Hurray for Congressman Charlie Rangel for having the courage to point out the flaw in our logic regarding who will and will not fight our wars for us. Where is the shared sacrifice if this truly is a necessary “war against terror?” Of course, most Americans resist Rangel’s call for a military draft! With the exception of our troops, the rest of us are too fat, lazy and cheap to put our effort and money where our mouths are.
But here’s the rub: If the Bush administration’s goal is economic and military dominance, then a draft will be essential as the neo-con wars continue. The laundry list: Iran, North Korea, Syria, China, Venezuela, etc. Where are the troops going to come from for all these misadventures? Do Americans approve of the Project for a New American Century (P-NAC) goals? If not, then why are these chickenhawk ideologues running the country and pushing their agenda at taxpayer expense while passing on the debt to our children?
The way John Bolton rants at the United Nations; refusal of the Bush people to talk with our predetermined “enemies;” threatening rhetoric that Bush enjoys spouting off like “axis of evil,” “either for us or against us,” and U.S. arrogance toward its allies, all lead to bad outcomes: escalation of anger toward Americans, increased military build-up around the world, and a frenetic march toward World War III.
If Americans truly want to continue on this path of global domination, then we will have to count the cost, bite the bullet and restart the draft. Otherwise, we need to pipe down and return to some level of cooperation and diplomatic relations. There is something to be said for behaving as adults with self-control and wisdom, especially if we hope to regain some credibility and respect in this world.
Karen Hertz
Lake Forest Park
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