The real reason ...

Charlie Rangel's proposal on reinstating the Draft should go to a floor vote. I like the idea of a compulsory national service with some reservations as we discussed on Gord's post the other day. The thoughtful Lawrence O'Donnell:

...

Rangel could never get such attention to that message without introducing his bill. Nancy Pelosi should let it come to a vote. She should let the House debate the draft. Let the Republicans give speeches listing all the good reasons why we should have a volunteer Army. But let's hear Rangel's speech about how the burden of war is not fairly shared in this country. Let's get America thinking about exactly who is being left in the line of fire in the war Americans have turned against and know we can't win. Let's get America thinking about John Kerry's line about Vietnam--who is going to be the last soldier to die for a mistake? A real debate on the draft will do that. Don't worry, the bill has no chance of passing. [my em]

...

You know it has no chance of passing. Too many on both sides don't want their kids losing a limb, or their minds, or their lives in that, or any, meatgrinder. But we need to have the debate about how valuable the lives of our soldiers really are and their real purpose of defending this nation as opposed to making a bunch of oligarchs richer.

Great thanks to C & L for the link.