Bill Maher. "there will be no end to this war until there is a draft."

[Neshanic]

Comments, questions, concerns?

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Charles Rangel said that years ago... It made sense then. It still does.

[orpupilofnature57]

2. War is hell ,if it's only a inconvenience ,it's an Occupation.

[rurallib]

3. People do nothing until it affects them directly

So until this war affects people directly there will never be a concentrated protest. A draft would be one way. A massive tax increase to actually pay for the war would be another.
Letting roads fall apart and cutting services doesn't seem to wake anyone up either. Not direct enough.

[Ariana Celeste]

21. A massive tax increase.

Precisely.

That way, we don't have to send more people out to kill and die. Which is what a draft would do.

[Jade Fox]

4. If there is a draft.....

we will see just how creative the upper classes become in devising ways to keep their children out of it. I'd bet that any draft law that would be passed would contain all sorts of loopholes accessible only to those with money and connections.

[orpupilofnature57]

7. Since the civil war

[tularetom]

5. Well it would have to be an equitable draft

without exemptions for rich kids or perpetual students. Plus it would have to include women as well as men. Then you'd see those ribbons come off the back of all those SUV's pretty fast.

[MadMaddie]

10. I have been saying this all along...you include the daughters

and sons....and that is it.

I don't want to see it happen but it is really the only logical thing that can happen we don't have any more active or reserve troops to send.

What a fine mess * has gotten this country into.

[WillyT]

6. Unfortunately... You Are EXACTLY Correct...

Too bad, too...

:banghead:

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Neshanic]

9. How capitalist. Are there deductions in that plan? Loopholes for large corporations?

That's such a "republican" idea. Tax profits, but then put enough loopholes in to make the tax non-existent.

[Forkboy]

22. Maybe they aren't listening due to your inate charm and winning personality.

[uppityperson]

24. You were doing good until your last line.

perhaps you might delete that as it is against DU rules.

[H2O Man]

11. He is a fairly

intelligent guy, who is also prone to errors. He is a fast thinker, with a good heart, and a fairly shallow understanding of politics and history.

[BlooInBloo]

13. Good succinct description.

[spoony]

12. It makes him no better than anyone else who suggests

that we sacrifice others' lives for a wretched war. Handing more kids over to Bush will not stop him, any more than oiling gears will make them slow down.

[AngryOldDem]

14. He's right.

Bring the war truly home. Unless more people have a vested interest in this -- i.e., their lives, or that of their kids -- you won't see much protestation or outrage as counterpoint to the flag waving and incessant replays of Lee Greenwood warbling about how proud he is to be an Americkun. (That was played at an elementary school's program to honor 9/11, and I almost puked when I saw it on TV.)

As someone else here said, this has been Charlie Rangel's argument for years, and his point seems to be missed whenever he raises it. Calling for a draft is not necessarily being pro-war. It's a true test of the courage of one's convictions, and I am convinced that most people will not have that courage if the war suddenly affects them directly. It's easy to be pro-war if it's not you (or one of your kids) who has to fight it. Ultimate definition of cowardice and hypocrisy, in my opinion.

[JTFrog]

15. This comes up every month doesn't it?

If there was a draft it wouldn't affect everyone's kids. The rich would still get their deferments and buy their way out. After all, most of those that make the laws should know all the outs having already been there done that themselves.

What exactly would change?

[Major Hogwash]

16. At least.

As if I would listen to anything Maher had to say about anything anyway.
In 2000, he referred to the race as Gush-Bore, said he was going to vote for the Libertarian candidate, Harry Browne, and instead admitted after the election that he voted for Nader.

[Akoto]

17. I'm not Maher's bargaining chip, nor Rangel's. n/t

[TahitiNut]

18. Without a shared burden of our national policies, it's always "somebody else's problem."

As I've stated many times, it's equally reprehensible to have a Privileged Class of 1% as one of 80%. When we consent to a 'professional' military - a military composed of the economically coerced and/or indoctrinated - then we create a national 'interest' in economic coercion and indoctrination. It's appalling that any nation that pretends to be a 'democracy' does not share equitably in the burdens of national service.

[Ariana Celeste]

19. It's always the older generations calling for a draft.

Funny how that works.

[Telly Savalas]

20. That's Rube Goldberg policymaking

99% of Congresspeople who support the war don't want a draft because they know that it will make things an even bigger disaster than it already is. So if you have the support to pass a draft, then you already have the support to end the war without a draft.

[Forkboy]

23. He may be right, but I'm not up for gambling with people lives to find out.

[book_worm]

25. Unfortunately it's probably true

why isn't there more of an uproar like Vietnam over this war? because it doesn't directly affect as many people and it's an "all-volunteer" army rather than draftees. If the sons and daughters of the comfortable who may oppose the war but don't do anything about it were subject to a draft you can be sure they would be out there. There's a good chance Bush would be impeached by now too.