Democrat Plan Summarized in One Word: Draft

Politics US Politics
1

I heard an interview with New York Representative Charlie Wrangle, D-NY. He was calling for Senate hearings on firing up the draft in the USA. I support that, as long as it also includes a 2- year alternative service for both make & female 18 yr olds. Doing work in National/State Parks and things like that.
Then I came across the article:

[quote]Democrat Plan Summarized in One Word: Draft
by Scott Ott

(2006-11-20) — Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, yesterday unveiled the Democrat plan for boosting the minimum wage, providing free healthcare to millions more Americans, increasing college attendance, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing future U.S. wars of aggression.

“Our plan is so simple and elegant that it can be stated in one word — draft,” said Rep. Rangel. “By implementing a military draft, we’ll provide a living wage and free healthcare to our new involuntary soldiers and their families, plus we’ll give them college money after their term of service.”

The New York Democrat, who has proposed a draft several times before, said taking many of the 18-to-26 year-olds off the nation’s highways will decrease the number of automobile fatalities and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The most crucial element of the Draft America Plan, he said, is creation of a huge military force comprised of less-motivated troops in case the president must decide whether to go to war with North Korea or Iran, or to expand the global war on terror in other lands.

“Right now, it’s the skill and passion of our all-volunteer force that gives George Bush the arrogance to challenge our enemies on their soil,” Rep. Rangel said. “With a military full of reluctant conscripts, Bush won’t be so cocky. We’ll be safer because, as we all know, when American troops stay home fewer terrorists are created.”
scrappleface.com/?p=2407[/quote]

Wow…I am impressed.

OK…I know its scrappleface…but its still strangely correct.

2

gads…this guy again?

Where the “Blow my brains out” emoticon?

3

oops

4

It is correct that Rep Rangel has been trying to get the draft reinstituted because he “supports the soldiers” who are stuck in Iraq in dwindling numbers, although he opposes the war in Iraq.
house.gov/apps/list/press/ny … 62005.html

But the title of this thread is misleading. It’s not a proposal of the Democratic party. It’s a proposal of Charles Rangel. Incidentally, you’d like him for more than just that, TS. He’s also a decorated veteran and a colorful character who, despite being a Democrat, once called Bill Clinton a redneck and another time criticized Hugo Chavez for coming to the UN (in the US) and criticizing our president.

5

In the interview Rep. Rangel admitted that what he was doing was calling for “hearings” on the man-power need for the US Military in light of the continued US commitment to the Coalition Forces in the Iraq War and activities in Afghanistan.

He is against the Iraq war. He is using the call for “hearings” to focus support for challenges to the continued US commitment.
Sometimes Scrappleface is eerily prescient.

6

REPUBLICRATS.

Democracy doesn’t exist. People think it does.

I hope there are riots in the streets of the US when the draft comes in.
I hope every american tells their corrupt government to go fuck themselves. The US needs a revolution.

7

That’s not “the Democrat” plan, don’t be silly! It’s the loopy Rangel plan. Big difference.

8

Take three deep breaths and pop your Prozac, folks.

Scrappleface is a parody site, sort of like a right-wing “Onion” or Jon Stewart.

Except the part about being funny, of course.

9

haha, got me. :raspberry: :laughing:

10

[quote=“MikeN”]Take three deep breaths and pop your Prozac, folks.

Scrappleface is a parody site, sort of like a right-wing “Onion” or Jon Stewart.

Except the part about being funny, of course.[/quote]

And except for the part about it being true that Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel has been trying repeatedly to get the draft reinstated. He’s a real character. Check him out at wikipedia – including his present stance in favor of a draft.

11

[quote=“Mother Theresa”][quote=“MikeN”]Take three deep breaths and pop your Prozac, folks.

Scrappleface is a parody site, sort of like a right-wing “Onion” or Jon Stewart.

Except the part about being funny, of course.[/quote]

And except for the part about it being true that Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel has been trying repeatedly to get the draft reinstated. He’s a real character. Check him out at wikipedia – including his present stance in favor of a draft.[/quote]

He’s a real dickhead. NOT very popular in upstate.

12

Not all that strange. One argument for Germany having a conscription army has been and still is that if the Army is made up of citizens there will be a limit of what the government may dare to ask of them (i.e. less cockiness).

Adventures like Afghanistan and Lebanon patrols are of course still run mostly by volunteers if I recall right.

13

[quote=“games”][quote=“TainanCowboy”]… but its still strangely correct.[/quote]Not all that strange. One argument for Germany having a conscription army has been and still is that if the Army is made up of citizens there will be a limit of what the government may dare to ask of them (i.e. less cockiness).
Adventures like Afghanistan and Lebanon patrols are of course still run mostly by volunteers if I recall right.[/quote]Games -
I understand what you are saying - however the part you quoted on I was referring to the website the article came from - Scrappleface. It is a kind of ‘Parody of the News’ humor site.

Anyway, in most military groups, I really can’t make a blanket statement for all, a Soldier pretty much has to do & go where they are told. They can refuse, of course. And then they face the legal system of their military.
Thats what being in the military means - taking orders.

14

It’s possible for any soldier in Germany to be called for a foreign service assignment. However current practice is that conscripts are not send to conflict areas abroad, especially since it’s not practical due to the short time they actually serve (10 months currently I think, and you still need to deduct the 3 months required for the basic training). A conscript can request for such an assignment however by voluntarily extending the conscription period.

Regular / professional soldiers (i.e. those serving mid or long term) have no say, if they are commanded to go they will have to go, or face consequences.

15

Rascal -
Thanks for the clarification. I think that procedure applies to some of the Scandinavian Forces as well.

16

So? You called it “strangely correct”, others as correct.

What this does not address is the different level of political backlash during elections. In the U.S. it may be a lot easier to go “Ra-ra-ra! Let’s go to war!” for a politician. Those in the Army will have to put up with it, no matter what. The rest of the electorate has the option to support a war vocally but otherwise just chickenhawk it. Not all do so of course, but it remains an option.

That’s less easy with conscription armies. Of course, current practice solves this tension by just not sending conscripts out on adventures. But who wants to bet on something named “current practice”. The spectre of what a draft would do in the U.S. with regard to support for this war has been something that figures in in Germany pretty much every time a war is on the desk.

Not that I would complain though. Staying out of the Iraq adventure was one of the very few political decisions in the past I am satisfied about. Sorry of course the U.S. is now stuck with it (for the moment), but not sorry enough to now clamor to assist with that mess.

Neither do I actualy think the U.S. needs a lot of help there. My bet is: even if the U.S. would withdraw tomorrow, not much would happen to the U.S… Same as with after losing the Vietnam War. People will not all of a sudden have less to eat in the U.S… There will be no more or less unemployment because of it. Crime rates will not go up or down because of it. Traffic accidents and casualities will not go up or down because of it. Immigration will not change a big deal either way because of it. Taxes will rise as usual. Etc. etc…

Iraq will probably take a downturn but thing is: a) Who says it will not anyways given the disposition of the locals and their history? But more importantly b) What does the U.S. actually owe to Iraq?

17

For those who aren’t up on U.S. politics, I should mention that this is a non-starter. Any politician with half a brain knows that the war is deeply unpopular, and a draft would be unbelievably more so.

The only way I can think of whereby it might be feasible to introduce military conscription, would be if the U.S. were to experience new terrorist attacks. Say, a mushroom cloud over New York, that sort of thing.

A draft wouldn’t even solve their immediate problem. It would take how long to implement–a year? But the war is happening right now. I don’t think the US can last another year in Iraq this way.

18

I could be mistaken but wasn’t that the idea *) - to put people off from supporting war due to worries about their own lives or that of their relatives (i.e. those who are subjected to the draft)?

*) It was reported on CNN that the draft was suggested for the reason stated above but I don’t recall if it was by the same person.

19

[quote=“Screaming Jesus”]The only way I can think of whereby it might be feasible to introduce military conscription, would be if the U.S. were to experience new terrorist attacks. Say, a mushroom cloud over New York, that sort of thing.
[/quote]

Correct.

And they will also introduce marshal law, open concentration camps, take away guns and continue to destroy what was once the country of George Washington.
Then they’ll attack any country they deem a threat and produce lies to justify an attack.
Lots of profits for the concentrated few.

The next terror attack will have Cheney and Baker rubbing their hands with glee. They’ll benefit from it.

20

Well, Charles Rangel’s motivation seems to be–given that he knows he’s not going to get any support for a draft–to call attention to the disproportionate participation of minorities and the poor in the volunteer army, and thus of U.S. war casualties. (Note: Rangel is black.)