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Change: Required National Service

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CmdrBretz

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http://change.gov/americaserves/

America Serves

"When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream."

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

;)

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Sounds like a similar situation to what Canada has.

Not even close.

There are some provinces that have instituted mandatory volunteer (voluntold) programs but as far as I know most have not. There is also no Canadian version of AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps that I've ever heard of. There is no Classroom Corps to help teachers in undeserved schools or Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Veterans Corps or Seniors corps.

On another note... Holy fuck that's a huge call to arms metaphorically.

Who's gonna pay?

Who is responsible?

Who decides where the boundaries are between private and public action now in America?

When the next election comes, with a huge increase in the public sector that these programs will have to have to support them, how many people will be looking at their new messiah for their next paycheck?

With Obama already calling those who don't want to pay more taxes selfish (with all the negative connotations the left has hoisted on that word) how long before people and employers start asking, even obliquely if you give enough of your time to America?

Perhaps as SBP2009 implied, America may beat Canada to the bottom of the socialist sty after all.

Edited by Zip
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"Required" how? Are they going to deny diplomas to any high school student who doesn't comlpete their 50 hours? If so, get ready for the largest percentage of high school flunk-outs in the history of the country. I know it's been 12 years since I have been in high school, but I remember what high school students are like. How could anyone ever expect students to get off their lazy asses and off their video games to complete 50 hours of community service? You can't get a teenager to spend 20 minutes doing homework!

Edited by KevinDW78
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"Required" how? Are they going to deny diplomas to any high school student who doesn't comlpete their 50 hours? If so, get ready for the largest percentage of high school flunk-outs in the history of the country. I know it's been 12 years since I have been in high school, but I remember what high school students are like. How could anyone ever expect students to get off their lazy asses and off their video games to complete 50 hours of community service? You can't get a teenager to spend 20 minutes doing homework!

Wait a second Kevin, you aren't suggesting that perhaps it might be more useful to demand students complete 50 hours of homework are you? Do you realize how unfair that is? :confused:

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ok I have a compromise. Students only in the public education system qualify for this requirement and in exchange for partial repayment for their sponging off tax money taken from me, they have to mow my lawn and wash my windows as "community service"

...Damn, just appoint me to a cabinet position already.

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This required national service is definitely evil, but I don't think they will be able to force it on most young Americans for a while. They start off with volunteers and beat that horse into the ground until they can make it mandatory. Service to the country when one is young is not a viable alternative to deciding what one wants to do with his life and take the actions required to achieve that self-chosen end (i.e going to college, learning a skill, getting work experience, etc.). I guess Obama really meant it when he said he was against the virtue of selfishness. So, it looks like he will be shooting for an Obama Youth as some feared. Will it become like the Brown Shirts? It depends on how well he can ram it through, If the Greens and the back to Nature freaks and the Save the Earth crowd can't influence enough people voluntarily, look for them to encourage national involuntary servitude.

I do remember when there was some volunteer movement under Bush, I believe, ARI set up the Volunteers against Volunteering. So, I guess it would be possible to put in your community service by speaking out against the policies and spreading the ideal of capitalism. Not that this ought to be forced on anyone, but if you can get credit for it, maybe you can try writing an essay or two to your selected forum and speak out for your rights as a volunteer against the onslaught of all the volunteers for nature and the planet.

It's ghastly altruism, but many of us were expecting this from the new messiah of government sponsored altruism at the point of a gun.

http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=New...cle&id=7460

The growing bipartisan support for the AmeriCorps does not morally legitimize that program, McConnell said. Instead, such support demonstrates the ideological similarity and moral bankruptcy of the major political parties.

Since 1997, the Ayn Rand Institute has been the only voice morally opposing volunteerism. Through the Institute's Anti-Servitude Internship Program, students have the opportunity to fulfill their school's volunteer requirements by working to abolish volunteerism.

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Through the Institute's Anti-Servitude Internship Program, students have the opportunity to fulfill their school's volunteer requirements by working to abolish volunteerism.

happy0147.gifhappy0007.gifPriceless!

Edited by Zip
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"Required" how? Are they going to deny diplomas to any high school student who doesn't comlpete their 50 hours?

Even now, if you want to get into a decent college or honor society, you must prove that you are a "well rounded" person by either coming from the slums or spending X many hours "volunteering" there. I don't think the intellectual class cares so much about the average student, as indoctrinating those who are likely to become successful adults with the altruist mentality. The kids who are too lazy to "volunteer" will be to lazy too resist a slave state as adults.

Edited by GreedyCapitalist
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If such a law is passed (which I doubt it will ever be passed because Congress is not THAT stupid, they know they will never be able to enforce it), all that will happen is a significant reduction in productivity. My time is valuable. I generally do not have even a few hours to spare on mundane things, let alone 100 hours per year.

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