some research to back me up. But my ever-sociological-lovin' brain is leading me toward a combination of life choices, where recruiters focus their attention, and promises of education to those who may not otherwise be allowed those opportunities.
More to follow.....
Of course there is something wrong with the recruitment system. And yes, there is evidence that suggests that recruiters do target people of lesser means and education. But let's not take away choice in order to "equalize." There are plenty of people out there who enlist who are perfectly capable of education. Like the Tillmans.
Taking away choice is not the answer. We got rid of the draft in answer to the injustice of Vietnam...the war that everybody and their mom is comparing to the war in Iraq. Let's not work in reverse here.
It may be because so many people are against the war in the polls but aren't taking action like they did during Vietnam that they are considering reinstating the draft. If people who are opposed to the war start to get called in to fight in it, maybe more people will stand up and we'll get out of there.
And I forgot....in my original post, I stated, "I am in no way defending the Democrats, because they have MUCH to prove to me, and I am in no way in support of a draft, but..." and then my thoughts went on. I forgot to clarify that.
No fucking WAY would I want anyone I know to be drafted. But I guarantee if they did, I would be much more vocal about ending this war.
It's all about who gets hit and where. If you hit people where they live, they start to take notice and affect change. Just like Vietnam...and some killer music comes out of it as well!
I think it's a mistake to use citizens as collateral when deciding to go to war. The way the system works now, ideally, is that people enlist voluntarily. They feel a call to serve, and they do. Thank God we have these people. We start forcing people to serve, and the support of the government goes away. Seriously. This congressman is in effect holding a gun up to a child's head and saying, "We go to war, the kid gets it." And that just isn't the way to decide to go to war. Granted, there are many things wrong with why we went to war in Iraq, but if we start using regular citizens (who don't feel a call to serve) as a shield, then we may lose sight of when it is actually just and right to fight, and we become the world's bitch because we're afraid to sacrifice. It's just more fear-mongering. And exploiting family to forward an agenda.
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