VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [8], 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 10:13:38 11/13/08 Thu
Author: Ned Depew
Author Host/IP: 75.106.170.7
Subject: Civil Service evil? What about the CCC and the Draft?
In reply to: D Jam 's message, "Re: Just the facts....." on 19:45:41 11/12/08 Wed

What is your problem with this D-J?

Many Americans testify that the contact with a broad spectrum of fellow citizens during WWII was one of the seminal, transformative experiences of their lives, socially and politically.

Those war films of "the unit" with its Brooklyn wise-guy, its hayseed, its street-wise black, its intellectual ("doc, "college-boy" or "prof"), it's tough-but-fair leader, its "ladykiller," (and sometimes even its native American) reflected a real experience of many recruits (both volunteers and draftees) of intimate work and co-operation with fellow citizens with whom they would never otherwise have had any contact.

The after-war benefits of the raised expectations and ambitions of those soldiers - partly, no doubt inspired by seeing something of "how the other half lives" and supported by the GI Bill - led to the greatest upsurge in US prosperity for the population as a whole in our history.

Many successful democratic countries have similar programs - Sweden, Germany, Switzerland. Often there is mandatory military component - which is not exactly what Emmanuel is suggesting - but it might be an elective option.

The prospect of facing a well-trained citizen militia in addition to regular armed forces should give pause to any potential "enemy" who has thought about our own and others' incursions in southeast Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and many other places.

The idea of building a sense of national "community" by providing a "common experience" in which all Americans would participate seems a great idea to me. I don't see anything sinister in it at all.

The idea that the privilege of American citizenship must be honored with service to country is one that I see as wonderfully - and potentially practically - idealistic. I very much like the idea that it would be outside the "armed services" model.

Can you explain a little more clearly what you see as "dangerous' about a three month (or even six month) commitment for all American young people to undertaking some form of training and co-operative work in the national interest?

I'd like to see it offered as an option - a sort of adult "camp,' "hostel" or "mission"- for Americans of all ages, including those between jobs, retired, or with some interest in doing something completely different from their regular careers. Seems like a great idea to me.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.