The 3-Pronged Draft

[Dems2002]

With the never ending war we seem to be engaged, I think it's critical that the entire country becomes more invested. WAR cannot be an easy solution for the government, and the more it is fought by the poor and the few, the less the middle and upper classes suffer, the easier it is to continue.

However, a military draft of all of our young is not the solution by itself. For the military doesn't need them all, nor do we need to reinforce the vast military industrial complex.

Rather, I see a three-pronged draft as the solution.

1. Military
2. Peace Corp
3. Americorp

Imagine if we tripled/quadrupled/quintupled our investment in the Peace Corp and Americorp. This could change the WORLD. It could also provide needed job experience, expertise, goodwill abroad, and fix our crumbling infrastructure at home. Extra time could translate into college scholarships.

But, at the end of the day, we need people to be more invested in our country. And if it has no direct, concrete result on one's life, then it is difficult for people to think about it.

Jennifer

[Goldensilence]

1. I'm trying to get accepted into an americorps position

now :) i hope it goes through. Washington state would be sweet....

[bluestateguy]

2. I oppose any draft

A draft implies that all citizens are the property of the state. Besides, the administrators of the Peace Corps and Americorps don't want to have to babysit a huge number of kids who are only there because they have been forced to be there, kids who will stand around, slack off, and look at their watches until their year of service is up.

[Dems2002]

4. Understand...but

I understand this objective, BUT, I want long-time social change and I don't see it happening with an army of mercenaries and a peace corp/americorp given very limited funding.

I also don't see it happening until people are forced to wake up and see the world around them. I'd like to force them to wake up.

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. One problem with this --

all the chickenhawk Republicans would apply to the Peace Corps and Armericorp, then subsequently totally fuck them up. CIA would use Peace Corp as a base for its operatives, making the entire program suspect world-wide, causing them to be thrown out of every country were they are really doing some good.

OTOH, a lot of rich-kid suburbanites were radicalized by their time in the peace corps back in the sixties, so perhaps there is some merit to your idea.

[Dems2002]

5. You've gotta wake up to the world outside of the suburbs

We are incredibly spoiled. I think that seeing the world and interacting with people not exactly like us would be a valuable experience for a majority of the country.

We're too isolated.