Before New York Congressman Charles Rangel found himself under this recent firestorm of ethics charges, he was well known for periodically introducing bills calling for a military draft. As a symbolic gesture of course, with no chance of getting passed.
The idea is that Americans, as a whole, would be less aggressive about fighting "bad guys" if it was their kids that were going to be doing the fighting.
The reason I bring it up is because I keep hearing libertarians tell me that Rangel's is a good idea. That it's funny and clever. And I'll accept the latter premise, but it's not a "good idea".
As libertarians, we're not Machiavellian in our desires, are we? We're not merely looking for the beneficial end game that freedom results in, even though we believe there is one. Freedom is the end game. We're not just fighting for drug legalization because we think it will make the world a better place. Freedom is the end game.
And while you can argue that, in terms of results, Rangel's bill is a step toward freedom - it would also be a big step back.
By: Eric Olsen, Regular Columnist
Articles | Author's Page | Website
