... On CBS’s Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer, General Stanley A. McChrystal said national service would have a positive impact because it would “bind people to their nation” and “pull people together in shared experiences.”THIS is what "binds people to their nation"? I guess it is, if it's mandatory, as in "we all belong to the government". Silly me, I thought it was borders, history, language, culture.
He goes on, though:
"McChrystal: I personally believe that national service is important for the nation, and that’s having all young people serve a term of national service. Certainly not all military. But I believe those things do have two effects. One, those things that bind people to their nation are important, and another thing is that
we’re also a nation that doesn’t get to know each other too well. Someone from one part of an inner city never meets another person from an upper class neighborhood. We need some things that pull people together in shared experience. We need to be ten years after the fact when they are meeting somewhere, ‘Where did you serve?’ begins a connection that allows them to move on because
we are getting too fragmented in my view."
I will get to know whom I choose in the manner I choose, thank you.
And the "fragmentation" he decries is due to the government's policies, including legal immigration and illegal aliens, and encouraging non-assimilation.
"“Service member” should not apply only to those in uniform, but to us all.
The concept of national service is not new, nor is it outdated. When America needs it, national service is the personal obligation of every American. And she needs it now.
All of us bear an obligation to serve—an obligation that goes beyond paying taxes, voting, or adhering to the law. America is falling short in endeavors that occur far away from any battlefield: education, science, politics, the environment, and cultivating leadership, among others.
Without a sustained focus on these foundations of our society, America’s long-term security and prosperity are at risk."
I pay taxes, vote and adhere to the law. For now. And I'm working on doing less of each.
As far as "serving" the collective, he can kiss my ass. I owe nothing to anyone -- "give back" ::snort:: I serve my God, my family and friends and by my choice. If I choose to do a favor for my neighbor or help jump-start a stranger's dead battery, that's all gravy.
