Talk:Charles B. Rangel

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Contents 1 Draft 2 statements about the troops 3 Taxation? 4 Jobs

[edit] Draft

He is a hot topic. He seems to be an embarrassment for the Democrats because his reasoning is not following the usual etiquette that one should not use human beings. His idea is basically that to stop wars we need a national draft for men into military (or port security) service. This draft will upset the "imbalance" between hawks and doves in favor of less military action conducted during peacetime. It requires that all able men of the specified age, regardless of socio-economic class, will be equally considered. The upset will occur when, for example, enough children of people who are in positions of power are smacked to their senses that we don't want to put our loved ones in combat. It sounds not unlike the idea that if everyone has a nuke, no one is gonna use it.

There are some problems with this system, on a purely objective sense; it creates a problem to solve another problem. Anyone who has taken statistics knows that the more variables in a system, the less accurate predictions become. Rangel's theory could just as easily go in a different direction (and I mean possibly; I'm not trying to say what he says couldn't happen, just that it's not necessarily going to happen). Suppose the people in positions of power, after instituting the draft and then feeling the hurt of losing loved ones to combat, decide to simply alter the terms of the draft, rather than the terms of the military activities. Assuming the world is not insane, there is a reason why military campaigns occur, so whatever it is they're shooting or bombing, they will want to keep doing that as long as they can and want to. Adding a draft makes those campaigns easier to maintain. Who is to say that adding a draft will not make a more powerful and successful military? How does making something easier for a working system (in this case finding a larger "workforce") necessarily cause it to crumble?

It is very probable that the people outside of the military will find objections to any sort of draft, but the military is its own system with its own agenda. Even if the son of a governor, for example Joe, is drafted, all the military needs to do is make a judgement that said individual is most suited for [some safe military base on domestic soil]. Rangel's draft will not be able to affect the logistics of the military in this case. So now Rangel's theory that drafts will upset the people in positions of power has actually done the opposite; now Joe is a safe hero of the military and something for the governor to be proud of.

In the end, I think Rangel would have made an unsuccessful meteorologist, but that doesn't mean he necessarily would have been false. --Trakon 23:40, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

I think the draft should be its own section, as this is what he is known for. The section on how liberal he is very POV by definition. I think it should be taken out, but if it is left in, it should be put in Political Career if anything. OneWorld22 03:53, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] statements about the troops

I added a section, under controversies, about the comments made by Rangel on Fox News on 26NOV06. I'm pretty sure it is an issue that deserves to be addressed here. While, in the interest of disclosure I am forced to admit that I find the comments disgusting and inappropriate, I have tried to cover it as dispassionately as possible. Lordjeff06 18:36, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

And I have added this reference:

• Uncle Charlie Wants You! , The Wall Street Journal editorial, November 25, 2006

[edit] Taxation?

The guy leads the Ways and Means committee, yet I searched the article and did not fine the word "tax".  ??? This is the same guy that proposed the "Mother of all tax reforms / hikes"... correct? Morphh ^(talk) 20:15, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Jobs

It says in the intro

Mr. Rangel has never held a private-sector job, owned a business, or met a payroll. He has spent his entire adult life working for one or another government agency.

Later it says

After graduating law school, Rangel passed the state bar exam and worked in private practice for a year.

Which is true?

168.7.228.35 (talk) 22:05, 2 May 2008 (UTC)