Here's what Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska said about the Bush tax cuts, when asked whether they're appropriate given the country's military commitments in Iraq:
"Why shouldn't we ask all of our citizens to bear some responsibility and pay some price?" Hagel said.
Hagel acknowledged that rolling back the Bush tax cuts would be politically unpopular, particularly among the most affluent and influential voters in president's base. However, Hagel noted that, in time of war, the government's revenues need to be commensurate with the expenses of its military commitments. He argued that, in light of the mushrooming costs of the Iraqi conflict, it would be irresponsibe for the government to continue to pursue its current budget policies that were enacted before the conflict began. Hagel contended that revoking the Bush discounts to taxpayers in the top 1% bracket would force "our citizens to understand the intensity and depth of challenges we face."
The Nebraska Republican added that [restoring taxation to Clinton administration levels] would spread the burden of military service in Iraq more equitably among various social strata.
"Those who are serving today and dying today are the middle class and lower middle class," he observed.
Just kidding!!! Senator Hagel was really talking about reinstating the draft, not rolling back Bush's tax cuts. Read the non-satirical AP story here:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040420/pl_afp/us_iraq_military_draft&ci
d=1521&ncid=1480
But all joking aside, Hagel does have a point. I mean, if there were a draft today, the children of the upper classes would end up serving in Iraq too, just like they did in Vietnam. Of course it's inevitable that some particularly well-connected individuals would manage to "work it out with the military", but that probably wouldn't happen much today, right?