Liberal Democratic Congressman: Institute Mandatory Military Service

[Imran Siddiqui]

An army composed of compulsery service would theoretically force politicians to pay more attention to the wishes of the electorate in initiating wars.

The only problem is that 60%+ of the electorate want to go into Iraq, which is the war he's against right now. Usually the propaganda machine works well in advance of a war so more people are for it.

[Berzerker]

"I'm going to introduce legislation to have universal military service to let everyone have an opportunity to defend the free world against the threats coming to us," Rangel said on CNN's "Late Edition."

"I'm talking about mandatory service."

Hmm...MANDATORY "service" to have the "opportunity" to defend the FREE world? What's scarier, that this mentally challenged guy who equates mandatory service with freedom and "opportunity" is in Congress or that people actually vote for people who can't combine words to make a sentence without contradictions? Would he refer to african slaves as people who merely had the opportunity to mandatorily serve their masters? He was on one of these talking head shows with a military analyst who opposed his legislation and the analyst explained how the voluntary military was so much better than draftees and Rangel just ignored his arguments. No Charles, if there was a draft, the politicians would just create loopholes to let their kids and friends out of the draft as they have always done.

[Ned]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
Agreed on the moron part, but Rangel has one of the most liberal records in Congress......

Rangel was moronic because he was a liberal.

[Ned]

Actually I am quite impressed just how competent our volunteer military is. It accomplishes its job with very few casualties. If the troops were conscripts, in contrast, we could expect a lot more casualties, like Vietnam, which would turn America against the use of war as a means of policy.

Rangel is clever and malicious at the same time.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
The only problem is that 60%+ of the electorate want to go into Iraq, which is the war he's against right now. Usually the propaganda machine works well in advance of a war so more people are for it.

As I said, I don't think it would work, even if he was serious in trying to get it passed, which I don't really believe he is.

[Shi Huangdi]

Che, he has already asked his fellow members of Congress to support him. He is proposing something idiotc and I don't see why you don't just call him on it.

Originally posted by Berzerker


Hmm...MANDATORY "service" to have the "opportunity" to defend the FREE world? What's scarier, that this mentally challenged guy who equates mandatory service with freedom and "opportunity" is in Congress or that people actually vote for people who can't combine words to make a sentence without contradictions? Would he refer to african slaves as people who merely had the opportunity to mandatorily serve their masters? He was on one of these talking head shows with a military analyst who opposed his legislation and the analyst explained how the voluntary military was so much better than draftees and Rangel just ignored his arguments. No Charles, if there was a draft, the politicians would just create loopholes to let their kids and friends out of the draft as they have always done.

Correct Berz, Rangel has done a double dummy. In addition to great breach against freedom the draft would be, he ignores the facts that volunteers make better soldiers and that given what the US pays per soldier it'd be way too expensive to have everyone be in the military of age.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
The only problem is that 60%+ of the electorate want to go into Iraq,

Yes, but only if the inspectors turn up weapons of mass destruction and only if the U.N. okays it. For the U.S. to act unilaterally with no evidence...only 20% support.

[Edan]

Rangel isn't an idiot, he knows that this won't pass - it's a political maneuver. And even though I disagree with the proposal, I can't help but think that raising a debate on the issue, during a time of war, can't help but be a good thing.

[chequita guevara]

There, if Edan and I agree, you know that there must be something to our argument.