Democrats support the new slavery

[fastpat]

Along with those Republicans who support "universal service" enslavement.

Next Stop: Conscription (by William Norman Grigg)
by William Norman Grigg
September 12, 2006

In early August, about 300 Alaska-based soldiers of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, shortly after returning from Iraq, were ordered to return to Iraq immediately. Because of a bureaucratic bungle, the unit was not informed while in Iraq that its tour of duty had been extended. As a result, the soldiers and their families, relieved and grateful for their safe return, were torn apart once again without adequate time to prepare.

Shortly thereafter the Bush administration announced that at least 2,500 discharged Marines would be involuntarily reactivated for combat duty through the Marine Corps’ Individual Ready Reserves (IRR) program. Both of these developments illustrate just how over-extended the military has become as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and how desperate it has become in seeking personnel to fill current needs — let alone those that will come if, as expected, military action is taken against Lebanon, Syria, Iran, or North Korea.

Meanwhile, “centrist” Republicans and Democrats alike are promoting a “Universal Service” program in which all 18-year-olds of both sexes would be required to give a year or two of federally approved “service” as a condition of college admission. This would likely include a military reserve commitment and the option of active-duty service in the military.

In their new campaign manifesto The Plan, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and Bruce Reed, president of the Democratic Leadership Council, call for “a real Patriot Act that brings out the patriot in all of us by establishing, for the first time, an ethic of universal citizen service.... All Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 should be asked to serve their country by going through three months of basic civil defense training and community service.... Universal citizen service will bring Americans of every background together to make America safer and more united in common purpose.” One function of that proposal would be to expand the military by at least 100,000 men — a target that belies Emanuel and Reed’s assurance that they don’t endorse a return to conscription.

A bill containing essentially the same proposal has been submitted by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), one of the most left-leaning House members; the concept has been endorsed by Republican presidential aspirant Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.). Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen, a former Republican senator from Maine, also endorsed the concept of universal service in an August 24 interview on FOX & Friends First, saying that it would be intended “to put us on a war footing mentality. We’re not there.”
http://www.thenewamerican.com/artman/publish/article_4212.shtml

[Jim Richards]

Serving our country is not slavery. But it really should be universal. None of that chicken-***** evasion of military service our chicken hawk leaders so cynically employed in the past.

[widebody911]

I think some sort of mandatory civil service would be a good thing, although the Bush and Cheney families will still find a way to weasel out of it.

[fastpat]

Slavery, by any other name, is still slavery and is wrong.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
Serving our country is not slavery.

It's not service to our country, it's service to a government, and as such is worse than private slavery.

All slavery is wrong; being unethical and immoral.

[Eric 951]

sweet

[Jim Richards]

Pat, weren't our founding fathers interested in providing for the common defense of our country? Who, pray tell, will be doing the defending? And gov't, like it or not, is what they created in the formation of the USA. Limited gov't - fine, but no gov't - bad juju. We can't all hold off the invading hoards with our personal weapons stash. Who's gonna keep watch for the huns when your taking a siesta on the estate?

[widebody911]

Hey, our friends the Israelis do it, so it must be good, right?

[Moses]

Originally posted by widebody911
I think some sort of mandatory civil service would be a good thing...

Not while they continue to squander the lives of young people in the pursuit of their own political agendas. Count me out.

[Rodeo]

Put me down in favor of slavery.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Moses
Not while they continue to squander the lives of young people in the pursuit of their own political agendas. Count me out.

Good point.

[Rodeo]

If we had a draft, we would not still be in Iraq.

[Moses]

Originally posted by widebody911
Good point.

My son is 16 today. The thought of our neanderthal leadership putting him in harms way is unaccepable.

Our government is not judicious in the use of anything. We waste money, and resources and trash our own credibility with indifference. The thought of them pressing my son into service in the middle east gives me the chills.

[Rodeo]

You made my point Moses. The nation would have revolted agaist Bush a long time ago if we had a draft.

[Jim Richards]

Moses, I understand where you're coming from. Because the chicken hawks themselves didn't serve, and their kids aren't serving, they are more callous with sending other parents' kids off to war. If we had a universal service requirement for ALL Americans, perhaps we'd be more circumspect about engaging in war.

[Moses]

Originally posted by Jim Richards
If we had a universal service requirement for ALL Americans, perhaps we'd be more circumspect about engaging in war.

Perhaps. But I'm not betting on it with my sons life.

[Jim Richards]

Understandable. Our govt's track record isn't very good.

[widebody911]

Interesting reading: http://www.awolbush.com/whoserved.html

* Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
* Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve (1). "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
* House Majority Whip Roy Blunt - did not serve
* Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
* Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, R-KY - did not serve (1)
* Rick Santorum, R-PA, third ranking Republican in the Senate - did not serve. (1)
* George Felix Allen, Republican Senator from Virginia - a supporter of Nixon and the Vietnam war, did not serve. (1)
* Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.


* Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. (1) Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East and met with Saddam Hussein twice in 1983 and 1984.

* GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war." Huh?
* VP Cheney - several deferments (1, 2), the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service") (1)
* Former Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - did not serve (1, 2); received seven deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State

* Jeb Bush, Florida Governor - did not serve. (1)

The wealthy have never yet sacrificed themselves upon the altar of patriotism. Graphic courtesy Bartcop.com. Thanks, Bartcop!
* Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve (1), too busy being a Republican.

* Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve (1, 2)
* Former President Ronald Reagan - due to poor eyesight, served in a noncombat role making movies for the Army in southern California during WWII. He later seems to have confused his role as an actor playing a tail gunner with the real thing.
* "B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting classes (Orange County Weekly article). Enlisted only after the fighting was over in Korea.
* Phil Gramm - avoided the draft, did not serve, four (?) student deferments

* Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did the Bush campaign smear him so? At least Senators Cleland (D-GA), Kerry (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Robb (D-VA) and Hagel (R-NE) defended him.
* Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man. http://www.bobdole.org/bio/wwII.php
* Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam. http://www.senate.gov/~hagel/Information/bio.htm
* Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations Recently entered plea bargain on felony charges of bribery, etc. etc.
* Senator Jeff Sessions U.S. Army Reserves, 1973-1986
* Colin Powell. What are we to make of Powell? On the one hand, a long career as a military manager. On the other hand, accused of covering up the My Lai massacre. Back on that first hand, one of the seemingly sane voices in this administration when it comes to Iraq (or at least he used to be). On the other hand, a clear hypocrite ("I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...")
* Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), served in USMC in Vietnam; wounded in action.

[Rodeo]

Anybody see George Allen on MTP Sunday? Scary, like a GWB clone.

Child of wealth and privilege, pretending to be a cowboy and common man, not too bright, arrogant, appears to have a mean streak, never served in the military but was a big supporter of Vietnam and is a big supporter of Iraq.

His opponent was a decorated Vietnam vet with a kid in Iraq right now, former Secretary of the Navy. Thinks Iraq was a major strategic blunder.

I can't believe it's even a contest, but apparently Allen has a slight lead right now to keep his Va. Senate seat.

[serge944]

Mandatory service if you don't go to college makes more sense. That's implemented (or was) in many countries.