WTF? Now I am confused here....

[Stop_the_War]

http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/draft_looms.html

That link has an article about how Rangel, a Democrat, is trying to re-instate the draft. I have two questions:

First, is this article true?
Second, why is a Democrat trying to re-instate the draft?

I am a Democrat. But this confuses me.

[Stand and Fight]

1. Why don't you do some research?

Then you will see that you've just put your foot into your mouth... There is a reason that Rangel has chosen this path -- do the research on Google and you'll understand. :eyes: You really should have done some homework before posting...

[Fleshdancer]

11. because a nice response would have killed you, right?

[Stand and Fight]

13. That was a nice response.

:hurts:
Guess I should have posted that I was being sarcastic for those who miss the point... In fact, if you had bothereed to read the thread you'd see that I direct the original poster to a series of links, but I suppose it was too hard for you to do that, huh?

:evilgrin:

[tuvor]

14. Can't that be said about half the questions posted on DU?

[Stand and Fight]

16. Yeppers...

But the especially bad ones are the ones that attack a Democrat in the process... You've got a point though, but I hate to see a good Democrat attacked because of a lack of research.

[tuvor]

22. I agree with you, but I didn't see the original question as an attack.

Guess it could be seen as such, depending on how you read it.

Cheers!

[htuttle]

2. Yes, Charlie Rangel is a democrat

And a fairly liberal one on balance (but he's no Maxine Waters).

He has been trying to reinstitute the draft because, according to him, he considers the current 'all-volunteer' army to be an economic draft.

Not saying I agree with what he's doing, but that's what he's doing as I understand it.

[ComerPerro]

8. Yeah, that is a good way of putting it

I explained it a bit below, but I couldn't remember his phrasing.

[SoCalDem]

26. He used the "briar patch" technique.

to prove that repubes who seem to favor a "strong military" are REALLY weak, since they are not willing to put their money where their mouth is.

We really DO need a FAIR draft, where EVERY young person serves some time in national service, whether military or not. RICH and POOR.. Right now, the military is a "job of last resort" for too many poor kids.

Give a kid from Rural Kentucky a choice:

military or college of your choice(paid by Daddy)...
military or a job with benefits in Daddy's friend's company $20+ an hour

what do you think they would choose??

Charlie just called their bluff...

[tishaLA]

3. Charlie Rangel is an excellent Democrat

so don't even strat down that path. Disagree with him if you want, but he has done more for this party than almost anyone.

"Someone named Rangel" indeed! :eyes:

[ComerPerro]

4. Rangel - D - NY, House of Rep

He started a bill to re-instate the draft about two years ago. The purpose was to call attention to the fact that we don't have enough troops to get by on Bush's short-sighted war plans. He wanted to call attention to the seriousness of this matter.

When it went up for vote, even Rangel voted against it. It was just symbolic.

But, yes, there are reports that he wants to reintroduce this plan.

While I understand why he is doing it, I really wish he wouldn't. Last time around the Republicans jumped all over it and tried say that the Democrats were dangerous, because they would get us all killed (despite the fact that Bush voluntarily took us to war).

And they will do it again.

When issues are too complex for the general public to understand (that is, when you have to think about it for more than five seconds and a soundbyte), that is when the Republicans come in and start throwing bombs. Exploiting ignorance is where they really shine.

[tridim]

5. He believes rich kids should be fighting Bush's war

instead of the usual lower and middle class kids in the military. It's a chess move.

[BrklynLiberal]

18. I think he was trying to show that if EVERYONE had to send their kid off

to fight, maybe they would not be so gungho to vote for war.
Right now, there is a definite class discrimination among those who are being sent off to fight this war. As Michael Moore pointed out, not one Senator has a child at risk, and only one member of the House of Reps has a child in the Armed Forces. If more people were really in a position to lose a loved one in this war, perhaps they would not be so willing to commit more lives and money to it.
I believe that was his point in introducing this bill.

[Stand and Fight]

6. In fact... Here's some links.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/07/rangel.draft/

http://www.fum.org/Rangel_Vote.htm

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/01/27/rangel.draft/

Here's a really good one:
http://www.columbiaspectator.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/01/29/3e3799b8d23e8

[Toucano]

7. Since you admit you don't understand it

how about holding your Bluer-than-thou disdain for Rep. Rangel in check until someone explains it to you.

Mr. Rangel is -in absolutely every respect- a great Democrat.

Democrats get information first and make judgements based on the information. You've got it the wrong way around.

[Stop_the_War]

10. I'm sorry...

I was in a confused state of mind. Thank you to all of those who answered my questions.

[Toucano]

12. No problem.

I didn't mean to be so harsh. Sorry.

[King Coal]

21. The problem is the Repubs

will change the bill, pass it through, and blame the Democrats for bringing back the draft.

[DrWeird]

9. You can't support the war and not support the draft.

A draft would ensure that rich white kids would be fighting along the poor minority kids, who are doing all the grunt work now.

[Liberal In Texas]

19. To believe that the rich kids are going to be drafted...

is being a bit Pollyanna-ish.

Just like 35-40 years ago, if a draft is reinstated, you can bet that there will be loop-holes to let the rich kids out.

Just like W, Chaney, O'Really, etc. etc.

[DrWeird]

23. Then we'd need to fix the loopholes.

In fact, not having the draft would be one big loophole.

[Psephos]

15. Rangel is wilier than most of the posters give him credit for

In a nutshell, he's driven less by a desire to address the economic stratification of the military, and more by a desire to raise antiwar sentiment by making people realize we stretched the army too thin. He wants to send home the message that the war could potentially reach into every family. It's a political calculus, not an actual legislative agenda.

[fryguy]

17. A draft not to fight an oil war, but rather to fight a class war here

Get your facts straight before you start ranting. Charlie Rangle is as Democratic as they come.

He's been talking about the draft for years - way way before georgie began a back door draft to fight an oil war of choice. He's an African-American and sees the so-called volunteer army as the farce it is; with the lower-classes being the ones fighting and dying for the interests of the wealthy and powerful.

His calling for the draft is so that those people who are quick to send troops to foreign battles will think twice about their actions if it is their sons and daughters on the line. Its not a draft to fight an oil war, but rather a draft to fight a class war in our society. Think Michael Moore looking to Congressional members to sign their children up in F9/11.

So whatever you do, don't start yelling about Rangle not being a Democrat....He was part of the House members who called for 2000 to be contested and deserves nothing but respect - and this fight/statement is no exception.

[Stop_the_War]

20. SORRY...I didn't realize it at the time....

I didn't know who Rangel was. I just read an article and overreacted. I think his plan actually makes alot of sense.

[fryguy]

24. no problem

i realized after i finished writing that many people had already said much of what i said, so sorry if my comments were cumulative.....

[Orangepeel]

25. It was a reasonable question, STW

It's not like you were ranting about a Democratic Congressman introducing a health care or minimum wage bill, or something else that was obviously good for his constituents.

Rangel's intentions are good, I believe, but they do take some explaining before they seem reasonable (and even then, it's a bit of a hard sell, IMO).

Of course, I didn't see your post before you edited it.... ;-)

[trochanter8]

27. The last time he did it

only one person voted for it. It probably won't be any different this time!

[Hamlette]

28. I'm a democrat and I favor the draft

Mama fat cat might tell daddy fat cat they have enough money if the choice is war profiteering or sending daddy jr. off to be killed.

Wars are too damned easy when you are killing poor minorities.

My generation got engaged because we were being drafted for an insane war. It politicized us and turned us into liberals, mostly. I fear for the youth of today. My son is in college and there is none of the activism, f*ck whitey, all power to the people passion I grew up with.

The draft is a very small price to pay for that.

[Up2Late]

29. Everything said so far is sort of right, but we don't need to jump allover

someone who asked a fair and honest question.:pals:

Representative Charles Rangel is the long time Rep from Harlem. He is a Korean War Vet, and one of the elder members of the "Black Congressional Caucus." I also think, being a member of the BCC, he has a bit of protection from some of the nastier Repukes. Those Racist Bastards, don't want to be "called out" as "Racist Bastards," ya know.

Yes, he proposed re-instating the draft, but on the condition that the Rich "Sons of Privilege" not be allowed to escape it by going into the National Guard (without first serving in the regular services) and I think he even proposed eliminating College deferments.:wow:

Think about it, if all of the Reps and Senators had Kids that WOULD have to serve, You think they would be as quick to push for War or call Anti-War people, a bunch of Cry Babies? I think not. :evilgrin:

It was also a way to force a Vote, "A Vote to show who are the True Patriots" in Congress, to get the Chicken Hawks "On the Record" as for or against a Re-instated Draft.:hurts:

What they should do, is make a Law that you can't LOBBY in Washington D.C. without a permit, and to get a permit, you have to had served in the "Regular" services. :think:

Hey, you think the the D.C. City Council could make a law like that?:shrug: