Posted on 11/26/2006 5:14:37 PM PST by Jay777
Hot Air has the video:
I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.
As soon as the Democrats take control they allow people like Rangel to be their mouthpieces and just as quickly find a foot in that mouth. This quote is Rangel's explanation of why he supports the draft. One would think after the Kerry episode these idiots would be more careful in how the word things. I don't know how anyone could interpret Rangel's statement as anything other than a direct insult to those serving in our military. Apparently, Rangel does not believe being in the army is a decent career. Many people in the military do make the choice to join because of a conviction to a patriotic duty. Those are the kind of people I want in our military. If we were to follow Rangel's advice of a draft our military would be full of people that do not want to be there.
(Excerpt) Read more at stoptheaclu.com ...
This part, and this part only, I can agree with. I had several other, more important, reasons that had nothing to do with those things (though they were nice to contemplate as well) when I enlisted in 1963. Most of the guys I served with...Navy wasn't drafting; we were all volunteers...could say the same.
I don't expect Wrabble Wrangle to have any idea what those reasons could be, let alone understand them.
Everything else Wrabble Wrangler says, though is despicable.
Oh, and neither jobs nor college were a problem for me at all.
In just the U.S. Senate, I can think of several who don't even meet that standard-- Patrica Bin Murray of Washington, Barbara Boxer of California, Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan . . .
I joined the Army. I just got out of 2 months of basic training and 7 months of AIT (Advanced Individual Training).
Before I joined the Army, I had a 7 year career as a Quality Assurance engineer in the Silicon Valley.
I joined to defend my country. It's a significant pay-cut and sacrifice, especially considering that I have missed my wife and daughter for the last 7 months and will continue to miss them for the next year while I am away in South Korea.
These bugs seem to say and do anything they can with the goal of demoralizing the Troops, embolden the enemy and bringing our Country to it's knees.
Bastard traitors all......every single one of them.
There should be a simple law that automatically releases your complete military records if you file to run for President, Vice President, Senator or Representative. If you want those jobs, then you have to be willing to be completely open about some things.
What do you expect? He's a liberal. They just don't know WHEN or WHY to shut up. AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Boy, you've got that right. I'm ashamed of our Congress, both libs and pubs. The moral values of many of them are in the sewer.
Charlie is lot a lot of vets. The only army he knows is the one he served in a millions years ago. I admit it: the army in the 1950s was filled full of dumb asses like Charlie. In Japan the troops available to MacArthur were good only for the parade ground.
Harlem needs the JROTC in the schools.
As I watched him on the show, I thought he must have been talking about his own motives, because no one I know in the services joins today for job security, knowing they are putting their life on the line. When they do, they show the greatest love, laying down their life for their friend. They are honorable men, worthy of respect. This man, his name is not worth mentioning. Let all our servicemen and women know we stand behind them with respect and pride. Thank you all.
Actually, that is a very good idea. The kids would do better in school if they learned some discipline. They'd also develop self respect and respect for others.
Look, Rangel is a clown and his pitch is really a hidden anti-war screed. But you have to be honest when taking him on in that some of his points are on the mark.
For example, go down to your local country club - the one the doctors and lawyers and town social leaders belong to, and ask the members how many of their kids are in the military or how many have ever encouraged their kids to join the military. You might find a few, but most of them think their kids are too good to be in the military.
A Pat Tillman that everybody criticizing Rangel uses as a counter actually reinforces Rangel's point. Tillman is unique! What other pro atheletes have followed him into this "battle for survival" or "world war III"? Name two children of big comapny CEOs, the ones getting $100 miliion a year, who are in the military. Name one of the virile movie stars women fawn over. How many Ivy League alumni are in uniform? Go through Congress and after you cite the kids of Duncan Hunter and Tim Johnson and a few others, who else has sons in the line of fire? Or presidential candidates Gore and Bush and Kerry and Lieberman and Cheney and Edwards and Clinton.
Nope - their kids are too good for the military.
It is a false premise to say that just because our current military is staffed by some of the brightest troops in our history, everything is well. John Kerry comments aside, the middle and lower class have always had bright people.
Hidden in Rangel's anti-war agenda is the unsavory little fact that the elites in our society, who also have some bright people, are not pulling their share of the load. As Frank Schaeffer says in the title of his new book, the elites are AWOL in our fight for survival.
Kick Rangel all you want, but you better start addressing the nasty fact that those who are running the country in government, academia, business, the ones benefitting most from its blessings, are noticeably absent in rising to defend it. Until that changes, Rangel has an uncomfortable point to make.
Smart man. This worked so well for Kerry.
Constipation of the brain often leads to dirrhea of the mouth.
Elites seldom participate in our wars. Even during WWII, many got draft deferments and went to college. Only the extreme emergency of The Bulge caused those to dry up. High profile enlistments, such as those of the Roosevelts, were rarer than we think. As to Hollywood, the stars of those days were more"normal" than what we have now. Products of the studio systems, they were used to doing what they were told to do and had no illusions about being "thinkers." Even the communists among them, including Gene Kelly's wife, were pro-war because the Soviet Union was an ally.
You are so wromg on that and need to check your facts. The overwhelming majority of Ivy League graduates served in WW II. Many movie stars and atheletes signed up without waiting for a draft. And they didn't avoid combat exposure. Jimmy Stewart, Clark Gable, Eddie Arnold, Lee Marvin, Joe Di Maggio, Ted Williams, John Kennedy and his brother, Lyndon Johnson - if you didn't serve you were shamed.
Actually, to the lefties, patriotism is for the other guy. The lefties will stay home, don the zoot suits and grab all the goodies they can while the others are fighting.
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