Consequently, electing President Superman/woman will not itself repair much. When America has been burdened and behind, smart presidents have played a defining role, but character rich Team America won the wars.
Our Civil War, the Depression, World Wars I & II… were won by Americans serving at home and abroad, learning first-hand how to improve the world.
America will not win 21st century wars couching with High-Def TVs, cell phone chatting from SUVs, limiting national service to ½ of 1% in our military, and credit carding our national policies to oil producers, off-shored corporations, and low-waged economies, whose profits buy America from its middle class.
Here’s a proposal that a visionary leader and smart Congress should use to help America do well while doing good, and remain a power that can lead the world toward more justice and health.
Today’s proclaimed “Terror War” is not fought for independence, to spread civil rights, or to derail a fascist juggernaut. In a dangerous nuclear, biological 21st century, today’s battle is to increase sanity, understanding, and health by combating poverty and ignorance; and therein winning hearts and minds away from terrorist recruiters.
Rebuilding and wisely using our military for security, that’s the role the next leader of the barely 230 year America needs to define for Americans of character to confront. Without such an army, the next leader will not accomplish much and America’s preeminence will more rapidly end.
That peaceful, productive, terrorist reducing army is what People’s Lobby’s citizen-initiated American World Service Corps (AWSC) Congressional Proposals would produce. If enacted in this Congress, each year for the next seven years approximately 140,000 Americans would voluntarily choose to serve in their choice of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, etc.
By the seventh year one million American World Service Corps members of all ages, or less than .6th of 1% of those aged 20-60+, would annually serve for a year or two at home or abroad in these existing governmental and non-governmental organizations.
After 20 years, Congress could consider sun-setting the AWSC legislation. After 27 years, 21 million Americans would have served at home or abroad to make life safer, saner, and healthier for all of the world’s citizens. (The key AWSC proposed bill is at
http://www.worldservicecorps.us/world%20service%20key%20proposal%202yr%20volunteer.htm )
All of the presidential candidates in both parties have been asked to take a stand and support People’s Lobby’s AWSC.
Some have even paid enough attention to use parts of the AWSC proposals in their campaigns. A few, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, have even taken the time to praise People’s Lobby’s AWSC Congressional Proposals. (Supporters link: http://worldservicecorps.us/supporters.htm ).
What do you think of the citizen-initiated American World Service Corps (AWSC) Congressional Proposals? www.WorldServiceCorps.us
Any interest in helping spread support for introducing and implementing the AWSC Congressional Proposals?
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