Posted on 11/19/2006 10:30:36 AM PST by Brilliant
A senior House Democrat said Sunday he will introduce legislation to reinstate the military draft, asserting that current troop levels are insufficient to sustain possible challenges against 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," said Rep. Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y.
Rangel, a veteran of the Korean War who has unsuccessfully sponsored legislation on conscription in the past, said he will propose the measure early next year.
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," he said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), 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, incoming chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means 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.
Good point!
Rangel: A bumbling idiot.
You got that right. It would take an extra 6 months of hard physical training just to get them is shape to pass basic training requirements.
Perhaps a pre-draft draft is needed in this country, draft them into "biggest looser" farm farms, then draft those who make it through that into service. otherwize we'll need to build bigger ships and subs to haul all that unfit lard into war zones, not to mention the additional costs of XXXX size body armor, clothing, extra large ration packs, etc.
You LIKE Rangel?!?!
Agreed, having a slave soldier next to you is not good for discipline or for fighting.
Am I not allowed to like Rangel?
Look I am not against serving my country at all or a draft. However I think it has to be done differently then ever before. We have so many kids that have been on all kinds of medication, that have anger issues, depression etc. Not to mention the drug addicts. What does Rangel plan to do with kids like this in the draft?
I support the draft. I was drafted and I think those who were 1a or even 4f should serve in some capacity.
That way everyone has a stake in their country and its security.
The draft should include all services and all departments of government. Congress should not have staff, but drafted workers. The department of Interior, the Welfare department and so on should all use draftees.
Let's be fair. It is not just the military that makes this country strong so we should insist Congress use only draftees.
Hey, to each his own.
Rather than support conscription, I would support a system where service was voluntary, but a prerequisite to holding civic office and voting.
I don't know.
Rangle is a Korean War Vet.
So is Lt. Col. Harry Fleming.
I don't dislike everyone I disagree with. Rangel supports many things I don't but he's an American who served his country during Korea and he is serving his country now.
I'm sure they still don't believe it.
The point is to weaken or destroy the military. Rangel wants to fill its ranks with the unwilling or the unable.
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