America The Dutiful

Barrack Obama spoke about it during his run for the presidency. At the time many people had the same "Sorry? Did he just imply what I think he implied?" kind of reaction. Well, yes he did and its gone much farther than that now.

The comparison of this new "national service" with its call for...

“campuses” that serve as “operational headquarters,” complete with “superintendents” and “uniforms” for all participants.

and

“youth engagement zones” in which “service learning” is “a mandatory part of the curriculum in all of the secondary schools served by the local educational agency.”

to an organization like the Hitler Youth or the Soviet Unions "Young Pioneers" is all too easy, albeit apt.

My question is, with this explosion of free labour "helping people" to do things that they would ordinarily have to pay someone to do isn't that going to put more people out of work? Isn't that going to cause people to spend less? In short, considering the economic realities of today isn't that going to hurt much more than it helps?

But then the light goes on. You see its all part of the plan to expand government. With people forced to serve, and that service creating an environment poisonous to capitalism, more people will be forced to turn to the state for work and assistance.

Join me if you will for a small trip into the future...

It's 2011 and you and everyone else in America are forced to spend X amount of time "serving the nation" while receiveing your "service learning" (indoctrination). Your children start before they are old enough to understand the difference between the volunteer and the conscript.

So you spend your 14 days, working for the government. During this period of forced selflessness you are paid, fed and clothed (in patriotic Red White and Blue coveralls).

You meet people from all walks of life, you socialize, talk, work and laugh. It's a good time.

Your "service learning" is designed to teach you that this service is the greatest thing that you can do, for your country, for your friends for your future! For this you are called heroes, you are celebrated, the feeling is wonderful!

Then, suddenly your "voluntary" service is done. You return to your life. You return to the unemployment line, to the harsh economic realities of the world.

You look back ever so fondly to your time of national service as a productive, happy time...

Yet you never, ever draw a correlation between your unemployment and the uniformed masses of the "Americorps" bustling around you, helping you...

Stifling you...