This poll is for all DeafReaders and deaf voters of college age (Gallaudet, NTID, CSUN, etc.). Please take your lovely time to consider and vote for your choice. It’s worth thinking about this.
Meanwhile, DCRepublicans have something to share with you all about Rahm Emanuel, back in a CSPAN interview back in August 2006, when he mentioned about THE plan to create something big akin to a civilian national security force in a rather bold but ambiguous tone.
Hmm. 
11/14/2008 at 11:03 am
I wonder how many voted for Obama and voted “No” in the poll? I’d say that those who voted for Obama and voted “No” in the survey are a bunch of weasle hypocrites. Or that perhaps they just made a mistake realizing Obama is changing the government to tell you and force what to do with your lives. One is that you’ll be paying higher taxes. After all, they Obama-Biden team said that it’s “patriotric” to pay higher taxes and that it is you “duty” to do so. Secondly, they’ll be saying it’s “patriotic” to be conscripted into the civil defense program or civil service and that it is your “duty” to do so, not to mention “patrioitic” because as Rahm Emanuel said it’ll “help you understand what it means to be an American.”
Sounds all too Marxist to me.
Are you an Obama voter? Did you vote “No” in Rob’s survey poll?
Why?
And what about those who voted “Yes” and “I don’t know”?
Hopey-changey government. It does your body good.
11/14/2008 at 8:36 pm
With due respect, McConnell,
Senator John McCain is also epousing many socialist stances like his constant supports for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and other government incentives helping low-income people.
I personally am very unhappy with the Obama transition team for being the holdovers from the previous Clinton adminstration.
Why in the world, the Obama transition team would think about nominating Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
That is one of most worst and harebrained ploy to give Hillary some satisification. She would be better off being the Secretary of Health and Human Services which would serve her personal passions to provide the health insurance coverages to many uninsured individuals.
Senator Joe Biden meant that the wealthiest 2% people ought to pay their fair shares from what they skirmed paying real taxes or no taxes at all.
During the history of wartime, the taxpayers usually would pay up more taxes for the cost of war and other things.
I don’t see any patriotic war bonds being sold during the GWB presidency. Why not peddle the war bonds to the wealthiest people to help out with the cost of two wars as part of patriotism?
The all-volunteer army ought to be abolished altogether and replace it with the draft system to ensure the real equality and fairness for every Americans no matter how wealthy or poor they are.
Many wealthiest people shrink their patriotic duty to fight in the war while the poorest and most vulnerable Americans end up doing the real dirty jobs in two wars.
How come didn’t the GWB/Dicky adminstration comes up with the more fundings for covering our American soliders’ health insurance coverage, especially mental health therapy in the first place before sending out soliders?
Many war veterans and current soliders are miffed about our current Vice President Dick Cheney gave out the speech last Tuesday for the Veterans’ Day while he skirmed his patriotic duty to fight in Vietnam with the student deferrements. How sad and hyprocritical of our political conservatives sing the patriotic stuff and do the opposite what they actually are doing in the real life.
Sen. John Kerry is a real patriotic American. We would be not in the finanical meltdown if not for Kerry’s superbu prosecutional skills as the former prosecutor himself.
I am darn patriotic in many ways with the emphasizeness of fiscal conservatism and healthy national and all levels of governments with strong defense modes against any kind of enemies.
Why didn’t the GWB/Dicky adminstration weed out the warlords in Afghanistan and save ourselves much troubles by dealing with the Al- Qaeda terrorists? Where is the common sense??
GWB/Dicky did not have any pre-war plannings before invading Iraq. See what happen to our federal budget?
Always proudly be politically moderate and logical and pragmatic, not subject to any political ideology,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
11/14/2008 at 9:58 pm
RLM,
Please study your history on the draft. The draft was abolished 30 years ago because it produced more unproductive and unwilling soldiers which can prove deadly to troops who rely on their own soldiers to survive. The all volunteer military continues to be the most successful military program around. Anyone can join. Even the rich and famous. Also, you need to seriously stop floating the myths that only the poor and misinformed are the ones who join voluntarily for the military.
On November 7, 2005, the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis released its 21-page “Who Bears the Burden?” report on military recruitment. This report uses Department of Defense data on all active-duty enlistees in FY 1999 and the January to September period of 2003. The report’s key finding was that “There are slightly higher proportions of recruits from the middle class and slightly lower proportions from low-income brackets,” and its lead author of that paper suggested that “Congress needs to remain steadfast in opposing coerced conscription (ie. draft) and expose the myths of racial and class exploitation in military recruiting.”
This is no different rom those who apply to become a police person or fire fighter, a duty they all acknowledge could cost them their life.
As for taxpayers, the top 5% of all income earners pay 60% of all income taxes. It’s in the IRS data spreadsheet. Secondly, the “rich” with a combined income comes to around $3 trillion dollars which is, ironically, the same for our yearly national budget of $3 trillion dollars. Even if you taxed them at 100%, it still wouldn’t be enough plus it’d be totally unrealistic (and wrong) to even try and do that. The top 25% income earners pay for 86% of all income taxes. The idea about war bonds does not apply in this situation because of the size and cost of the war to justify it. You had the United States in a *WORLD WAR II” situation (that’s when war bonds were introduced) that was on a much bigger and massive scale than compared to a puny Iraq war. You had 11.5 million soldiers in WWII compared to 130,000 to 170,000 for the Iraq war. Currently we have 1.4 million soldiers in service with some 700,000 as reserve units. As you can see, war bonds were need for WWII to generate money to help support such a massive war. I’m sure if the U.S. goes to war (WWIII) like perhaps China, Russia, Venezuela or whatever the draft will most likely come back. As for now, a draft is NOT necessary. There is no need for a draft. None whatsoever at this point in time.
11/16/2008 at 6:08 pm
Mike,
I do know the history of the American military draft system very well which President Nixon replaced it with the all-volunteer incentives!
The U.S. armed services often seduce the lower economic-rung individuals with free higher education schoolings and other benefits.
Why the recent recruiting scandals within the U.S. armed service to coerce the economically vulnerable individuals into the service? In the end, those recruiters were demoted and removed from the recruiting errands.
Several well-known individuals like the pro football player and other well-off individuals ended up dead in the miltiary service.
If the draft system were still in the effect after the 9/11 incidents. More and more people would demand the real cautitious approach to the war campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq than letting President Dubya (GWB) the free hands without formally / officially declaring the war thru the U.S. Congress as constitutionally required by the Founding Fathers.
GWB and Dicky done very poor pre-war plannings for the war campaigns in Afghanistian and Iraq anyway.
Americans ought to demand the forced possession of GWB and Dicky’s residences and personal assets to pay off the looming federal budget deficits to teach every present and future Presidents of the U.S. to treat our taxpayer money as their own. Comprendo?
GWB never asked Americans to make any sacrifice during two war campaigns in Afghanistian and Iraq anyway. The history will show what shameful for Americans going on the spending sprees during the wartime period and end up screwing our country more than ever.
Where was the real leadership and patriotism from GWB and Republicans?
RLM
11/16/2008 at 6:48 pm
RLM, there’s nothing wrong with the military recruiters offering these incentives for joining the military. The ultimate decision lies with the persons joining the military or not, regardless of how high or low their economic status are.
Beside Pat Tillman, name them all, if you please, RLM.
Suggesting that if the draft system was still in place after 9/11/01 has pretty much rendered that point moot after the VietNam War. Don’t fix what is not broken, RLM. Far more U.S. soldiers died after being drafted to fight the two-front wars during World War II than all the wars the U.S. soldiers fought and died between 1946 and 2008. Even more drafted soldiers died or dying in greater numbers as results of injuries, depression and traumatic symptoms in the years after World War II.
After the Vietnam War and the end of the draft, the numbers of US soldier death in combat operations dropped significantly as better military technologies, better/improved command structures, communications and the strategic realignment of troop divisions for cost benefits worldwide helped prevent the necessity of a military draft.
If you let “more and more people” demanding “real cautious approach” to the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, we would end up with even more disastrous outcomes of that wars and we would end up as fighting among ourselves anyway. That’s the mentality of the mobocracy (the rule of the mob in democracy), RLM. It doesn’t belong in the USA.
11/17/2008 at 2:03 am
RLM,
A draft does not make the military, or the Pentagon, approach more cautitiously on war campaigns any more cautiously than they do now with the all volunteer military. Again, RLM, we have 1.4 million active military personnel (not counting reservists) who volunteered for the military. WWII saw a draft where at one time we had 11 million military personnels. If Iraq was such an unpopular war then logic dictates that you’d see less people volunteering or signing up for the military knowing that a war was still going on. But people continue to sign up and the military continually saw all time highs on enlistments and re-elistments. Even among Latinos. And for Fiscal year ending 2008 (ends Oct 2008) you had the Army see all time high for re-enlistments. And all the while we were at war with Iraq.
Secondly, George Bush does not do pre-war planning, the Pentagon does that at the request of the president.
Thirdly, it’s Congress that pass Appropriation bills and not Bush. He either signs it or he doesn’t. But secretly put in earmarks which is NOT appropriation do not help with the overall budgeting attempts.
Fourthly, war was never declared on Iraq by Bush in 2002. Only Congress has the power to declare war. And Congress didn’t declare war but authorized Bush for use of military force against Iraq. It was a resolution of 2002 that gave Bush authorization, and not a declaration of war, to use force in Iraq. Iraq was an operation, not a declared war.
The lack of patriotism falls on liberal Democrats in Congress, for the most part, such as the attempt to take funding away from troops still fighting Iraq to Harry Reid saying earlier this year that the surge failed and that he attempted to undermine the war’s effort almost from the beginning. Their new definition of patriotrism is that you must pay higher taxes and that you must take mandatory civil defense training.
11/18/2008 at 4:02 pm
I just let you, both to do the spin jobs whatever you could pull the wools over our deaf eyes.
Both of you did espouse eloquently with your arguments anyway.
Everyone ought to do the military duty like the Israeli people. That might make our U.S. society more miltarilistic if everyone is required to do the 2-years military tour.
Two popular Israeli films address the unjustices of Israel’s treatment of Palestinans. One is “Jagger and …. ” by Ethan Fox.
The whole blame lies upon GWB’s desk for signing the legislative spending bills during his 7 years presidency. He did not use his “line-item veto” power anyway.
Both Republicans and Democrats are also at the fault for
s c r e w i n g up the Iraqi and Afghan wars anyway. GWB is the commander-in-chief.
Why didn’t John McCain blast the wasteful military spendings on private contractors like Senator Harry S. Truman during the WWII before he being picked as the VP candidate?
John McCain is no Harry S. Truman. Same thing with GWB!
RLM
11/18/2008 at 9:57 pm
RLM – “The whole blame lies upon GWB’s desk for signing the legislative spending bills during his 7 years presidency. He did not use his “line-item veto” power anyway.”
If you had actually paid attention during those 7 years President Bush was never granted the authority by Congress to give him powers to do line item veto. Though it was Congress in 1996 that passed the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 which gave Clinton his line item veto powers. He used it 11 times before the Supreme Court turned it around forbidding him or any U.S. President to have that kind of veto power when most Governors, ironically, have line item veto powers. I remember when Ronald Reagan asked Congress to give him line item veto powers. So did GWB.
President Bush was never granted that authority. Had he done so we wouldn’t see as much wasteful spending. And, of course, Obama cannot do line item veto either.
Look up Clinton vs. New York City.
Next time, RLM, a little research goes a long way instead of blabbing mindlessly telling everybody who reads here that Bush failed to use his line item veto powers when he was never given the authority by Congress in the first place!!! Had Bush been given the authority to do line item veto we would in fact see him use that power and reduce wasteful spending. Bush has the authority to veto an appropriation bill but not line item veto each item in the appropriation bill.
As for McCain on military spending, again, you’re blind. He served on the Senate Armed Services Committee and have gone against Bush on military spending issues. He has gone after military contracts that he felt was a wasteful contract for the military.
http://articles.latimes.com/1999/sep/25/news/mn-13863
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/07/27/congress.military.reut/index.html
http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/John_McCain_Defense.htm
You see, RLM, McCain never requested earmarks for Arizona because he’s against frivolous spending. This is true when it comes to military when you have pork barrel projects in the military that have nothing to do with national defense. McCain sees that. But he has also gone after military contracts that were deemed as wasteful as well.
11/22/2008 at 9:13 pm
Sen. John McCain on the Senate Armed Committee, failed to stop any kind of $600 million dollars on failed war contracts!
RLM
11/24/2008 at 9:40 pm
RLM, McCain didn’t fail, it was Congress! You can’t even get that one right, either. Even though McCain is a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee which is empowered with legislative oversight of the nation’s military spending. McCain cannot by himself control which contracts are allowed or not. Though he has influence along many other committee members when it comes to our nation’s defense bill. But it is Congress who ultimately decide whether a National Defense Authorization Bill gets the vote or not. For example, in 2006 McCain lost a floor battle in his effort to stop the Air Force from using a multiyear contract to buy 60 F-22 Raptor fighter jets over the next three years.
Though you need to review the Fiscal Year 2008 defense authorization bill and see the language written in regarding contracts and the effort to reduce wasteful spending, reduce the risk of contract overpricing, cost overruns, and failure to meet contract schedules and performance requirements. Even for the first time insert language on protecting whistle blowers on wasteful spending.
“To strengthen statutory protections for contractor employees who blow the whistle on waste, fraud and abuse on Department of Defense contracts. This provision would, for the first time, provide a private right of action in federal court for contractor employees who are subject to reprisal for their efforts to protect the taxpayers’ interests.”
http://armed-services.senate.gov/press/08mark.pdf
With McCain’s effort he has helped saved billions of dollars when it comes to military spending. Here’s an example:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YzBlZGY5YTE0MWQ1YjQyNzY2NWQ1ODQ2MWYzMGVkNjQ=
What’s next, RLM? Say that McCain has total dictorial control over military spending in Congress? Just like you said that Bush failed to do any line item veto to help control Congressional spending when in fact Bush was never authorized by Congress to have that sort of power in the first place.
You’re out of your league, RLM.
;-p