Comments on: The Word We Dare Not Speak: Conscription! http://www.bloggernews.net/115779 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:55:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: brublr http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-359340 brublr Thu, 29 May 2008 22:46:28 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-359340 A no-draft pledge could be a tough reply to the 'visit Iraq challenge' and a no-deferment draft pledge might generally be acceptable as an equitable response. Just to complete the goals of suffrage. the ladies, including our various Representative's daughters, could serve some national purpose within our borders as well. A no-draft pledge could be a tough reply to the ‘visit Iraq challenge’ and a no-deferment draft pledge might generally be acceptable as an equitable response. Just to complete the goals of suffrage. the ladies, including our various Representative’s daughters, could serve some national purpose within our borders as well.

]]> By: Nancy Reyes http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-342073 Nancy Reyes Mon, 19 May 2008 04:53:54 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-342073 Oh, I see. I had a waiver to join the Army (reserve) so I was inferior. My husband was a non citizen, so he was "inferior" when he fought for the US. And our son in law, despite the fact that he has a Master's degree and is a trained pilot, is inferior and couldn't get another job. Well, dang it Fred, they found out we was merely ignurant hilbillies from a small town and stupid. G'es we need to start protestin' with all those smart 'uns who think th' ragheadsin Afgahinstan speak Arabic, and who are busy visitin' them 57 states in the US of A... Oh, I see.
I had a waiver to join the Army (reserve) so I was inferior.

My husband was a non citizen, so he was “inferior” when he fought for the US.

And our son in law, despite the fact that he has a Master’s degree and is a trained pilot, is inferior and couldn’t get another job.

Well, dang it Fred, they found out we was merely ignurant hilbillies from a small town and stupid. G’es we need to start protestin’ with all those smart ‘uns who think th’ ragheadsin Afgahinstan speak Arabic, and who are busy visitin’ them 57 states in the US of A…

]]> By: rk http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-341815 rk Mon, 19 May 2008 00:42:38 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-341815 Chase, Your statistics are exactly backwards in terms of the demographics of the U.S. and about who is serving in the military and dying in Iraq. Why didn't you cite any sources? The U.S general population is now 34% minority, not 25% as this Reuters article discusses. What is your source? http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3050786820080501 And if you look at the military deaths in Iraq, they are only about 25% minority, not 40% as of March 1, 2008. http://www.deathsiniraq.com/casualties-race.html So minorities are significantly underrepreented. As for you claim that the military disproportionately recruits from the lower classes, that is flat out wrong. Because of the standardized testing requirements of the military (which no other employers are even allowed to use), today's military automatically excludes the least educated. Also the general exclusion of people with any criminal backgrounds (the waivers are a for tiny % of the overall military and usually only include non-violent crimes) excludes many people of poor background. One way to prove this is to just to note that over 60% of all poor people in the U.S. today are black or Hispanic according to the Census Bureau, and yet only about 20% of the deaths in Iraq are black or Hispanic. As for Rangel claim that "the draft will prompt political leaders to think twice before starting wars, especially if they thought kids from their communities would be placed in harm’s way", I called his office and asked them how he could reconcile the statement with the fact the highest casualty rates are coming from rural, red states where the members of the Congress voted for the war. Rangel's aide for military matters, a man named Emil, admitted that the casualties were primarily coming from the rural, red areas and said that Rangel statement was for "political effect" and that I shouldn't make a big issue of it. Chase,

Your statistics are exactly backwards in terms of the demographics of the U.S. and about who is serving in the military and dying in Iraq. Why didn’t you cite any sources? The U.S general population is now 34% minority, not 25% as this Reuters article discusses. What is your source?

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3050786820080501

And if you look at the military deaths in Iraq, they are only about 25% minority, not 40% as of March 1, 2008.

http://www.deathsiniraq.com/casualties-race.html

So minorities are significantly underrepreented.

As for you claim that the military disproportionately recruits from the lower classes, that is flat out wrong. Because of the standardized testing requirements of the military (which no other employers are even allowed to use), today’s military automatically excludes the least educated. Also
the general exclusion of people with any criminal backgrounds (the waivers are a for tiny % of the overall military and usually only include non-violent crimes) excludes many people of poor background. One way to prove this is to just to note that over 60% of all poor people in the U.S. today are black or Hispanic according to the Census Bureau, and yet only about 20% of the deaths in Iraq are black or Hispanic.

As for Rangel claim that “the draft will prompt political leaders to think twice before starting wars, especially if they thought kids from their communities would be placed in harm’s way”, I called his office and asked them how he could reconcile the statement with the fact the highest casualty rates are coming from rural, red states where the members of the Congress voted for the war. Rangel’s aide for military matters, a man named Emil, admitted that the casualties were primarily coming from the rural, red areas and said that Rangel statement was for “political effect” and that I shouldn’t make a big issue of it.

]]> By: dave http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-341084 dave Sun, 18 May 2008 10:05:18 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/115779#comment-341084 No forced enlistment ! The lack of volunteers is because they face an illegal, immoral war of devastating casualties from IEDs that, combined with mid-body armor, maim more than kill. We already use Blackwater, etc. mercenaries for approaching half of the work. All Empires (Rome, etc) resorted to mercenaries when their citizens refused to fight their govt's wars of Empire for political and economic goals (no invasion or threat of). IDEA !: Have three children, or close family members, of Congresspersons who voted for war be first in the draft line, or required to volunteer, and I mean for front-line work in harms way. See 'ChickenHawk Brigade' at #4 in left margin of my site. Wars for true homeland DEFENSE will attract ample recruits. STOP WARS FOR EMPIRE !! Regards, Dave No forced enlistment ! The lack of volunteers is because they face an illegal, immoral war of devastating casualties from IEDs that, combined with mid-body armor, maim more than kill. We already use Blackwater, etc. mercenaries for approaching half of the work. All Empires (Rome, etc) resorted to mercenaries when their citizens refused to fight their govt’s wars of Empire for political and economic goals (no invasion or threat of). IDEA !: Have three children, or close family members, of Congresspersons who voted for war be first in the draft line, or required to volunteer, and I mean for front-line work in harms way. See ‘ChickenHawk Brigade’ at #4 in left margin of my site. Wars for true homeland DEFENSE will attract ample recruits. STOP WARS FOR EMPIRE !!

Regards, Dave

]]>