More Demagoguery
In Which Charlie Rangel Auditions As A Netroots Bigwig
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Featured Stories | National Security — Comments (17) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
This is intended, somehow, to impress those who take policy analysis seriously (read on):
Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said Sunday he sees his idea as a way to deter politicians from launching wars and to bolster U.S. troop levels insufficient to cover potential future action in Iran, North Korea and Iraq.
"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," Rangel said.
Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War who has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation on conscription in the past, said he will propose a measure early next year.
In 2003, he proposed a measure covering people age 18 to 26. This year, he offered a plan to mandate military service for men and women between age 18 and 42; it went nowhere in the Republican-led Congress.
Democrats will control the House and Senate come January because of their victories in the Nov. 7 election.
At a time when some lawmakers are urging the military to send more troops to Iraq, "I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft," said Rangel, who also proposed a draft in January 2003, before the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Standby Reserve, said he agreed that the U.S. does not have enough people in the military.
"I think we can do this with an all-voluntary service, all-voluntary Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. And if we can't, then we'll look for some other option," said Graham, who is assigned as a reserve judge to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.
Contentions that a draft are needed are nonsensical. The all-volunteer army has done quite well for itself, and if Representative Rangel had taken the time and the initiative to study the words of those who were much smarter than he will ever be, he would understand that. Perhaps.
But once again, policy niceties are not at issue here. Rangel's proposal is simply elevating the ridiculous "chickenhawk" argument to the policy level. Rangel must know that there isn't a sand castle's chance in an earthquake that his proposal will pass, but that is not the point. The point is to score cheap rhetorical points with elements of the Democratic base.
Someone ought to tell people like Rep. Rangel that the campaign is over and that responsible governance is expected of people like him, people who make up the incoming Democratic majority and who are thrust in leadership positions (Rangel is the incoming Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee). As such, perhaps it would be best to put the inflammatory and patently wrong rhetoric on the shelf for at least two years.
But this mild proposal clearly doesn't fall on fertile ears when offered to Rep. Rangel and the incoming Democratic majority. And thus, we see that Item Number One on the incoming majority's to-do list is to offend the intellectual sensibilities of all those who take a genuine interest in policy and who are inclined on their worst days to be more responsible when it comes to the analysis and crafting of policy than Rep. Rangel and Company are on their best days.
"Reality-based community," eh? Tell me another one.
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More Demagoguery 17 Comments (0 topical, 17 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
It really shows that the Dems feel they have complete control of the press. What Rangel seems to be about is creating a great resentment towards the war by forcing those that don't want to participate to be involved. All things being equal that resentment would rebound to those that forced the situation. The only explanation is that Rangel feels he can count on the Press to pin this to the administration and back them into a corner.
Very nice, its not often you see someone so willing to destroy their nations ability to have a foreign policy over such a petty point.
Sharp, pointy teeth...
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It is much more important to kill bad bills than to
pass good ones. -- Calvin Coolidge
He has been clear from the start that he wants to institute a draft for the express purpose of undermining the military's ability to wage war.
The biggest disappointment the liberals have had with the GWOT has been the lack of an effective Anti-War movement. Rangel seeks to bring back those halcyon days of '68 when the Anti-War protesters and the military draft brought about the near destruction of the American military. He hopes to complete the job this time!
They will finally get the military they think they have this of course is assuming that college deferment will still be a part. I will assume for argument it will be and so then we have the military comprised of the communities of poor black and hispanic persons with a high school education only. I am sure that the rich will send their kids on to college as well as out of the country maybe Canada? I had hoped he would do this again and am not surprised he went with the kool-aid from the left. I wonder shall Mr. Rangel ever stop drinking from that fountain? I for one think not.
Peace through superior fire power:)
how about letting ROTC back on the Ivy League campuses. (Didn't Rangel say the goal was is get the 'rich kids' involved?).
Let's start with Columbia, which, by the way, is in the drooling old fool's district.
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
of interested students. I met them during one of our military recruiting events for law students. Harvard also has a group interested in ROTC - I believe they can do their training across town at MIT - but on campus is always best. Princeton, though, is another story; it's been a long time since any real tigers went to that school..
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
First, if they are at Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, et al I'm not sure we actually want them in the service.
Second, there are too d*mn mnay lawyers in the military as it is.
John
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Democratic civilization is the first in history to blame itself because another power is trying to destroy it.
... Jean-François Revel
and then went to law School in Columbia, SC. And yes, not only are there too many lawyers in the military, there too many period.
now, to tbone re what it mans to be banned by MSM or rarely invited to MSm talk shows
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
http://gamecock.townhall.com
of courage to be a conservative student at Columbia, and there are a few, not many, but we shouldn't ignore them nor deny them the opportunity to serve via ROTC. Added bonus is they really get under the skin of the left wing radical faculty.
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
are not allowed on TV, but Rangle, Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are. Go figure.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
and to rarely invited on the Sunday shows. Senators Kyl, Cornyn, Sessions and Coburn, and Reps Pence and Shadegg rarely are heard on MSM. If MSM wants you on, and esp if you are not a leader and they want you on a lot, it means you are their useful idiot.
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
http://gamecock.townhall.com
Instead of a draft, how about the #@%^$%#@$ Democrats simply stop bad-mouthing the military. That alone would increase enlistments 25%.
John
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Democratic civilization is the first in history to blame itself because another power is trying to destroy it.
... Jean-François Revel
Pejman - you're the best but I got to dicker on this:
Someone ought to tell people like Rep. Rangel that the campaign is over and that responsible governance is expected of people like him, people who make up the incoming Democratic majority and who are thrust in leadership positions (Rangel is the incoming Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee). As such, perhaps it would be best to put the inflammatory and patently wrong rhetoric on the shelf for at least two years.
Get used to it. The "campaign" never ends for these people. They have no interest in governing. Everything is examined through the prism of how to expand their power and "win" the next camapign.
With their spear carriers in the MSM we are going to spend the next two years, 24/7, in campaign mode.
All seeming Dem failures or problems will be attributed to "Republican obstruction" - the new favorite meme of the MSM and Dem Talking Point #1. Our heroes, McCain, Hegel, Specter and Graham will be aiding and abetting. I suspect McCain may start to cavil though as the primaries approach in 2008 and he could be booted from his "favorite" Republican chair by the MSM.
Maybe the public will catch on and toss the Donkeys or maybe, like earlier this month, they'll be bamboozled.
It's not the first time it's come up with him attached to it, after all.
It's also a rather gross bit of political showmanship.
So Mr. Rangel's main priority is to institute a draft for a military that says it doesn't need more soldiers, it needs to reorganize and redeploy the ones it has?
Just trying to get this straight.
"I'm kind of old-fashioned. I like to engage my brain before my mouth." Donald Rumsfeld