November 26, 2006

Top Democrat: Troops Are Stupid

The incoming Chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee and a Deputy Majority Whip, Charlie Rangel (D-NY), reiterated the point that US troops are stupid today on Fox News Sunday.

Wow. He actually believes that. Or maybe it was just another botched joke? Right.

After putting up stats showing that US military recruits are less likely to be African Americans, come from poorer neigborhoods, or be high school dropouts, the question asked to Rangel was this: Isn't the volunteer Army better educated and more well to do than the general population?

Rangel answers:

Of course not. 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.

My experience has been that returning soldiers are generally smarter and harder working than the average college student. By. A. Long. Shot.

It's not even close. If I had a chance to just teach returning Marines, soldiers, sailors, or airmen I'd do it in a heartbeat. They are that good.

Look, no one goes in to the military because it provides them with the opportunity to kill people. Yes, many join because it helps get them into college. But these aren't children. They know what they are getting into.

To think of them as anything other than fully competent adults is an insult to our men and women in uniform.

Charlie Rangel.

UPDATE: You want stats, we got stats! When we aim, we aim to please.