Rep. Rangel Will Seek to Reinstate Draft

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


[SIZE=-1]By JOHN HEILPRIN
The Associated Press
Sunday, November 19, 2006; 4:11 PM
[/SIZE]
WASHINGTON -- Americans would have to sign up for a new military draft after turning 18 if the incoming chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has his way.
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said Sunday he sees his idea as a way to deter politicians from launching wars and to bolster U.S. troop levels insufficient to cover potential future action in Iran, North Korea and Iraq.
"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," Rangel said.
Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War who has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation on conscription in the past, said he will propose a measure early next year.
In 2003, he proposed a measure covering people age 18 to 26. This year, he offered a plan to mandate military service for men and women between age 18 and 42; it went nowhere in the Republican-led Congress.
Democrats will control the House and Senate come January because of their victories in the Nov. 7 election.
At a time when some lawmakers are urging the military to send more troops to Iraq, "I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft," said Rangel, who also proposed a draft in January 2003, before the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Standby Reserve, said he agreed that the U.S. does not have enough people in the military.
"I think we can do this with an all-voluntary service, all-voluntary Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. And if we can't, then we'll look for some other option," said Graham, who is assigned as a reserve judge to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals.
Rangel, the next chairman of the House tax-writing committee, said he worried the military was being strained by its overseas commitments.
"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.
He said having a draft would not necessarily mean everyone called to duty would have to serve. Instead, "young people (would) commit themselves to a couple of years in service to this great republic, whether it's our seaports, our airports, in schools, in hospitals," with a promise of educational benefits at the end of service.
Graham said he believes the all-voluntary military "represents the country pretty well in terms of ethnic makeup, economic background."
Repeated polls have shown that about seven in 10 Americans oppose reinstatement of the draft and officials say they do not expect to restart conscription.
Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told Congress in June 2005 that "there isn't a chance in the world that the draft will be brought back."
Yet the prospect of the long global fight against terrorism and the continuing U.S. commitment to stabilizing Iraq have kept the idea in the public's mind.
The military drafted conscripts during the Civil War, both world wars and between 1948 and 1973. An agency independent of the Defense Department, the Selective Service System trains, keeps an updated registry of men age 18-25 _ now about 16 million _ from which to supply untrained draftees that would supplement the professional all-volunteer armed forces.
Rangel and Graham appeared on "Face the Nation" on CBS.
 
What draft?

Ok I am going to be pretty straight foward,

Rangel, wants to re enstate the draft by law. Saying basiclly it will stop polititions from starting wars.

He himself is a Korean War veteren, but, he doesnt have the best political record himself.

He tried this thing in 2003, and apparently , it hasnt happened, yet...
But, he says we will need to take this procedure to be able to confront Iran, and North Korea. But then states at one time on NBC news, that he would have never invaded Iraq under his administration. Based on the flimspy information we had then.

Any of you think he is a hypocrite with power, or is he dead serious and really wants his plan for every male from 18 to 26 in military service ASAP?

I am not here to judge or talk about the on how this will effect U.S. influence afar, this matter isnt in a nation thousands of miles away, forget Iraq for now, (and, no I dont mean the indivduals there), I not going to host a convo on if that is morally right or wrong, but think on how it will effect us at home?

*Please, any one who has been drafted, or has served combat tours in any military over seas in any military force at any time, how did it effect you when you first joined, and , well, do you agree with this?
 
I am not here to judge or talk about the on how this will effect U.S. influence afar, this matter isnt in a nation thousands of miles away, forget Iraq for now, (and, no I dont mean the indivduals there), I not going to host a convo on if that is morally right or wrong, but think on how it will effect us at home?

Sure that's what everyone says. Who cares about Iraq? It doesn't effect me. I'll I know about Iraq is that I'm against it!

We need a draft to take the strain off the brave men and women over in Iraq right now. Some of them are being forced to go back 2 and 3 times. Think about them.
 
i think the last time a draft was voted on in 2003, it was defeated in the house by a vote of 402-2. i wouldnt be too worried.
 
He is a pickle short a quart ... however ... he did make one very real comment/observation.

Do you REALLY think we would have invaded Iraq IF the lawmakers sons, daughters, relatives and friends (who had been drafted), were on active duty?

Interesting question isn't it?
 
he is a few fries short of a happy meal.... however... there are a few congressmen and women's family in the military and have served overseas. not as many as past history, but still, there have been a few.
 
Sure that's what everyone says. Who cares about Iraq? It doesn't effect me. I'll I know about Iraq is that I'm against it!

We need a draft to take the strain off the brave men and women over in Iraq right now. Some of them are being forced to go back 2 and 3 times. Think about them.



That's not what he is saying. He's simply saying that he doesnt want this to turn into a debate on whether the Iraq war is morally right or wrong.

I think that if you are a healthy adult male citizen of the USA and your country calls on you to serve it in time of war, than you are obligated to serve. In my opinion.
 
Last edited:
I'm in favor of a draft strictly because a lot of teenagers could learn a thing a two from the ass kicking they would receive in an Army or Marine Corps. basic training.
 
Sure that's what everyone says. Who cares about Iraq? It doesn't effect me. I'll I know about Iraq is that I'm against it!

We need a draft to take the strain off the brave men and women over in Iraq right now. Some of them are being forced to go back 2 and 3 times. Think about them.

I knew some one would do that.

What I meant to do was, try to keep discussions about Iraq out of this specific convo. Iraq is D### Important!! Our nation is at WAR. I understand this, but, the situation does call for more men and women, but, the thing is, if a draft is approved, only the nessary should be put into service. Try to limit over kill if you know what I mean.

Its hard to find a pivit in this type of situation, but, it all comes down to two not wanted scenearios. One, no draft, and Iraq is a total waste, as insurgants and anti American fighters overwhelm U.S. forces, and chase away all other foerign support, and destroy the country from inside out.

*Answer, slight draft, nor Vietnam era scale, just a slight draft.

But, if you take the large scale draft you have the flipside. People of the younger genrations, and just about everyone in their early or late 30s, have never experianced a draft. When people see that young men in their communities, not some city or town miles away, are disapearing to war, whether they like it or not, Im not sure how the American public may react, if it devolps into a present day Vietnam scenario, that would almost certainly , come close to tearing this nations public body, apart.

People by now know that true horror war, TV spelled doom for the romantic and patriotic views of war. That all came to black and white years ago, and opened up the true fiercness of war. After all the one sided media the average American is exposed to, when the paper is in the mail, do you think they will take lightly their family member, or friend being shipped to one of the most violent places on earth? For most, I am sure service of one's nation, and partroitism , may go right out the window, reality will be knocking on many of Parents, friends, and family's doors.
Now imagine that happening all over the country.

But, then agian, agaist all odds, America has been doing a good job at that for years, for what? We are still here, me , talking to you, and, I have the gracious ability to do this, without hesitation, without punishment, for that, I myself, for the benifit for others, would were that flag on my shoulder. Although my mind would say I would regret every bit of it, If I dont, some one else will...

That just sucks, but, nothing is free I suppose.

Mod Edit: Thread merged.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The scars from Vietnam run too deep to reinstate the draft. In my humble opinion it would take something very devestating to happen, ie a nuclear attack before those ghosts could be over-ridden.
 
The scars from Vietnam run too deep to reinstate the draft. In my humble opinion it would take something very devestating to happen, ie a nuclear attack before those ghosts could be over-ridden.

You are correct about the scars of war that ALL Vietnam vets and their families carry.

BUT

As a vet, I am sitting here with the death count hovering at eight and I am waiting for number nine ... and ... I absolutely know it is going to happen IF the policies that got us there and are keeping us there are NOT changed very soon.

Re-introducing the draft could be the very impetuous that is necessary to get the politicians in Washington DC off their arses and force them to take action to resolve the debacle which is Iraq. I am NOT favor of a 'cut and run' philosophy ... but ... for sure the 'stay the course' philosophy isn't working.

Iraq needs to have pressure brought to bear to force them to take the destiny of their country into their own hands. They need to be forced to deal with the extremists as only another fellow citizen could do in that godforsaken country.

DO I WANT TO SEE ANOTHER DRAFT? Not really ... however ... sending our forces back to Iraq for the third and fourth time is not fair either. The ONLY way (sans suddenly seeing a rapid increase of volunteers), is to re-institute the draft to augment our forces back to a level that would allow greater freedom in deployment of forces.

With our war on terrorism, we are going to see greater and greater deployment of troops to these hotspots. The ONLY way to ensure adequate forces is going to be a draft.
 
I was referring to the scars on the collective psyche of the country due to warped perceptions of the Vietnam war and all the baggage we still carry as a result. Things like the war powers act which were nothing more than the congress officially shifting the blame for an unpopular war, due to biased media reporting at home, to the President. This is just one example.

The damn hippy baby boomers aren't quite done with their therapy on this one but I think if their SUVs were vaporised they might pull their heads out in a timely manner but then again the stupidity gene is strong with them and they are given to bouts of self-flagellation and might actually blame themselves and disarm the country and sign it over in order to avoid any bloodshed.
 
I think what Rangel is trying to do is make sure that future presidents Don't take for granted the lives of people who chose to serve in the Military. This is order to curb reckless military adventures, like the one we are currently in in Iraq.

The part I like about the bill, unlike the draft during Vietnam there are NO EXCEMPTIONS. Everybody goes. Lets see how some of the Hawks in Washington act went its their sons and daughters being thrown into the meat grinder.
 
Back
Top