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Friday, June 03, 20051117833021
The far Left wants the draft
Dan and I argued mightily over Kerry's purported support of the draft. Besting me on technicalities, as usual, Dan had nothing substantive to say in the arguments, so I'll just say I won. Dan supports ill-planned and unnecessary wars, and therefore the draft, and I support James Bond, and therefore deserve a beer. That aside, the energetic Kos and many of his readers have been calling for a draft for the past few weeks. Continued coverage of the "Hollow Army" talks about declining enlistments, raising bonuses, preventing loss and turnover, etc. The readers rightly criticize the armchair hawks of the right, who blog comfortably from their deckchairs in Aruba, sipping margaritas and no doubt wondering how much of their ill-gotten campaign kickbacks it would take to purchase the buxom serving girl from her Saudi banker / resort owner masters.
This causes me to wonder, what is their motivation? Greater equality? Get more of the white affluent campaign-contributing Christians into battle to lighten the load of the minority poor that are taking the brunt of insurgent attacks? Or are they hoping the draft would be so unpopular as to unseat the current Administration? Hard to say at this stage.
16:10 Posted by Dan tdaxp | Permalink | Comments (7) | Email this
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The EU and personal travel
The gap between posts just shows how preoccupied I have been lately and not without a shortage of material to write about. Much of the 'load' is due to family duties. We are preparing for another cross country road trip
Trackback by: My kids' Dad | Friday, June 03, 2005
Comments
Bravo, Aaron! Declaring victory while Dan's back is turned... makes me wonder how he may re-edit your posts once he's back ;)
So how much of over represented minority poor really is an a combat environment? Seems that the 'other' stereotype is the over representation of red necks...
Keep up the good work - glad Dan gave you the mic.
Posted by: Stuart Berman | Friday, June 03, 2005
If it weren't a political statement - why else would Kerry be for the draft?! Mention made of "rednecks?!" Anyway - you'll notice a lot of "new" American citizens who've come from countries where "freedom" is hard to find.
Posted by: chrys | Saturday, June 04, 2005
Well, there was mention ( and later removed ) that Kerry supported mandatory service after high school. It's even mentioned in he and Edwards' Plan for America. However, the mandatory service was community service, which I would think would be like Habitat for Humanity or something. However, on my site, which is more of a college-expatriates meeting place than a blog, Dan spouted mightily about Kerry's "support of the Draft" I may be too much a student of pop history, but "The Draft" means involuntary military service in time of war, not planting trees in city parks. In any case, Dan will doubtfully leave my posts unmollested upon his return. He'll just rebuke them with fervor and vitriol, as he typically does when he's wrong ;)
Posted by: aaron | Sunday, June 05, 2005
Yes, Aaron's ability to declare victory when no one is around is quite entertaining... :)
The original post is here
http://aaron.mmi.net/article.php?story=20040929173003723
Aaron and I disagree mightily on "draft." Apparently, his definition excludes "conscription."
Posted by: Dan | Monday, June 06, 2005
Yes, see, it never specifically mentions military service. Therefore they expressly do not mean military service. This is exactly the kind of technicality that Dan would exploit. I'd link to proof, but the lads at Google have yet to make a way to link to archived China Express lunch conversations :)
Good to have you back, Dan.
Posted by: aaron | Monday, June 06, 2005
"Yes, see, it never specifically mentions military service. Therefore they expressly do not mean military service."
?
Anything not explicitly mentioned is excluded?
A strange thought, especially considering "national service" is code for draft (with alternative modes of slavery for those who don't wish to hold a gun -- modes the poor are least likely to take because if they are going to be forced to work for the government against their will, the military is the economically rational choice).
Good to be back.
Posted by: Dan | Monday, June 06, 2005
No, I was facetiously mocking what evasive arguments you might use in a intra-delicious-Chinese debate. I know better than to think things that aren't specifically stated are included. Like rent upgrades :) Dick needs to fix the leaking pipes in the basement.
Posted by: aaron | Monday, June 06, 2005