In 2004 -- an election year -- Democrats pushed the issue of gay marriage to the forefront, because, gosh, it couldn't possibly have waited until 2005. Result: Bush got four more years. Are gays better off?
Now, the Dems have a provisional, tenuous return to power. They have one slim chance to stop our slide into Fascism -- to end the war, to prevent the next war, to restore habeus corpus, to stop officially sanctioned torture, and to bring back fiscal sanity. Naturally, Democrats Martin Meehan and Barney Frank have chosen this moment to focus national attention on gays in the military -- an issue that contributed much to anti-Clinton mania and to the big Republican win in 1994.
Apparently, the issue of gays in the military is so goddamned important that we can't put it off for a time when Democrats are in a strong enough position to prevail. No, we gotta do it right now, even though the Dems have yet to regain their muscle, and even though this radioactive controversy will probably lose Congress for us once again.
We are supposed to believe that all other concerns are of secondary importance. War, the trade balance, bribery, homelessness, mass robbery of the public treasury: insignificant. The only thing that matters in this entire damn world is making sure that every man in uniform can do whatever he wishes to do with his wee-wee.
And now -- at precisely the time when Republican pundits are scrambling for a way to justify pointing at Dems while shouting "They're just as bad as we are!" -- here comes Charlie Rangel. He wants to re-institute the draft.
Smooth move, Charlie. Ask for a draft just when the public is finally re-learning the evils of war (a lesson which each generation seems doomed to repeat). That proposed legislation is bound to be real popular.
Yes, I understand Rangel's reasoning: He argues that a draft will deter future wars. I understand, but I don't give a damn. All I care about is how this legislation will play. I don't need to turn on Fox to know what the cable "news" spewers are going to do with this particular gift from the gods.
Why the hell are Meehan, Frank and Rangel so obsessed with giving Bush an expanded supply of cannon fodder? Those three men should consider the renewed license for mischief W will receive after the next terror attack -- or, if you will, after the next Reichstag Fire.
And then we have Nancy Pelosi, who is about to hand the intel committee over to Alcee Hastings, a man she knows damn well is a crook.
Here's a clue for all Democratic pols. Before you act, ask yourself: "Will this action make Rush Limbaugh chortle with glee? Will this action harm our efforts to fix the mess W created?" If the answer to either of those questions is "Yes," then don't do it.
The stakes could not be higher. We have a war to end, we have corruption to investigate, we have an electoral process to clean up, and we have a president to get rid of.
Keep your eye on the ball and stop fucking up.
Pardon my French. I'm angry.
10 comments:
Exactly. Thank you.
...egh. I'm still undecided about how dangerous I think it actually is for a couple of House Democrats to half-heartedly attempt to protest the ban on gays in the military, but a Democrat talking about reinstating the draft?! That's an insanely dangerous gambit. Far too dangerous to be justified with a ridiculous "this will teach America a lesson about allowing a war" perspective.
I get what these folks might be trying to do, and I sympathize with their presumptive hunger for change as I'm in an equally idealistic, angry, restless and experimental place most days. I also get why they may be fool enough to believe that these moves will reinvigorate the half-burned out active left, as well as inspire those progressives still stuck in complacency to take an interest again. But...okay, because I still don't think the "Don't Ask; Don't Tell" thing is a genuine attempt at much beyond making noise, I'll let that go for a second...making threats about returning America to the dark days of conscription (an idea I can't believe the military even loves right now, considering its debt-ridden, resource-drained, not-capable-of-dealing-with-lazy-or-terrified-draftees state) is insane. And wrong.
And I that's another thing that's bugging me here: these issues--the war; bigotry and oppression of GLBT citizens--are actually worthy of serious and meaningful analysis and debate. Then they need to be resolved, after we've had a chance to make the right in America aware of the need for resolutions to these social, economic and cultural crises (as much as that will be possible anyway). They're not problems Democrats should be trying to "discuss" (read: create inflammatory public and media reactions to) for the sake of shock value, or getting out the vote.
And again, because it can't be posted enough: elected officials on the left making threats about bringing back the draft is fucked up. I think I'm off to look up some phone numbers now.
So Karl Rove musta sat and scratched his head real good about this election. Who wants to win to draft America's CHILDREN into an army, to fight Bush's oil war?
Rove figured Dems oughta take the blame for this part....
Dollars to donuts says the Dems will soon be agitating for more gun control, too. They are just so out of touch.
The only consolation is that the Reps are imploding. Bush is rapidly becoming a pariah, while his minions frantically stab each other in the back trying to dodge blame for the Iraq debacle.
We are looking at meltdown in DC. By spring our government may be running like the one in Baghdad.
This just in: Three Democratic congressman are sponsoring a bill that would designate November 29 as "National Satan Day."
It is disheartening. The Dems get into power on an anti-corruption platform, and within the first week, we have our own ethical controversies. First the pointless Murtha powerplay, with CREW (a liberal watchdog group) lambasting his compromised ethics. And then Harry Reid is voted Majority Leader the same week that Abramoff supposedly fingers Reid for taking bribes. I have always liked Murtha and Reid, and it sucks to realize that they are so similar to the Republicans whom they replaced.
Reinstating the draft isn't going anywhere and this gives every other Democrat in the Congress the chance to oppose it.They might want to rethink "National Satan Day" though.
It's a conspiracy! The Democrats are controlled by..GayPac!
So, no gays in uniform because the talibaptists don't like it. But, we may have a draft because there just aren't enough straight American bodies left for the impending war with Iran. Um, OK. Awesome. Why should someone be sent to the meat grinder in the service of those who hate them anyway? Discrimmination is a funny thing. Ha Ha. We didn't need no stinkin' sissie language translators anyway.
OK, just kidding on that last part... Fighting against discrimmination is one thing. Sponsoring a draft bill is beyond stupid.
And Alcee Hastings - please. He's the William Jefferson of Florida.
Fucking dems can't seem to resist a circular firing squad.
Kim in PA
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20061120\ACQDJON200611201147DOWJONESDJONLINE000443.htm&selected=9999&selecteddisplaysymbol=9999
US House Speaker-Elect Pelosi Says 'No' To Military Draft
By John Godfrey, OF DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Monday she doesn't support the idea of reinstating a draft for the military.
Rep. Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., has championed the idea in light of the U.S. protracted military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Pelosi said Rangel's support isn't new, though it has gained renewed attention given his appearance this weekend on televisions news programs.
"Mr. Rangel has long held this position," Pelosi said.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said legislation implementing a draft isn't on the Democratic agenda. Hoyer was elected Thursday by fellow Democrats to remain as Pelosi's second in command.
Pelosi had wanted Democrats to elect Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.
Pelosi also said she thought Rangel's call for the draft was less about actually re-imposing a military draft and more about making a statement about the war in Iraq.
"It's not about a draft, it's about shared sacrifice for our country," Pelosi said.
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