[Marxism] Rangel to reintroduce notorious draft bill

["Lil Joe" <joe_radical@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have made my position on this clearly stated
when it was first introduced, at the time when
the Left-Opportunists if not out right
supporting the bill, said nothing against it
or against Rangel, referred to as 'the Brother',
and supported by members of the so-called
Congressional Black Caucus (Democrats in
Blackface).

Leftists" used such excuses for supporting
Rangel the same as today they do Maxine Waters
attacks on the Haitian armed opposition to the
UN, French &C. forces in Haiti, as 'fighting
racism' as 'the main enemy' and 'primary
contradiction' and mealy mouthing condescending
and patronizing platitudes about "one aspect
of this is that the democratic right to vote
and be represented is something Black 'people'
(sic!) in this country fought for and died
for" as if the right to vote equals the right
to be Democrats! " 'They' (sic!) view the
presence of these 'Black people'( read:
Democrats)" in Congress as a conquest, as
*their* representatives".

This is pure racist condescension and
patronizing assuming the "White" workers are
smart enough to understand critiques of
"White" Democrats in Congress as critiques
of the Democrats as a party, and "Black" workers
are incapable of distinguishing an attack on
policies of the Blacks in Congress as critiques
of the Democrats who happen to be "Black".

In reality the issue is not one of race but
of class, it is evident that 99.99% of CBC
votes on domestic and international policies
are the same as the rest of the Congressional
Democrats, notwithstanding the this or that
individual (such as Cynthia McKinney or Barbara
Lee) occasionally brake ranks on this or that
issue, without however denouncing the Democratic
Party as a Party and publicly resigning from
it in protest. Yet, these Maverick Democrats
hoodwink the American 'progressives', or rather
enable them to support Democratic Party
policy when the policy is put forth by Democrats
in Blackface, ostensibly as 'fighting racism'
as though the CBC were "Black folk", rather
than the Democrats that they are!

Black workers are no less intelligent that
"White" workers, and class-conscious Black
workers the same as class-conscious White
workers recognize the Democrats for what
they are - representatives of capital- who
therefore reject the Democrats as 'the
bosses party', and advocate a Labor Party.

Lets see whether Stan and Joaquin now
come out in support of the reinstatement
of the draft - introduced by 'Brother
Rangel" with the support of the CBC. Do
they see Rangel as a 'Soul Brother'
representing "Black people", as he
claims to be by reintroducing the
draft? Or as a Democrat representing
the interests of US imperialism by
reintroducing the draft?

Lil Joe
=========


Rangel to reintroduce notorious draft bill

by People Against the Draft
13 Jan 2005

Rep. Charles Rangel intends to reintroduce legislation calling for
resumption
of the draft during the current Congressional term, according to a memo
circulated by Bill Galvin of the Center on Conscience and War.

Rangel, it will be recalled, was the author of the notorious HR 163, the
"universal" conscription bill that became a political football during the
2004
Presidential campaign. When charges that Bush would reinstate the draft
emerged
as a red-hot election issue last October, HR 163 became a liability for the
Kerry campaign - whereupon Rangel's bill was rushed to the floor and
summarily
voted down by a huge majority. For tactical reasons even the bill's
sponsors,
including Rangel, voted against it.

With the election over, the way is clear for politicians on both sides of
the
aisle to get behind the draft, and Rep. Rangel will likely be leading the
charge. According to Galvin's memo, CCW officers were told in a Dec. 21
meeting
with Rangel's legislative director, Emile Milne, that Rangel will "probably
introduce similar legislation" in the 2005 term.

Rangel continues to argue that conscription would force privileged Americans
to share the burden of military service now disproportionately carried by
the
poor and minorities. He also asserts that future wars would be made less
likely by reintroduction of the draft.

Both arguments are wrong. Conscription has never made the Armed Services
more
equitable, racially or economically. During the Vietnam war, minority
draftees disproportionately served on the front lines. The affluent had, and
still
have, the means to gain medical deferments, or to secure soft, safe
positions.
If Rep. Rangel and other pro-draft "progressives" really wanted to fix
social
and racial inequities, they'd be advocating for jobs, education, and
opportunity, not equal-opportunity warmaking. More broadly, it's not "fair"
to
people of
color and the poor to let the government draft the bodies it requires to
wage
endless wars - wars that steal money from education, health, and other
programs people need.

The draft has never acted as a deterrent to war. While the draft was in
effect, the U.S. began numerous wars. In fact, during World War I, the
reason
for
the instatement of the draft was to ensure a steady flow of soldiers into
the
battlefield - just as it would be in Iraq.

Former national security advisers Brent Scowcroft and Zbigniew Brzezinski
recently estimated that the US requires 500,000 troops, and reinstatement of
the
draft, in order to sustain the war in Iraq. (LA Times, Jan. 8, 2005). Bush's
aggressive foreign policy desperately needs the "boots on the ground" that
only
a draft can supply. At best, Rangel's bill merely plays into Bush's hands.
At
worst, it's a stealth measure intended to supply "progressive" political
cover for pro-draft Democrats.

The task of the antiwar movement is to deny bodies to the war machine, not
hand them over on the silver platter of a bogus "progressive" rationale for
conscription.

Please contact Rangel's office as soon as possible and let him know that we
will not tolerate reintroduction of the draft:

Washington DC Office
2354 Rayburn House
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4365

New York Office
163 W. 125th Street #737
New York, NY 10027
(212) 663-3900

http://rangel.house.gov/contact.shtml

Best,
Jake Levich
ople Against the Draft
http://www.nodraft.info

See also:
http://www.
Znodraft.info

=


------------------------------

Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 11:38:38 -0500
From: "Junious Ricardo Stanton" <jrswriter@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "TrueBlackness" <trueblackness@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Congressman Charles Rengel Set To Reintroduce Draft Legislation




>From The Ramparts

Junious Ricardo Stanton

Congressman Rengel Set To Reintroduce Draft legislation


"Rep. Charles Rangel intends to reintroduce legislation calling for
resumption
of the draft during the current Congressional term, according to a memo
circulated by Bill Galvin of the Center on Conscience and War. Rangel, it
will
be recalled, was the author of the notorious HR 163, the "universal"
conscription bill that became a political football during the 2004
Presidential campaign. When charges that Bush would reinstate the
draft emerged as a red-hot election issue last October, HR 163 became a
liability for the Kerry campaign -- whereupon Rangel's bill was rushed to
the
floor and summarily voted down by a huge majority. For tactical reasons even
the bill's sponsors, including Rangel, voted against it.
With the election over, the way is clear for politicians on both sides of
the
aisle to get behind the draft, and Rep. Rangel will likely be leading the
charge. According to Galvin's memo, CCW officers were told in a Dec. 21
meeting with Rangel's legislative director, Emile Milne, that Rangel will
"probably introduce similar legislation" in the 2005 term." - Indymedia
01-13-05


In Orwellian irony, according to an Indymedia report New York Congressman
Charles Rengel is preparing to reintroduce his universal conscription bill
that he believes will equalize the burden of military service currently
being
shouldered disproportionately by the poor and people of color. Assuming
Rengel
has his faculties intact, all his initiative will really do is legitimatize
US
imperial over reach by providing additional cannon fodder allowing the
fascist
plutocracy to establish military hegemony around the world. In addition to
supplying needed bodies for US imperialism's short and long range goals,
Rengel's move demonstrates his ignorance of US draft history or a
disingenuousness collusion with the Bush administration as they attempt to
force twenty-first century Anglo-AmeriKKKan neo-colonialist ambitions around
the world. If you remember Rengel introduced House Bill 163 in January of
2003
that called for a universal mandatory two year conscription or community
service for young people male and female aged eighteen to twenty-six. In
Rengel's bill no deferments or conscientious objector status were allowed;
anyone who for religious convictions or reasons of conscience could not bear
arms would be required to do two years of community service.

Charles Rengel a black man who represents Harlem in New York City is either
supremely naive or he has another agenda altogether. Rengel who served in
the
US army in Korea immediately following the dismantling of Jim Crow in the
military, has to know the draft at least in AmeriKKKa has never been fair or
equitable. The brouhaha over George W. Bush's Texas Air National Guard stint
to avoid going to Vietnam; where he subsequently was technically AWOL for
over
a year is a classic example of class and privilege being used to avoid the
draft! Does Rengel in a sane moment really believe once the draft is
reinstated, (and indications are that it will be due to the fact recruiters
are having difficulty meeting their monthly quotas and there aren't enough
contract mercenaries out there to do the dirty work of maintaining US
hegemony
over the global oil reserves the fascists covet) that modern day versions of
George W. Bush will not repeat themselves? So whether he means well, he is
being played or he is trying to ingratiate himself with the ruling elites,
his
idea is crazy. The AmeriKKKan realities of race and class have not been
erased
by legislation, if that were so, Africans in AmeriKKKa would not be in the
tenuous position of having military service as one of very few options
available for bettering their lives because it provides money for college,
skills training and "job" opportunities (aside from killing people of color
around the world). If Rengel thinks passing a bill to reinstate the draft is
going to equalize the conscription process he is sorely misguided. All it
will
do is increase the numbers of poor and dis-privileged conscripted into the
military. None of the chicken hawk Neo-Cons' children (boys or girls) will
be
drafted, none of the children of Senators or Congressmen will get sent to
the
front lines nor will the scions of corporate AmeriKKKa do one day of drills/
duty. The military is hurting, neo-colonial over reach has stretched it too
thin. This presents major problems for the AmeriKKKan invaders, especially
when the target colony (in this case Iraq) is in active rebellion. Draft
Review Boards have already been re-established so it's merely a matter of
time
before someone introduces legislation to reinstate the draft. Rengel is not
stupid, why is he playing into the hands of the war mongers? Does his stance
represent the wishes of his constituents? I don't think so!

On the up side, if a military draft is reinstated it may rouse people from
their catatonia and force a confrontation/show down between fascist pawns
like
Rengel and their policies like the invasion/occupation of Iraq and people
who
are appalled at the direction AmeriKKKa is headed. I have been seeing posts
on
the Internet where more and more AmeriKKKans are leaving the country, going
to
Canada or overseas. Those of means may choose that option. Perhaps those who
chose to stay, and who opposed the war and the draft will risk being labeled
"domestic terrorists" under the PATRIOT ACT and work to substitute an
atmosphere of sanity, peace and justice where one of madness, war and
predation currently prevails.

-30-




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