But there is one kind of voluntary youth service I have heard proposed, and support. This is for a greatly enlarged peace corps type programme.

The reason I support this is not that I think it’s an economically useful use of people’s time, but because it would have all sorts of soft benefits. One is for America’s image in the world, which does matter – more smiling schoolkids and less hummers & limos. An even bigger one is for the education of American voters: a year in Ghana is going to change your view on the world, both foreign and local. (You will forever laugh when people mention poverty and airconditioning in the same breath.) (Note that I haven’t claimed it would be a useful form of aid for the receiving countries, because I’m not convinced it is.)

As long as it’s voluntary, this sort of thing seems worth the money it would cost to run. (For the volunteers, it’s like a gap year with more structure and less drinking, rather than like emplyment.)

This foreign aspect is the most promising part of the Obama presidency. I think perhaps Coyote underestimates the degree to which Iraq and Guantanamo have damaged America’s claim to be a beacon of hope, and thus to sell freedom and democracy around the world. Restoring this is important.

George became a citizen and stayed, never to return.

At last report, his son was an Army dentist.

Alot of compliance and forms for a simple problem.

SINCE JESUS was walking around the Desert in the middle east , TAXIATION OF THE PEOPLE (slaves, lower class, middle class, upper class, but not kings!) has taken place. The UNITED STATES didn’t start until the early 20th century with the intention of taxing ONLY the upper, upper class (super wealthy people).

What happen? to bring us to the current 5,000,000 million IRS codes that we operated under today.

Simple: TAXIATION WITHOUT REPRESENATIVE!!!!!!! Execept for lobbyists who live within the beltway(Washington D.C.)

Answer to problem. 15% TAX + OR – ON ALL INCOME!(INCLULDING WELFARE,SUBDIES PAYMENT, ANY GOVERMENT PAYMENTS,STUDENT GRANTS, ECT.)
NO DEDUCTIONS, NO CREDITS, NO EARNED INCOME CREDIT, NO NOTHING!

One (1)Form to fill out ONCE a year! Have W-2, 1099, a few other income reporting forms in front of you necessary to complete your ANNUAL REPORTING AND PAYEMENT TO UNITED STATES GOVERMENT.

NO ACCOUNTANTS, TAX ATTORNEYS, NO H & R BLOCKS, NO TAX PROGRAMS FOR INDIDUALS, -NOTHING!

ONE PAGE FORM , PEN, CALULTOR, AND INCOME REPORTING W-2’s, 1099′S, ECT.

TIME TO COMPLETE ONE PAGE FORM: 1 HOUR

SIMPLE DEAL!

WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN! TOO SIMPLE!!!!!!! for “WE THE PEOPLE” US (the taxpayers) represenativties to UNDERSTAND! (Pelosis, Reid, ect. and Dem. nominated canditate, ect.)

LOBBYISTS HAVE MORE INFLUENE THAN “we the people”!!!!

Follow the money.

That what I learned as a auditor.

Have a nice day!

Got to go, Drilling Rigs are being pull back up today and will TURNING TO RIGHT BY SIX OR TEN TONIGHT today after our litte storm (Dolly) came through. Must have made Al Gore cried since Corpus Christi, Brownsville Texas wasn’t under six feet of water for two weeks. (GLOBAL WARMING) IDIOTS!!

I don’t understand why you think the military is that different today. I was under the same impression as you – that only those with no other choice joined up. I was put straight by my friend’s husband – a naval officer. He himself happens to have a genius IQ and multiple degrees in math and finance. He chooses the navy because they make it attractive for him. Others enlist because they feel strongly about serving their country. You don’t have to rob people of liberty to have a good mix in the military.

The idea that we have to force people into slavery in order to remake society is Marxist to the core. The Soviet Union implemented re-education camps and gulags precisely to remake man and society. Unfortunately, each new generation was born with the same basic human “faults” of acquisitiveness and self-interest and had to be re-educated all over again. The experiment to remake man and society has already been tried. It was a failure. Why do it again?

“People like rxc disgust me. They hate the fact that some people are more fortunate or more successful or more intelligent than others, so they push for increasingly progressive taxes, the military draft, or a universal military/non-military draft.”

I really don’t think you know me very well. I really don’t like the idea of increasingly progressive taxes, since I am in one of those income groups that pays the largest portion of revenues to the US. The people I really envy are the ones who would actually pay money to o the jobs that they do, because it is so much fun – airplane pilots come to mind. You really need to re-read my comments about why I support the draft. I think it helps to prevent the society from becoming too stratified, which is a good thing. When I was in the Navy, I had enlisted people working for me who were quite well educated(with real PhDs), and the discussions we used to have were quite stimulating. We worked together very well, even though they hated the life of an enlisted man (it is NOT pleasant).

“They think these practices will make life fairer and make people equal.”

Now my feelings at all. Life is unfair, and nothing the government is going to do is going to make me a great writer, or an NBA basketball player, or a great musician, or “equal” to anyone else. I have no desire to be “equal” to anyone else, except with regards to civil rights matters, where I am considered to be a member of the only remaining “unprotected” class – old, overweight white male, not yet 65.

“Most supporters of these schemes are fools or failures who cannot attain success, so they try to drag down the successful.”

Not me at all. I completely disagree with attempts to create “equality” by leveling down the most successful – they made it and they should be allowed to keep it. I am quite happy with my financial situation, having saved considerable amounts in order to support me in my retirement.

“Others are opportunists who seek power or wealth from these service programs.”

Wrong here, too. I worked for the government for 30 years, and am now retired with a nice pension, but I never aspired to be a high mucky-muck in the government – I just wanted to do my job well, and have some fun doing it. In general, I was successful. I would have stayed longer, but I don’t agree with the latest fad that government should be run like a business. It is a different organization, with very different constraints, and very different responsibilities and powers, from any business. Sure, you can draw some parallels, but there is no business I know that has the RIGHT to take away your life, liberty, or the source of your happiness.

“And a few are totalitarians who seek domination over the rest of us.”

Not me. I just want to live my life the way I want to, and not have to deal with people who are a pain in the ass.

“A pox on them all.”

Thank you very much.

On the other hand, there is no justification for forcing people into service. I went in during the Vietnam War, which required a draft, and lots of people had to serve (but none of my friends did).

Barring national defense needs, a draft is a terrible idea. And government service outside the military is even worse.

Funnily enough, the Europeans don’t seem to be horrified by the tens of thousands of Europeans who died during a heatwave in 2003. The French authorities were having trouble getting people to come home from vacation to collect the bodies of their dead elderly relatives. Americans get embarrassed when a bowl is flooded by a category five hurricane. Truly amazing.

This whole “voluntary national service” idea reminds me of the Soviet Union, which depended on slave labour. When can we expect the grand opening of our first voluntary national gulag?