Rangel Hates America, Rangel Hates America…Wait, What?!?

So Charles Rangel, the genius Democrat who actually supports a reinstatement of the military draft, came out on national television today to say that nobody would go to Iraq if they had realistic career options elsewhere. Predictably, the conservative blogs…and Instapundit, who isn’t a conservative…are all over this, declaring once again that Democrats hate the military, that Democrats hate the troops, that Democrats…*yawn*

Here’s what Rangel actually said:

I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.

That’s a fairly interesting position, and in no way does that represent a slandering of the troops. Incidentally, I’m not sure his position is right in absolute terms - of course there are people who have a choice between joining the military and doing something else - but where do most troops come from? What are the backgrounds of most troops? If Rangel should be castigated for anything, it is talking in absolutes instead of majorities.

Had he specified that large majorities of soldiers join the military because they believe there to be nowhere else to go, or to do, or whatever? That would have been more convincing. But still, observing that most people will choose the less dangerous of two situations with equal economic benefit doesn’t seem so far-fetched. And it certainly isn’t unAmerican or anti-military.