• silverwhisper said on Nov 21, 2006....

  i'm sorry but i have a serious problem w/ the idea of putting men and women in harm's way for the purpose of political gain.  this is, IMHO, appalling.
  
  ed
  

• bloc said on Nov 21, 2006....

  I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment:
  
  Is this any worse than calling for war when you know your rich elite family won't have to make any of the sacrifices?
  

• Melkor said on Nov 21, 2006....

  The last time he did this, only one other rep voted for it with him. It's more of a publicity stunt than anything actually intended to pass.
  

• Melkor said on Nov 21, 2006....

  But I should say, I agree with the point he's making. Most of the people who get to decide when we go to war don't have to shoulder any of the burden for it.
  

• silverwhisper said on Nov 21, 2006....

  i'd say the two things are both reprehensible, but i'm not good w/ the algebra of morality.  endangering people for mere politcal gain vs. hypocrisy that endangers people.  i dunno, they both suck, IMHO.
  
  ed
  

• curmudgeon said on Nov 21, 2006....

  The reality is that the powerful and wealthy will always have the luxury of letting others sacrifice their sons and daughters. I don't care what political system we're talking about, or who happens to be in power. It's not fair, but that's simply the way it is. There's what's right and there's what's real. Charlie Rangel's self-serving legislation isn't going to change that. The sons of the wealthy and connected avoided the Vietnam War when there was a draft. Why does anyone think it will somehow be different this time? Because Rangel wrote it? Because Democrats vote for it? Please.
   
  It's hard to take anyone who suggests tinkering with the composition of our military forces for the sake of empty, partisan class warfare seriously. We should vote down any legislation affecting our military that does not have the effectiveness of our forces and the safety of our troops first and foremost in its language and intent. Rangel's is a plainly stupid suggestion that would suck up vast resources in implementing.
   
  If we don't want our kids going off to war in foreign lands, the surest way of doing so is to recall our forces, close our bases, re-fit our ships for humanitarian missions, and our subs for scientific ones, scuttle our ICBMs, destroy our nuclear warheads and demobilize.
   
  Let's see how many "anti-war" politicians will propose that on Capitol Hill. Rangel won't.
   
   

• bloc said on Nov 21, 2006....

  @curm
  
  I think your right, this proposal is stupid, but how would you increase the numbers of our troops if we need to? Do you think we need more troops in Iraq? Do you think we should take more or less military action around the world?
  
  The last part of your post is just vitriol. Someone can be generally anti war, as I am, but still believe we need a strong military for defense. I'll argue very strongly that Iraq was a mistake and had nothing to do with defending us. Afghanistan is a different story, destroying the taliban there made sense and was defending america.
  

• GrapeKoolaid said on Nov 21, 2006....

  "If we don't want our kids going off to war in foreign lands, the surest way of doing so is to recall our forces, close our bases, re-fit our ships for humanitarian missions, and our subs for scientific ones, scuttle our ICBMs, destroy our nuclear warheads and demobilize."
  
  Sounds like a good plan to me. 
  
  More carrots than sticks, I say. 
  
  Draft?
  
  Suddenly, our northerly neighbors seems much nicer(youbetcha, hoser, eh?)
  
  I suppose I could get used to snowmobiles opposed to motorcycles.
  

• NobodySpecial said on Nov 21, 2006....

  Draft should only be instituted if there is a direct threat against the US. Say the current wars escalate into WWIII, then yes we would need to instigate a draft.
   
  How can you guys say that we should just do away with our military? I can gaurentee you that if that happens there won't be a country called the United States of America around for too much longer.

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