Charlie Rangel (D-NY) Calls for a Draft (and more!) (1 Viewer)

[Goatman Saint]

And because of the WPA, we have literally thousands of historical documents which would be lost if it were not for scholars who transcribed the records; not to mention the WPA slave narratives, which were a series of interviews of children of slaves about the institution.

Same here with my great-grandpa, Dave.

The National Recovery Act was a bad, bad idea and was a disaster. I think on the whole, though the New Deal was pretty successful. Those gov't make-work programs didn't do much for the economy, but it gave people a job and a bit of income and some hope for a better future.

Yes, some very, very interestig reading. My mom got me a book this summer of unreleased stories from WPA and CCC workers in Montana who were working on the dams up there. Fascinating reading. Some of these men and women were as hard as the land and jobs they worked.

 

[wnelson]

the new deal was american marxism. roosevelt was a socialist. huey long was a fascist. there was no real 'right of center' opposition. that was a terrible time.

 

[Inkspot47]

Milton Friedman's corpse is barely cool, and the draft is up for discussion. As Borat would say, niiiiiicccccce.

an exchange between Mr. Friedman and General William Westmoreland, then commander of all U.S. troops in Vietnam. In his testimony before the commission, Mr. Westmoreland said he did not want to command an army of mercenaries (what westmoreland thought an all volunterr army would be). Mr. Friedman interrupted, "General, would you rather command an army of slaves?" Mr. Westmoreland replied, "I don't like to hear our patriotic draftees referred to as slaves." Mr. Friedman then retorted, "I don't like to hear our patriotic volunteers referred to as mercenaries. If they are mercenaries, then I, sir, am a mercenary professor, and you, sir, are a mercenary general; we are served by mercenary physicians, we use a mercenary lawyer, and we get our meat from a mercenary butcher."

 

[SoonerJim]

Simply cut to the chase and make these young people do the ultimate governmental sacrifice: party campaign workers. Rangel has a bit of the gadfly about him and is in office as long as he wants it.

All of those young people voting Democratic because they were offered milk and cuddly kittens, but got a draft instead. Wonderful.

 

[CAVALIER]

I say good. Maybe then the rest of the nation will feel what it's like to have to fight the War On Terror. Now perhaps the millionare celebrities will have to actually serve and get paid e-1 pay risking their lives for our nation, and wondering where they will be next year. I guess I'm too harsh so everyone just keep puting ribbons on your cars......

 

[DadsDream]

And good ole Charlie gets to create a million or so cushy state-side government "jobs" for those who don't want to join the military.

Of course preferential treatment will be given to those who qualify...people who are already on welfare...single mothers...New Yorkers...Charlie's constituents...

 

[CAVALIER]

Good point...

 

[BullDawg]

For the sake of discussion, here is a map of the world showing how conscription is still used or not.

• Green: No armed services
• Blue: No active conscription
• Orange: Plan for conscription to be abolished within three years
• Red: Active conscription
• Gray: No information

• 7 Countries with mandatory military service (partial list)
  • 7.1 Austria
  • 7.2 Belarus
  • 7.3 Bermuda
  • 7.4 Brazil
  • 7.5 Bulgaria
  • 7.6 Chile
  • 7.7 China (PRC)
  • 7.8 Croatia
  • 7.9 Cyprus
  • 7.10 Denmark
  • 7.11 Egypt
  • 7.12 Eritrea
  • 7.13 Finland
  • 7.14 Germany
  • 7.15 Greece
  • 7.16 Iran
  • 7.17 Israel
  • 7.18 Korea, South
  • 7.19 Lebanon
  • 7.20 Malaysia
  • 7.21 Mexico
  • 7.22 Norway
  • 7.23 Poland
  • 7.24 Russia
  • 7.25 Serbia and Montenegro
  • 7.26 Singapore
  • 7.27 Sweden
  • 7.28 Switzerland
  • 7.29 Taiwan (ROC)
  • 7.30 Turkey
  • 7.31 Ukraine
  • 7.32 Venezuela

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription

 

[Saint by the Bay]

Good info BD. I'm surprised by China.

 

[BullDawg]

Good info BD. I'm surprised by China.

Yeah, that's a bit interesting.

I think they may be off on their information.

Military service age and obligation:18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-22 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2006)

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

 

[NCSaint]

This is all a bunch of crap. We need to just get out of Iraq - there is no winning to this stupid war. Whoever ultimately takes control of Iraq will settle the country down or destroy it. I couldn't care less which version it is.

I just don't want to see soldiers continue to die for an illi advised war to begin with. I have a son who is 14 now so this draft BS is making me ill. Drafting kids to go fight (get killed / maimed) for some stupid politician(s) who dreamed up this war makes me sick.

Iraq war cost - $343,867,239,231 - and counting up quickly.

 

[DadsDream]

There's already lawyers lined up to file Equal Opportunity lawsuits to require females to be drafted too.

The Selective Service already has laid contingency plans in case the law is changed and females are drafted.

Again, Rangel is not only proposing a military draft. He's proposing an enormous federal jobs program.

 

[CAVALIER]

NCSAINT, while I share a semblence of that view...I can't escape the nearly 3000 of my brothers and sisters who were lost there, along with the countless Iraqi casualties...we went there and are now responsible for it's fate....

 

[NCSaint]

My first preference is to just leave.

Knowing that wont happen I would agree with controlling the airport/other bases that I am certain we are already building and occupying air space as part of meeting my #1 preference. But the troops should not be on the ground in some unorganized "war".

As far as being responsible for it's fate. In principal - yeah - I here ya' but nothing we do is going to help more than getting out of there. Let the country settle down, have someone rise to power and begin to sell the only natural resource they have so they can help the country heal. They can't drink the oil so they have to sell it (even to us).

No way we build up more troops to go "win" something that isn't winnable. The only way to win it is just destroy the whole country (yes, women, children and all) which isn't going to happen so just get out.

 

[Dave]

Top House Democrats to bar military draft plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A reinstatement of the military draft, being pushed by a senior Democrat, will not be slated for consideration in the House of Representatives, the chamber's newly elected top leaders said on Monday.

"We did not include that" in legislative plans for early next year, said Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who will be House majority leader when the new Congress convenes in January under Democratic control for the first time in 12 years.

New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, who is in line to chair the House Ways and Means Committee next year, has renewed his call for the draft, saying the war in Iraq is being fought by American soldiers who disproportionately are from low-income families and minorities.

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