Rangel calls Iraq war a ``death tax'' on poor and minorities

Newsday.com ^ | April 15, 2004 | Associated Press

[ElkCounty]

Rep. Charles Rangel branded the Iraqi war a "death tax" on America's poor and minorities in a speech Thursday criticizing the Bush administration's foreign policy.

Speaking of military personnel serving in Iraq, Rangel said: "Where they're going, what a heavy tax is paid on their lives. ... The real death tax is a tax on the poor."

The congressman said about a quarter of those killed in action so far have been black or Hispanic, and are drawn to the military as a way out of economic hardship.

[ElkCounty]

Rangel says that since a quarter of those killed in action in Iraq are Black or Hispanic this over-representation in fatalities constitutes a "death tax on the poor." Rangel should look up the last census figures. If he did he'd discover that blacks make up 12% of the US population and Hispanics make up 13%. When you add those two percentages together you get--surprise!--25%, the very number that he thinks is disproportionately high. In fact, it's whites who are dying in Iraq in disproportionate numbers. Since the black and Hispanic populations tend to be younger than average, they make up a larger percentage of the soldier-age population than whites. Regrettable as any deaths are in war, blacks and Hispanics are under-represented when it comes to dying in Iraq.

[Lost Highway]

They have to figure out that solgans from 1969 will not work. Or not. ;-)

[goldstategop]

Charlie Rangel is anti-American. The Democrats have been taken over by their wacko fringe. Do we want to trust the safety of this country to the likes of these guys? They don't have one good word to say for our troops who are fighting and dying over there. <shudder

[Iron Matron]

The congressman said about a quarter of those killed in action so far have been black or Hispanic

What an aS$whole, what does it matter what color those brave soldiers are? If it does, what group makes up the larger (75%) enlistment?

[Reactionary]

Liberals are sure brainy. They think that equality exists in everything, including death.

Of course, what they really think that politics is civil war by other means. Just like Stalin.

[ysoitanly]

Charles Rangel is terrified of facts. His MO is scream louder as they are being recited, and play the race card. I'm so SICK of Fox and other networks giving him any credibility by granting airtime to his racist rantings. He has a lifetime 'appointment' in his district because of the way it's divvied up, so we're stuck hearing his bull$hit.

[boris]

These people rely on the public's short memories and attention span.

When I was in college, there was a draft, and it was condemned as 'unfair' because rich white guys could get college deferments.

Now Rangle wants to re-instate the draft because minorities enlist more than whites (claims it is the only path upward from poverty) and thus an all-volunteer military is 'unfair'.

In other words, they can twist it to be unfair no matter what you do. What they are really after is to weaken the U.S. military and hence the nation.

This was once called treason.

--Boris

[jolie560]

Waht makes Rangel think the military draft was fair the last time? I know who was drafted and who was not in the 1960s.

As a Korean vet, Rangel should know that, too.

[auboy]

Rangel = Wrangle

[to argue or dispute, esp. in a noisy or angry manner]

Dems = Wrangle

[Califelephant]

"The congressman said about a quarter of those killed in action so far have been black or Hispanic, and are drawn to the military as a way out of economic hardship."

Unlike the white folks who are drawn to the military because they like to shoot people.

Rangel is a racist dork.

[playball0]

Rangel: House socialist. Silly, but strangely powerful.

[My2Cents]

It's a mystery, and an apparent injustice, that heroic young men die in war, while worthless piles of flesh like Charlie Rangel seem to live forever. At least these guys dying in Iraq believe in the mission, believe in giving democracy and freedom a chance in the Middle East, believe that America and America's values ares worth defending, even if it means they are putting themselves in harm's way. What thing of lasting value has Charlie Rangel ever done for America?

[dennisw]

Ch. Rangel is most despicable type of semi senile, pandering, race baiting scum. Plus a supreme egotist in love with the TV cameras

[wtc911]

If the military is theonly or most accessible way out of poverty for minorities then what have we been spending those domestic billions on for the last forty years? Have any of the Dem War on Poverty programs worked at all?

[genefromjersey]

Maybe Charlie Rangel should get his wish - MY way !!

1. Universal Military Service Required for all hands,ages 18-29, male AND female,single,and/or no children.

2. NO deferments for college students.

3. NO deferments because Daddy or Mommy is rich.

Term of Service - 2 years active;2 years active (reporting & drilling) reserve;4 years inactive reserve.

[Maceman]

If (God Forbid) the Democrats ever recapture the House, Charles Rangle will be chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee.

How's that for terror?

[firebrand]

He's speaking right on my block on Saturday. I'd leaflet the crowd, but I don't think it would do any good.

[SZonian]

Rangel is an idiotic, traitorous politician who uses the race and draft card to incite fear and anger!

He has been doing this for years prior to now and the Iraq war has become his soapbox of spreading his vile BS.

Cheers!

[alloysteel]

Trace the argument far enough, and we find Charlie Rangel is agitating for the return of the draft. As things stand now, every member of the armed services now is a volunteer who entered duty with the knowledge that the job could turn dangerous, whether as active duty service person, or as an active reservist. The supplementary civilians who signed on as security personnel took the contract knowing this was more dangerous than being, say, a night janitor.

Being sent to Iraq may have come as a rude surprise to some, and given the opportunity, some of these disappointed youngsters have gone crying loud and long to the press and the public about their plight. They may eventually be excused from further duty, but not from the consequences of their actions, and could still face retribution from the government and the nation they have chosen to dishonor.

Charlie excels at being offended that "people of color" and those of lower economic situations are "disproportionately" represented in the service. In a misplaced impulse at making the field "level" for the poor and minorities, the draft should be brought back so "rich men's sons" would have to be serving at the side of the other common grunts.

News flash, Charlie. Rich men's sons, if they serve at all, have college degrees, and jockey for position either in the commissioned ranks, or for some soft duty in a place of low probability of engagement in a shooting war (Edward M. Kennedy, 1951-2, PFC, serving in an attache assignment, or Al Gore, on a "journalist" assignment in Viet Nam, with a constant escort in and out of various localities, none of which were particularly threatening). Now Charlie, he was on the front line, a draftee, and some very hostile people were SHOOTING at him, and if Charlie had to face that, then EVERYBODY should face the same thing.

We might, Charlie, we just might. When they come swarming into our neighborhoods and shut down our cities.

[boris]

Bob? Bob Heinlein? Is that you?

--Boris