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Ten Reasons For Warm Draft
By Dwayne Hunn
Over
122 million voted in 2004. About half of them think half of America's politician driven policies are
wasteful and weaken America. The other half feels the same
about America's remaining policies. Both halves,
however, tend to defend Americans as special people who help their neighbors
solve problems.
Both halves need a people driven policy that relies on America's strongest asset --- its good,
can-do people. Both halves need to push politicians into proposing and passing
the World Service Corps (WSC) Bill/Resolution. The WSC would be open to all
Americans and require one year of 'warm drafted' service by all young persons
by their 22nd birthday. World Service Corps members choose service in the Red Cross,
Peace Corps, Head Start, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, and Doctors Without
Borders. These stellar public-non-government organizations are cost effective
and do what Americans believe they do best -- serve to make the world better.
Why do we need the WSC?
1) A dangerously growing portion of the world sees America as bellicose and greedy, too often
imposing its military and corporate power.
The WSC helps erase America's spreading jingoistic and corporatizing
image.
2) Radicals and fundamentally ignorant terrorists use this dangerously
growing image to garner recruits from the world's uneducated, angry, and
needy.
When these potential recruits work with WSC members, the army of hating
radicals shrinks.
3) The global village is changing and our policies and understanding has not
kept pace. Most of the 5-15% of passported Americans experience corporate,
luxurious, Club Medish travel. Too few work with global villagers or
urbanities, where we must work to understand cultures, languages, and needs in
order to fashion sensible policies.
Sargent Shriver, the Peace Corps first Director, said, "If the
Pentagon's map is more urgent, the Peace Corp's is, perhaps, in the long run
the most importantÉ whether the nations where the Peace Corps works succeed or
not -- may well determine the balance of peace."
Waging peace is always more effective than waging war. The economic
spin-offs of investing in education, health, homes, and infrastructure enriches
rich and poor alike, while reducing blood spilling and Pentagon dollar
wasting. It is Moral and Sensible Econ 101.
4) Expensively teaching global villagers to kill too often backfires. Our
splendidly trained counter-insurgents too often hone their skills against
Americans. Too often spy money does the same.
When you help a global villager to fish or increase his productivity, he and
his extended family remain forever grateful.
In today's probably conservatively skewed military budget, annually
maintaining a soldier costs over $358,000, whereas a Peace Corps volunteer cost
about $40,000. In just one of many incidents, Halliburton can easily misplace
over $9 billion intended for our soldiers and nothing is done, while the Red
Cross can put 90 cents of each dollar donated into program and services; and
Habitat can build needed homes abroad for as little as $800 to an average of
$46,600 in the United States.
5) America needs this to offset its
increasingly entitled and parochial worldview. Americans like service,
bettering their nation and the world, and getting to know other Americans and
the world in doing so.
Our now defunct universal draft defeated fascism, helped eradicate America's ethnic and racial prejudice, and
opened up the work place to women. Americans value service. Only when our
government lied us into the Vietnam War did we abandon a draft that helped knit
the world and America together. Having a "warm
draft of ALL young" that peacefully attacks world and domestic problems
answers today's global needs and helps tomorrow's generations live in a saner
world.
6) Democrats need this.
For too long the Democrats haven't inspired Americans with bold, visionary,
viable policies. The WSC implements JFK's unimplemented full-bodied Peace
Corps that captured the imagination of the world. Democrats don't need
"me-too but" Republican policies. They need an offense of bold,
long-range difference making policies that Americans admire.
7) Republicans need this.
If today's Republican party policies continue, in time voters will send them
packing for enriching powerful corporations and wealthy contributors, while
protecting their inheritance tax free sons and daughters from service. They
need to stem that growing elitist image.
8) Many Americans believe a military draft is coming.
Without a policy that addresses the world's endemic problems that lead to
costly interventions, many parents fear for their children. How many soccer
moms would choose a military draft over a year's service to country and world
that spreads harmony while giving their children valuable world insights?
9) Democracies grow when nurtured with good health, education,
communication, and understanding.
The WSC peacefully and patiently nurtures.
10) In 14 nations from Egypt to Iraq, America's
policies are in bloody, costly, and long-term turmoil.
In 2005 only 39 Peace Corps volunteers show those 432+ million people America's best assets. We need a robust,
enlightened WSC to stem the spread of a longer-term, more explosive Terror War.
Please go to www.dwaynehunn.biz to help make the WSC happen.
Please go to new web site, read my proposed World Service Corps Senate Bill
/ House Resolution and support. Click to: http://dwaynehunn.biz
Dwayne Hunn, 415-383-7880
http://dwaynehunn.biz
http://canalway.hypermart.net
http://peopleslobby.hypermart.net