"Community Service" Yep, Mandatory.

[Soaring]

Here are some other socialistic things that Obama will be bringing to our country. I think this is just the top of the iceberg. It is starting to sound like the Hitler youth corps. and that scares me. Did you guys read in today's newspaper that gun sales have been at an all-time high this week? There is a reason for that, but that is another subject.

“Community service”? Yep, mandatory

Coyote Blog: Taxing People With No Money

Coyote Blog: Massive Campaign to Bring Back Indentured Servitude

[Tanngrisnir3]

Originally Posted by Soaring

Here are some other socialistic things that Obama will be bringing to our country. I think this is just the top of the iceberg. It is starting to sound like the Hitler youth corps. and that scares me. Did you guys read in today's newspaper that gun sales have been at an all-time high this week? There is a reason for that, but that is another subject.

“Community service”? Yep, mandatory

Coyote Blog: Taxing People With No Money

Coyote Blog: Massive Campaign to Bring Back Indentured Servitude

There is nothing in any of those about mandatory anything, and it sounds nothing like the Hilter Youth program that you clearly know nothing about.

What this looks like the beginning of is unhinged, full canvas jacket raving from loony RWers.

[lizwinz]

Where's the proof that this will be mandatory? Nowhere that I've seen...big difference between "encouraging" and setting "goals" for community service and indentured servitude.

What does it mean to you when on the same web site that these links reference it states "When you choose to serve..."? Is this ignored because it doesn't fit your agenda?

America Serves | Change.gov

---Liz

[ArmyFerret]

Originally Posted by Soaring

Here are some other socialistic things that Obama will be bringing to our country. I think this is just the top of the iceberg. It is starting to sound like the Hitler youth corps. and that scares me. Did you guys read in today's newspaper that gun sales have been at an all-time high this week? There is a reason for that, but that is another subject.

Yeah. The first link you provided blatantly misquotes the actual text. The other two are just emotional rants. Just because a couple of bloggers decide to compare the end result of a program under some illusionary circumstances to Chinese and German youth groups, doesn't make it reality. Disagree with the idea, but at least do so on some factual basis.

[Sluggo]

I guess I missed the manditory part but can see some of the concern. Is there any network coverage of this, some proposal floating around the Dem controlled House, or is all this just items in the political blogs right now? Just curious.

[TheHighForester]

Oh, it all makes such perfect sense.

As the United States continues along its merry path toward a "cashless economy"--one where ALL the money is controlled by a handful of "investment bankers" and "venture capitalists"--it will become necessary for the government to collect taxes from hoi polloi in the form of some sort of service. You might liken it to the ancient concept of corvee. Such service will be needed not only to maintain roads, bridges, and public buildings, it will also serve to bind the population to the state in cooperative endeavor.

Many people in this forum have taken to pissing and moaning about President-elect Obama's calls for greater participation by the people, and particularly his notion that the members of our greater community should perform public service. My thought is that the best way to prevent mandatory public service is to ensure that all the wealth is NOT concentrated in the hands of a few.

On the other hand, if you are a supporter of the oncoming economic oligarchy, you MUST get used to the idea that most Americans will no longer be free people.

[Scribbler1]

I think compulsory service is a GOOD idea. Something like a year of service to the country after High School could never hurt this country. After all the damage our government has done to the United States, a little extra free manpower is a fine idea.
Hell, Israel drafts 16 year-old girls and boys into the military and they don't seem to have a problem with it.

One of the problems with this nation is we are all about "what's in it for me" and the idea of giving something BACK to the country is a bad idea.

[TheHighForester]

Originally Posted by Scribbler1

I think compulsory service is a GOOD idea. Something like a year of service to the country after High School could never hurt this country. After all the damage our government has done to the United States, a little extra free manpower is a fine idea.
Hell, Israel drafts 16 year-old girls and boys into the military and they don't seem to have a problem with it.

One of the problems with this nation is we are all about "what's in it for me" and the idea of giving something BACK to the country is a bad idea.

You are right, of course.

[Scribbler1]

What I find interesting is that someone on the right thinks this is such a bad idea. Gotta love the partisan logic.

[Tanngrisnir3]

Originally Posted by Scribbler1

What I find interesting is that someone on the right thinks this is such a bad idea. Gotta love the partisan logic.

Actually, what was dishonestly portrayed was compulsory public service in the OP. A ruse, IOW.

[Scribbler1]

I only glanced at the first link. I find political blogs a waste of time and they only seem to pop up when somebody finds someone ELSE'S opinion to agree with theirs, which they then present as fact.

It really wasn't all that dishonest. It was some guy's OPINION is all. What's dishonest is trying to sell it as fact here.

I'm sure there are plenty of blogs out there claiming we never landed on the Moon, too.

Useless.

[biggyg2]

Originally Posted by Soaring

Did you guys read in today's newspaper that gun sales have been at an all-time high this week? There is a reason for that, but that is another subject.

You can thank the NRA for that fear driven response from its members.

[TomBlaze]

Many people in this forum have taken to pissing and moaning about President-elect Obama's calls for greater participation by the people, and particularly his notion that the members of our greater community should perform public service. My thought is that the best way to prevent mandatory public service is to ensure that all the wealth is NOT concentrated in the hands of a few.

That is the problem with a lot of people in this country. We wait for someone else to get things done and complain when they aren't done to our satisfaction. I was in then Army and then the National Guard. I served my country and my community and for it I got a free college education.

What I find so pathetic is that there are people who have no idea nor do they care about the implications of a small percentage of people controlling the vast majority of the wealth. The ideology that I hear from people like this is, "I am getting mine, so screw everyone else." We have little to no sense of community. In most all large population centers, people don't even know their immediate neighbors; can't name one of their local representatives; live in a tiny social bubble which they deem "superior" to others; always have reasons to be the exception to the rule; don't do squat to help their community thrive except to complain that someone needs to fix things.

We are a society that has been trained to be one-trick ponies. That being the basic rule of go to school, then college/trade school, get a focused career and do that for the rest of your life. Then of course if that doesn't work out, one is forced to reinvent themselves which, today, is very taxing and almost impossible. We are a single skill society. We are so dependent on this system that it has become so fragile to the point where is one little piece of the system gives the whole system eventually collapses.

When this country was founded, the first settlers had skills in many areas: construction, textiles, agriculture..etc. Now most people do not even know how to change their oil, fix their door frame, some still refuse to learn how to use a computer. It is truly perplexing.

I bring this up because all of this comes together with the idea of community. If you knew how to fix cars and your neighbor knows about carpentry, you can exchange services with far less cash outflow. You get to know your neighbor and in times of crisis you can help one another get through these things. I am not talking about an auto mechanic and a carpenter here. I am talking about two neighbors who have careers elsewhere but also have these skills. What it does is lessen their independence on the system. This is what a sense of community rewards us with. The idea of community service is not a bad one.

[R Mitch]

Originally Posted by TomBlaze

That is the problem with a lot of people in this country. We wait for someone else to get things done and complain when they aren't done to our satisfaction. I was in then Army and then the National Guard. I served my country and my community and for it I got a free college education.

What I find so pathetic is that there are people who have no idea nor do they care about the implications of a small percentage of people controlling the vast majority of the wealth. The ideology that I hear from people like this is, "I am getting mine, so screw everyone else." We have little to no sense of community. In most all large population centers, people don't even know their immediate neighbors; can't name one of their local representatives; live in a tiny social bubble which they deem "superior" to others; always have reasons to be the exception to the rule; don't do squat to help their community thrive except to complain that someone needs to fix things.

We are a society that has been trained to be one-trick ponies. That being the basic rule of go to school, then college/trade school, get a focused career and do that for the rest of your life. Then of course if that doesn't work out, one is forced to reinvent themselves which, today, is very taxing and almost impossible. We are a single skill society. We are so dependent on this system that it has become so fragile to the point where is one little piece of the system gives the whole system eventually collapses.

When this country was founded, the first settlers had skills in many areas: construction, textiles, agriculture..etc. Now most people do not even know how to change their oil, fix their door frame, some still refuse to learn how to use a computer. It is truly perplexing.

I bring this up because all of this comes together with the idea of community. If you knew how to fix cars and your neighbor knows about carpentry, you can exchange services with far less cash outflow. You get to know your neighbor and in times of crisis you can help one another get through these things. I am not talking about an auto mechanic and a carpenter here. I am talking about two neighbors who have careers elsewhere but also have these skills. What it does is lessen their independence on the system. This is what a sense of community rewards us with. The idea of community service is not a bad one.

The problem is that capitalism breeds that belief, "I am getting mine, screw everyone else". As Americans we are taught that to be successful in any career, one has to screw or screw over everyone else around them. Afterall, they are not only co-workers, but competition.

You take this, throw in the immigrant factor, mix with different class levels, solidify this class disparity by inadequately and unfairly funding education, and you get a modern picture of the American landscape.

[EagleSeven]

Originally Posted by R Mitch

The problem is that capitalism breeds that belief, "I am getting mine, screw everyone else". As Americans we are taught that to be successful in any career, one has to screw or screw over everyone else around them. Afterall, they are not only co-workers, but competition.

You take this, throw in the immigrant factor, mix with different class levels, solidify this class disparity by inadequately and unfairly funding education, and you get a modern picture of the American landscape.

I am currently taking a management course at one of the top-30 ranked business schools in the world (Simon School), and I can tell you your assertion is false. I'm being taught by a former Xerox exec, and he teaches that the "Screw your neighbor" attitude hurts profits and efficiency in the long run. Don't believe me? GM is one of the quintessential "screw your neighbor" corporate cultures, and now they are collapsing. See how Amazon treats the employees and customers, and you will see the new face of Capitalism.

Capitalism does not teach one to be cut-throat. Capitalism teaches one to be profitable. American business is realizing a well-cared-for employee and customer base results in higher profits.