Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

[crunch]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

Nancy put the Kibosh on it today, although the way her luck is running we'll have a draft by next Tuesday. :%

Over the weekend, Rangel said he would seek passage next year of the universal draft legislation he has long sought. "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," Rangel said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California told reporters on Monday that she does not support reinstating the draft, which was suspended in 1973 near the end of the Vietnam War and replaced by the all-volunteer army.

As Ways and Means panel chairman, Rangel will have a significant role in U.S. tax and health-care policy. That post will not necessarily give Rangel an effective forum for pursuing his military draft legislation, Pelosi observed.

http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...0280714_RTRUKOC_0_US-DRAFT.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

 

[i386]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

Personally,I would like there to be a draft.
I do believe that serving this country is the duty of every citizen who enjoys its freedom.It is not right that the less fortunate should go out and fight and sometimes die,while the elites harvest the fruits of the soldier's labor.

Soldiers often have to put their very lives in another's hands. Would you rather put yours in the hands of a volunteer or someone who was forced to be there?

 

[CJY]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

"Are we playing games or fighting a war?"

I completely agree QC, it's a war, and the body bags provide enough proof for me to believe it.

If the use of scare tactics somehow trivializes the importance, the violence, the cost of war, then I would agree with you again.

Rangel is using this tactic now. W, also used this scare tactic the moment he put us on high alert after we went into Iraq. He then told us not to worry, go about our daily lives. Nothing more than a scare tactic in an effort to provide proof of the need for us to be fighting and dying there. Rangel is attempting to use this same tactic to get us out.

Is one use of this tactic more legit than the other? One is using it to get us out, one is using it to keep us there. The side of the fence one stands helps to legitimize one over the other, I guess.

Do I support either...nope, not at all. Rangel is simply using the same BS tactic in an effort to get us out. Both W and Rangel believe they did/are doing the right thing. It does not make them right though.

If this tactic makes Rangel a poor elected official, or worse, and he may well be, it also makes W the same.

 

[QC]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

There is a serious flaw with your assessment CJY and that is that one must assume that Bush's method was indeed a scare tactic. It would seem to me that placing us on high alert, when we are in the process of invading a country who we believed had WMD (as did the majority of the world), was prudent. Also, it would seem prudent to try and limit any panic. Not sure why Bush's "tactic" seems disingenuous to you? Hind sight does not count.

In the case of Rangel I don't believe that is in question. In the case of Bush, it is only in question if you dispute the intelligence. At the time, the intelligence was considered credible.

 

[CJY]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

I would agree, the "high alert" while invading = acceptable.

The tactic in use by W continues today though. It's no longer prudent, in my opinion. We are no longer in the process of invading.

 

[CJY]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

To clarify QC, when I say "high alert," I refer to the entire alert system.

 

[CJY]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

"There is a serious flaw with your assessment CJY and that is that one must assume that Bush's method was indeed a scare tactic."

I believe both to be scare tactics. Therefore, I have compared them to each other as both being oranges. It's no more a flaw than you to believe it not to be a scare tactic.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

Personally,I would like there to be a draft.
I do believe that serving this country is the duty of every citizen who enjoys its freedom.It is not right that the less fortunate should go out and fight and sometimes die,while the elites harvest the fruits of the soldier's labor.

Soldiers often have to put their very lives in another's hands. Would you rather put yours in the hands of a volunteer or someone who was forced to be there?

I understand your your point,but proper training nullifies it.Many that volunteer for the army have no idea what they sign up for and many have reasons that have little or nothing to do with patriotism. Volunteering for the services does not make heroes, being there for your friends under fire does.
I have been under fire with with volunteers and conscripted soldiers and I can honestly say that neither had a monopoly on trustworthiness.

 

[QC]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

Isn't "acceptable" AND "scare tactic" contradictory? Or are you saying that originally it was OK, but for us to remain on high alert it is now a scare tactic?

What about stuff you and I don't know about?

 

[CJY]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

"Isn't "acceptable" AND "scare tactic" contradictory?"

To clarify, I don't believe I used them as you have quoted. Originally, was it a scare tactic.... I can and have accepted that it was done with the correct intent.

To remain on elevated or high alert is today, nothing more than a scare tactic. Being told, "High alert, but go about your daily business as though nothing is wrong," or something close to this is non-sense.

As far as "stuff" we don't know about goes. I believe to put us on some sort of an elevated alert with no explanation creates a greater panic situation. What good is it to know we may be in danger if we were not told what the danger is? To me, it makes no sense at all....unless you are trying to scare someone into believing they should fear for their lives and thus, we must remain in Iraq to squelch the possibility of another attack. Iraq and home soil terrorism are two separate fronts, and they have never been proven to be one in the same.

So as far as stuff we don't know about, I accept there are many things I don't know about. If W does not want to tell us what those are, fine, don't use them scare me then. Tell me, let me decide if I should be scared and what precautions to take to minimize the dangers.

 

[QC]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

Well as I said in a previous thread we seem to be communicating much better recently. That's good. 8)

Tell me, let me decide if I should be scared and what precautions to take to minimize the dangers.

I kinda think that ignores the probability that there is a risk to letting us know what they know to whom they know it from . . .

 

[CJY]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

"I kinda think that ignores the probability that there is a risk to letting us know what they know to whom they know it from . . . "

I can accept this to a point. However, there is less risk to tell us terrorism may come in the form of buildings being bombed or planes being hijacked as opposed to just telling us to be cautious while allowing us to enter buildings and board planes. I don't believe telling us this info increases the risk to any person. In fact, it reduces the risk.

There are some things we should absolutely be aware of for our own safety while it is understandable to accept there are some things we should not know of. Once again, for our own safety.

 

[Pony]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

I don't know that we have the type of economy now to support a draft. Its not laborers running the economy like it was. Maybe I am wrong.

I wouldn't want a draft........for a selfish reason. I would probably get drafted. I know that sounds bad. Being honest though.

 

[alden135]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

I don't know that we have the type of economy now to support a draft. Its not laborers running the economy like it was. .

I don't understand your point Pony.

 

[Pony]

Re: Rangel to reinstate draft (try)

My point is during previous drafts, the people getting drafted were primarily farmers and laborers in factories. That type of work is unskilled. You can be trained to do it relatively easily. How many factory workers and farmers do we still have? How would you go about filling the jobs that would be vacated now.......if they require schooling or extensive training.

Like I said I am probably wrong, I was just throwing out there what i was turning over in my head.