Anime is Japan's way at getting back at us for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (I except, of course, "Astroboy.")
I've waited quite a bit to comment on this. I have hemmed and hawed, since it's undoubtedly a waste of my time, but...I was always taught to speak up and note that the Emperor has no clothes on, when the Emperor *doesn't* have any clothes on. This is one of those occasions.
Teresa posts ---
3. Draft. If anyone asks, say yes, of course they will. They’re not conscripting troops now because they calculated that it would damage Bush’s chances in this election. That’s why 40% of our troops in Iraq are National Guard and Army Reserve—units that were never meant to be thrown into combat in elective overseas wars. That can’t go on. The GAO itself says they can’t raise enough troops that way. Spread the word about the draft, too.
(Footnote: Patrick notes that dodging to Canada won’t work this time. They’ve closed that bolthole. Vote or die.)
OK, let's actually *think* about this, instead of just spreading things we *beleive* because they conform to one's worldview.
A Democrat, Charles Rangel, introduced a bill to reintroduce the draft -- in a cynical move, it must be added, to introduce the whole issue of draft into the discourse. Mr. MCDERMOTT D-, Mr. CONYERS D-, Mr. LEWIS Democrat of Georgia, Mr. STARK D-CA, and Mr. ABERCROMBIE D-HI were the onlyu consponsors -- Democrats all. This was H.R. 163. It was voted down in the House of Representatives by 404 to 2 -- those two voting for it both being Democrats (Pete Stark of California and John Murtha of Pennsylvania).
IN OTHER WORDS, THE ENTIRE GOP DELEGATION OF THE HOUSE VOTED *NO* -- as well as almost every single Democrat, too.
Now how do you propose to actually get a draft *passed* in the House? Please explain it to me in small, simple words. I only worked in the House for six years, and in the Senate for 2; and I only worked as a professional lobbyist for 7; I might not know as much about these people, their procedures, and their ways as you so obviously do.
And you'd need the Senate to also vote yes, too, on an identical bill, in order to be able to get it to the President to sign (whoever that President might be). Let's see....a Senate with just barely a Republican majority; with 48 Democrats and one Independent (actually a Democrat, Jeffords)...and where you need 60 votes to invoke cloture. Even if the GOP picks up a bunch of Senate seats (not likely!), there's NO WAY that cloture can be achieved. So...there's *no* way that draft legislation comes out of the Senate.
And in any case, you'd have to have a President who wants to sign such a draft bill. And Bush doesn't want to. Neither does Kerry.
And in a Kerry Administration, the Secretary of Defense wouldn't likely want a draft.
The current SecDef, Rumsfeld, *hates* the draft -- and he wants to cut the military manpower count even more than it is at present. He still does. This is viewed by some people (such as Teresa and Patrick, given past posts) as a Big Mistake; and it probably is. But the point here is that the very Secretary of Defense in a 2nd Bush Administration also doesn't want a draft, for reasons of his own having to do with transformation of the Army bureaucracy (whether for good or ill; you decide).
The Joint Chiefs don't want the draft either.
"They’re not conscripting troops now because they calculated that it would damage Bush’s chances in this election." They're also not conscripting troops now because they'd have to pass a LAW to be able to do so. No executive order will suffice.
You're right about the political calculation involved -- which would be the same for whoever was in office; the American polity won't put up with a draft (and it shouldn't; it's slavery).
But the point about needing more troops remains; and it is a True Point (IMHO anyway). What to do? The back will break at some point.
So what'll happen in a Bush 2nd Administration, is that troops will be taken from Germany, Japan, and probably also Korea (big mistake) and sent to Iraq and the middle east theaters. Also, perhaps the Bush Administration will ask for legislation and money to...wait for it...*hire more troops.* The *ONLY* reason we have the number of troops we have today is that there is a legislative lid on the total number that the Department of Defense is allowed to recruit. Change that number, and fund it (appropriate the monies), and you can recruit more troops. No draft; but you've now got more troops; problem solved.
But requesting that sort of legislative relief during 2004 was politically impossible.
Rangel et alia were guilty of being incredibly cynical about this; but that's politics. Teresa, you obviously seriously *and sincerely* believe this tripe -- and you really ought not to. It doesn't stand up to any real serious analysis.
I cannot *believe* it. Is no one here literate?!
"The Rediscovery of Man," by Cordwainer Smith.
I rest my case.
OK, one more thing.
My very first con of *any* sort was Noreascon I. FWIW. And I was at #2, and #3. Only money is keeping me from attending #4.
Moving -- We moved from Alexandria VA to north of Philadelphia, driving two self-packed trucks. I then had to unload the trucks, and then drive one of them back to Alexandria, then drive our car back to Horsham PA. All during an ice storm.
Then we moved to Fort Worth, driving this time only one self-packed truck. Unload at the end was also just me.
Then we moved back to Virginia. This time, we had people pack us, move us, and unload us. Your tax dollars at work; thanks all!
But I'm now told by the owner of our rental that when the lease is up in February, that he's selling the place, and we'll have to move.
Yes, that's plenty of warning. Alas, it was given *after* i'd unpacked everything and thrown all the boxes away. (Recycled, actually, but I digress...)
Two moves is equal to one battle, or so Marcus Aurelius said. I think.
To all the MCFI/Norescon Four folks ---
Good luck, and thank you. It's a thankless bidness, and geez, you've now gotten at least *one* thank.
Teresa, I was 22; I turned 23 two months after Iggy.
And to Charles Stross, I have what *may* be something that will amuse him. And that is that the Pentagon Library has a copy of Singularity Sky...
I just checked it out, too. It was prominently displayed in their New Books display.
I should be working, but I'm now on page 167.
Hope your dad does well. The very best of luck to the both of you.
Geez. You'd think *you'd* know better.
*ALL* WorldCons look like the light from an on-coming train, before they happen.
And then they happen, and the world moves on.
Oh, yes, sometimes they're not very well done, and fuggheaditry happens. Sometimes fuggheaditry is even in charge. And yet, the next time around, the following year, it happens again.
To quote Terry Gilliam, "It's only a model."
Briliant; simply fucking briliant.
Way better than the Simpson's McBethI saw about half a year ago.
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| 2004 | 6 |
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