Irony Unleashed

I can only imagine that Charlie Rangel (Congressman from NYC) must be chuckling to himself. Last year he decided it would be educational for the nation to have a dialog about racial/social/economic equality. Or lack of same.

He chose aseemingly appropriate means to initiate the chat, by introducing a bill to reinstate the miltary draft in the congress. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Things have changed in this world of high technolgy. Warmaking is no longer for the cannon-fodder conscript. Warfighting requires highly trained, highly skilled, highly engaged professionals. Or highly angry, highly motivated, willing-to-die amateurs (guerillas, insurgents, whatever you care to call 'em).

Donald Rumsfeld
said as much in response to the draft proposal. I guess you could actually call it a draft draft proposal. Mr. Secretary Rumsfeld is right.
However; while warfighting is now the province of highly trained, etc.; if the United States is to pursue its present course, it will need a large army of occupying troops. As has been historically the case, these occupying forces have been the poorest and least effective troops the occupier has. The weakest of the conscript forces will suffice to patrol the streets of subject countries and shoot insurgents or others who anger them. So, irony of ironies, Rep. Rangel set out to raise a ruckus over the exemption of the privileged from doing the dirty work of war, and is now the author of a bill which will begin to enable the country to occupy any country that makes the mistake of offending our (easily offended) President.