While Polimom relapsed with the flu this weekend, a number of interesting stories came out — not least of which was Charles Rangel’s call to renew the draft:
Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) has long advocated returning to the draft, but his efforts drew little attention during the 12 years that House Democrats were in the minority. Starting in January, however, he will chair the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Yesterday he said “you bet your life” he will renew his drive for a draft.
“I will be introducing that bill as soon as we start the new session,” Rangel said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He portrayed the draft, suspended since 1973, as a means of spreading military obligations more equitably and prompting political leaders to think twice before starting wars.
“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,” said Rangel, a Korean War veteran. “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.”
There are a number of interesting tidbits tossed all together there, but I have to disagree with several — not least of which is his statement that this president and administration would not have invaded Iraq if there’d been a draft. The visions of sugar plums dancing in their neoconservative heads didn’t include worries about whose kids were there… because in their minds, it was supposed to be easy.
Furthermore, the volunteer armed forces are higher quality, better trained, and more effective overall than they were with a draft.
However — there’s an unpleasant truth here also; the obligations we’re asking our military to meet have stretched them to the limit:
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.
[snip]
Graham said he believes the all-voluntary military “represents the country pretty well in terms of ethnic makeup, economic background.”
It’s true that our military is a pretty good cross-section of our country. However, if Sen. Graham has another option that does not involve the draft, then now would be an excellent time to mention it.
FWIW, I’m part of that American minority that doesn’t disagree with the concept of a draft, generally:
[Rangel] 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.
“Service to the republic” is, in fact, a much broader concept than a military draft, and there are a number of benefits. Unfortunately, if Rangel is actually contemplating the wider service model (is this the same proposal he’s had all these years?), his timing is unbelievably bad. There’s not a chance Americans can have a rational conversation about the draft in the midst of what is already an astoundingly unpopular war.
On the other hand, shouting seems to be what passes for discussion and debate these days, so perhaps his timing isn’t as poor as it looks at first glance… because in that context, folks sure are talking about it.