A liberal is arguing for reinstating the draft, which is something whiny people do from time to time thinking that will convince us to not engage America’s enemies if the military is made up of people who don’t want to be there (it worked for Vietnam! Wait…), but there is a great idea hidden in the editorial. The idea is you could opt out of the draft on libertarian grounds but then also wouldn’t receive government benefits like Medicare. As Matt Lewis points out, that’s a pretty bad deal if you still have to pay for them. Plus, there probably are a lot of people who both want to serve in the military and be able to opt out of big government. But we have the seeds to a really good idea here.
Before, I offered the idea of splitting America into two: Real America and Sissy, Whiny, I’m Scared of Freedom America. In Real America, there are minimal taxes and regulations and no government services. In Sissy, Whiny, I’m Scared of Freedom America, there will be tons of taxes, government services, and regulations — basically the norm in California today. And the two sides share the military and the cost of running it. Then people get to choose how much government they want and we can have less fighting. Of course, the Sissy, Whiny, I’m Scared of Freedom America will soon go bankrupt, but screw them; they’re not real Americans.
Alternatively, we can just build off of this hippy, liberal’s idea and give everyone an opt out opportunity when they turn eighteen. There will be a “Take Your Government and Shove It” form you can fill out and then throw in the face of some bureaucrat. If you choose to, you never get any of the government services like Social Security or Medicare, but you also don’t have to pay taxes on them. Of course, I don’t see liberals agreeing to such freedom because they know enough people would opt out that those would go bankrupt (they’re already going bankrupt with everyone forced in). Still, I might agree to pay a fraction of the costs still just to be able to get out from under government’s thumb. Let’s work this out. Then all you liberals and your stupid ideas can stay out of my way forever after.
Stop reminding me why I read here!
“Take Your Government and Shove It” form – I plan on appending one to the Obamacare section of the new 1040.
Two words: TAX REVOLT.
Of course, folks claiming that a draft would stop us from having unpopular wars forget (or choose to ignore) that that was the precise argument for getting rid of the draft back in the 70’s.
Also, for those of us much older than 18, how about a provision of the Take Your Government and Shove It Act (TYGaSIA) to allow a buyout for citizens, maybe based on age whether they pay taxes or get paid other people’s taxes? I’d be willing to give up a substantial amount of my savings to stop throwing money down that rathole. Well, no I wouldn’t, because I wouldn’t trust the government to keep their end of the bargain.
Sounds like an enuke idea to me.
The problem with your idea is that liberals are like that flesh eating bacteria. Once they destroy their blue state the move to a red state and begin the process anew.
“I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine.”
See ya in the Gulch…
Thanks for the article. For info on people using voluntary Libertarian tools on similar and other issues, please see the non-partisan Libertarian International Organization @ http://www.Libertarian-International.org ….
I sent the NYT author this response:
“It is difficult to imagine a more morally evil, anti-American, anti-rights article than this, which targets libertarians and reads like something from an Islamic extremist. Libertarians are showing the way out of the draft, government coerced monopolies, and war …so he wants libertarians– if they won’t be drafted to fight inane wars and perform at slave wages useless community service needs by government blundering (such as the seizure of the private meals-on-wheels) –then they be denied services of the coercive monopolies! For info on people using voluntary Libertarian tools on similar and other issues, please see the non-partisan Libertarian International Organization @ http://www.Libertarian-International.org …. Join the XXIst century, people. There’s a war all right–between Libertarians and this nonsense. ”
I’m a teen Libertarian in public office who like most libertarians performs much community service.
See also, Free State Project:
http://freestateproject.org/
See ya in New Hampshire…
Until there actual war in the United States by enemies from foreign countries, the draft is about the stupidest idea ever (maybe ever moreso than Obamacare, but probably not), and whoever brings that up should be forced to sit in the corner wearing a dunce cap.
Um, I may have been in the Army Reserves for quite a while, and I may have seen some people that were able to get through the initial training get to my unit who had no business in the military, but thanks to the idiots out west the “Stolen Valor” act is no longer law, and as such, “Buyer beware”.
Amendment XIII
Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
Wouldn’t the draft be involutary servitude? I mean, what we have now is an all volunteer military. That means that if service was requried, it would no longer be voluntary; in other words involuntary. So, unless the draftee had been convicted of a crime, he/she could not be requried to involutarily serve.
Ogrrre – The draft is constitutional, as Congress has the power to “raise and support Armies”.
Some discussion of court cases here:
http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_drft.html
No Harvey – the draft is constitutional as a tax.
CtM – My bad. I stand corrected 😉
It sounds like a twisted implementation of the system in Starship Troopers. I think we would be better off with the actual system described in Starship Troopers. You VOLUENTARILY serve in order to be a full citizen and vote or run for public office.