Give the rich a chance
If Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) has his way, war hawks all across the United States will have the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is. On Sunday, the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means committee told reporters he would propose legislation for a third time to re-instititute the military draft, but this time before a Democratically-controlled chamber.Rangel, a Korean War veteran, says he believes the draft is just what's needed to deprive politicians of the public support necessary to launch unnecessary wars. "There's no question in my mind," he said, "that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to 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." Rangel's congressional district in New York City is one of the poorest in the United States.
A disporportionate few have been asked to sacrifice for the war in Iraq, and those individual sacrifices have not been meager. Troop levels, by all accounts, are horrendous. The same soldiers are being mobilized again and again into the meat grinder, all the while millions of war proponents of strong conviction and physical adequacy, plus the "mushy middle," stand on the sidelines. Many have been quick to label the current conflict "World War III," but absent since those other wars has been the call to ration resources, or the obligation of those beyond the lower middle-class to do anything other than "shop till they drop" or affix Yellow Ribbon stickers to the backs of their cars.
Rangel promises that his proposal would cast a net to include persons aged 16 to 42, a demographic that includes those six years older than the men asked to serve in World War II. Life expectancy having changed as it has, this makes a world of sense. Not only would Barbara and Jenna Bush be included, along with Dick Cheney's own "deferment baby," Elizabeth, and her sister, Mary, but Chelsea Clinton and six still unenlisted John McCain offspring. Matthew, Rebecca, Ethan, and Hana Lieberman would all be issued draft cards.
The true merit of Rangel's proposal is that it acknowledges and combats the preying of military recruiters upon the impoverished and disenfranchised. If passed, it would threaten to finally bring the heinous realities of our Iraqi occupation into the living rooms of upper middle-class families. It would effectively end the president's dress-up dates aboard aircraft carriers, and even as it ultimately goes down to crushing and overwhelming defeat in the House of Representatives, would reveal the real lack of commitment in Washington and across the country to the physical and emotional well-being of our enlisted men and women, and their families, in this mission. I say "have their backs", or get the fuck out.
I know where my money would be.
posted by CM @ 6:02 PM
1 Comments:
18 year old male (where is the gender equity) citizens of the U.S. still have to register with Selective Service and are therefore eligible to be drafted anytime our leaders want to institute one. CM and Rangle must be arguing for mandatory military service for a random number of “persons aged 16 to 42.” But Rangle cops out and says this service could be with airport security or the like which is where the children of the powerful would end up if their number came up. In fact it is where every draftee would end up because the military does not want a draft and favors the volunteer army. The Iraq War was started without a draft. The presence of a draft didn’t stop the U.S. from going into Vietnam or Korea.
CM must believe that it is somehow not a volunteer army when he talks about “the preying of military recruiters upon the impoverished and disenfranchised.” The data I’ve seen shows that the make up of the military closely resemples that of the U.S. population in race, househole income, education, and region. See this report for details. This report uses the Republican buzz word phrase “global war on terrorism.” Someone please provide a report with actual data supporting Rangle’s position. Such a report will probably use the Democratic buzz word “disenfranchised.”
TA
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