In the CNN/YouTube Democratice Debate the other night, Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd were doing their best to one-up each other on universalizing a service that America is one of the last countries to mandate. No, this is not yet another health care article. The service: labor.
I don’t mean to sound alarmist here, that work camps and total command of the labor market are around the corner. But the first steps were loudly applauded at the debate. It was fitting that the subject was brought up in a question about the military draft. Dodd started the contest:
I’m an advocate of universal nation service, not by mandating it, but one of the things I’m missing in our country is the shared experience… I want to see every American given the opportunity to serve their country in some way. I think we need to do more of that in the United States today. Elections ought to be more than just about a series of issues, but the shared experiences of service. It’s so important that every American have that opportunity. It’s something I strongly advocate and would advocate as president.
Dodd says he isn’t going to mandate it – just make it available – as if charities and various service organizations are desperate for more volunteers right now. No, the government clearly needs to spend a decent chunk of change to make a new “public service” program.
However, it will be mandated - 100 hours per person before they graduate high school. Again, not labor-camp material - but it is labor camp principle.
Clinton, not to be undone in collectivist rhetoric, let slip the fact that she would go the extra mile with such a plan:
I agree completely with Chris. We’ve got to look for more ways for universal national service. I’ve introduced legislation for a public service academy that would be patterned on great institutions like The Citadel and our military academies. Because we’ve got to get young people back into public service. And the other night we had a provision in our bill that we passed to have people who go into public service have their student loans deferred and even forgiven. We need to do more to support public service.
I bet most people didn’t know that this issue is already being legislated right now. I sure didn’t. I find it fascinating that no politician would support the draft (although they’ve never taken it off the books) yet several seem to still support the premise behind it – that government has a right to your labor, time and productive effort. That somehow, each individual owes it to their country to give these things without question – with the sole reason being platitudes about “shared experience” or sacrifice as a virtue.
Another crazy lady in her own way, Ayn Rand
No man can have a right to impose an unchosen obligation, an unrewarded duty or an involuntary servitude on another man.
While obviously we aren’t talking about involuntary servitude in the terms that we usually think of it – the principle is still the same here. That the government may soon demand some portion of each citizen’s time without a realistic option to quit or defer. Remember, that this question was not asked but the candidates felt safe enough on the subject to volunteer this information. It received some of the loudest applause of the night when statements against a military draft (as opposed to a labor draft) were also applauded. In other words, Americans are still to naive about the principles this country was founded on to discern one form of involuntary servitude for another.
This goes hand-in-hand with the idea that we should tax people to provide for the poor via welfare, rather than reduce taxes so that individuals can choose of their own free will to help the needy. Furthermore, it speaks to the left’s idea that government knows best on domestic issues. Nevermind that government is ALWAYS less efficient than private groups, as was proven by Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans waited for the government to bail them out (no pun intended) while the rest of the gulf got about fixing the damages. Thus, Mississippi is largely rebuilt while New Orleans still has areas that look like they did right after the dikes broke. Any people who become addicted to handouts, welfare, and the government purse quickly lose all sense of self-sufficiency.
“However, it will be mandated - 100 hours [of public service] per person before they graduate high school.”
Some of the public high schools here in the Dallas area have already been requiring community service. I don’t like the idea, but I can understand (sort of) if it’s a decision made by the local school board. A federal mandate is something else. How can it even be Constitutionally defended? Public education has always been the purview of state governments.
Education has become increasing federalized since fiscal and governmental conservatism largely died in the Republican Party. Not to long ago conservatives use to be for abolishing the DoE, but now you get Bush photo oping with Kennedy to expand federal regulation of education.
Can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Yeah, Bush has had an unfortunate penchant for expanding government. Guess that’s what happens when it is considered politically “extreme” to push for anything that decreases the size of government. When the debate is framed in such a manner, with a leftist position used as the middle or moderate position, you get a George W Bush. The media is mostly to blame for this, as they pretend to be neutral while at the same time staking out what constitutes cultural and political “norms.” Thus, almost all conservative positions become “extreme” according to NBC, CNN, and the like, while leftists such as Hillary supposedly represent the middle ground.
For conservatism to win the day, the battle has to be brought to the world of mainstream media, where the cultural “standards” are produced. For every thinking person who has the discretion to see through the BS in the mainstream media, there are 25 automatons who slowly have their beliefs altered by the subliminal messages emanating from the media. Thankfully, mainstream media as we know it is a dying breed. Such bastions of leftist thought as the New York Times, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and CBS are hemorraging readers and viewers by the hundreds each month, while conservative publications and radio/TV shows are thriving.
For conservatism to win the day, the battle has to be brought to the world of mainstream media, where the cultural “standards” are produced. For every thinking person who has the discretion to see through the BS in the mainstream media, there are 25 automatons who slowly have their beliefs altered by the subliminal messages emanating from the media. Thankfully, mainstream media as we know it is a dying breed. Such bastions of leftist thought as the New York Times, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and CBS are hemorraging readers and viewers by the hundreds each month, while conservative publications and radio/TV shows are thriving.
Which would be brilliant, if indeed I wanted conservatism to win the day.
Which reminds me, I really do need to go subscribe to reason and the local paper.
Which reminds me, I really do need to go subscribe to reason and the local paper.
Phenomenal publication - I highly recommend their hit and run blog.
That would be reason the magazine, not reason the Ardith-trying-to-make-exceptionally-nasty-remark, that is.
Like every other progression of government in history, serving the “fatherland” becomes synonymous with “patriotism” and “good will towards mankind”. This goes for modern republicans (military) to modern democrats (work-service projects). Different routes, same destination.
Don’t worry about being “alarmist”! People should be warned about these things!
Would you be willing to spread the word about www.draftresistance.org? It’s a site dedicated to shattering the myths surrounding the selective slavery system and building mass civil disobedience to stop the draft before it starts.
Our banner on a website, printing and posting the anti-draft flyer or just telling friends would help.
Thanks!
Scott Kohlhaas
PS. When it comes to conscription, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
I’ll do you one better: I intentionally broke the law by not re-registering with the Selective Service when I moved. I’m a criminal!
Hmm… I guess I unintentionally broke it as well, since I didn’t realize you have to keep registering with the Selective Service.
I thought you just had to register once. In that case, my hubby’s broken it half a dozen times…
I’m pretty sure you don’t have to re-register for the Selective Service. I just went to their website and it doesn’t say anything about that.
oops, nevermind, I found it. Anyone under the age of 26 is supposed to notify the SS of a change of address. Well, I broke that once or twice, but not it doesn’t apply. I doubt anyone actually follows that rule, pretty impressive that Jew even knew about it.