Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Why Rangel Matters
A number of the inside the beltway types, including a number liberal bloggers, have suggested that Charlie Rangels recent (and again) call for the draft is a diversion from the "agenda". I say B.S. And here's why:
Advocating war is easier when you and your family are not endangered by it. I've reached a Rangel-like breaking point with my TV pundit colleagues who championed the Iraq war and now say we can't leave even if we went there for the wrong reasons. For every one of them, I have a simple question: Why aren't you in Iraq? Or why did you avoid combat in your generation's war? The one unifying characteristic that all of us men in make-up on political chat shows share is fear of combat. Every one of us has done everything we can to avoid combat or even being fitted for a military uniform. Just like George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Dick Cheney, we are all combat cowards. It takes a very special kind of combat coward to advocate combat for others. It's the kind of thing that can get you as angry as Charlie Rangel.
Aside from the minor detail of Rangel and O'Donnell being correct, what's wrong with this? It's good politics to discuss at a time when the public is against the war, and the military constituency has to be feeling some of these things. Calculating whether this is a "good" issue is just the kind of political consultant thinking that gets liberals in trouble. If you believe it, if you're passionate, go for it! Even those who disagree will maintain respect for you.

Update: Kevin Drum misses the basic point. It's not about the logic of who should make policy. It's about how policy is made. A draft makes it far more likely that politicians, whether they've served or not, will not go to war unless it's really really necessary.
Written at 11:08 AM by Greyhair.
1 comments
1 Comments:
Blogger Lynne said...
I would agree with a draft if everyone (and I do mean everyone) eligible had an equal shot at going. But I seem to remember we did have a draft when Bush played in the national guard, Cheney had "other priorities", Rumsfeld who, etc. A draft as an idea is fine but it will never be fairly implemented. I suspect Rangel is simply pointing out the hypocrisy of the war mongers.
11:28 AM  
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