The Flip Side of eliminating the draft. Mandatory Service?

[Peter1469]

I took wood shop. I preferred my imagination.

I still have a small table / books case that I made in high school wood shop. I put my desk top and scanner on it.

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[Cletus]

As someone mentioned in so many words earlier in the thread, it's easy to talk about things like "minimal impact" when the impact isn't on you or yours.

And I'm not trying to be snarky here, old friend, but it strikes me as somewhat odd that you can equate the State forcing a merchant to do business with someone they don't want to with slavery, yet see nothing wrong with that same State compelling a citizen to put their entire life on hold and serve the government's interests involuntarily, with prison the price for non-compliance.

I really don't see a connection between the two. Compulsory service is something to be used in a state of emergency for a limited duration in order to protect the republic. It is an extreme measure, one we haven't used since 1973 and which I do not see being used in the near future. I think in times of crisis, citizens have an obligation to come to the aid of the nation in whatever way they can.

Forcing citizens to labor on behalf of another against his will is something totally different.

[Standing Wolf]

I really don't see a connection between the two. Compulsory service is something to be used in a state of emergency for a limited duration in order to protect the republic. It is an extreme measure, one we haven't used since 1973 and which I do not see being used in the near future. I think in times of crisis, citizens have an obligation to come to the aid of the nation in whatever way they can.

Forcing citizens to labor on behalf of another against his will is something totally different.

I understand what you're saying, and the way you describe compulsory service in your first paragraph makes it sound very cut-and-dried and non-ambiguous. Here's the thing: to one leader or group of leaders, "state of emergency", "limited duration", "protecting the republic", among other words and phrases might have a very different meaning than for others.

Has the American military, in your lifetime, gone off adventuring at the direction of the suits in D.C. for causes or in pursuit of goals that you either can't fathom or with which you disagree? In non-military terms, how would you feel if your 18-year-old son or daughter were ordered to, say, help confront the homeless crisis by going out and distributing food and blankets to the inner city homeless? (Would a national leader ever direct such a thing, you ask. Crazier things than that have come out of Washington.)