"Draft everybody for everything, in public employment," said Thom Hartmann's caller, starting the week, (Aug. 20). Wow. It caught my ear. An audacious idea, so novel it is not even focus-group vetted. How are the Party regulars supposed to know what opinion has been issued to them? Each of us must make up our mind for ourself.
My imagination picked it up right away. "Soldiers aren't our only public employees. Draft policemen, firemen, teachers, the entire public employment bureaucracy," Hartmann's caller went on. "Draft people for government office."
Draft someone to be President. Or Senator. Or Mayor, or Governor. Now there's an idea whose time should come. The more I think about it, the better it looks.
Everyone gets to spend two years in public employment. Have some choice in picking the years, sometime between high school and 30 years old. Public counselors could help show us our choices. Testing could match our aptitudes with opportunities, the way the pre-war Army created IQ tests to find their officer candidates. Appropriate training periods, or intern try-outs, could put the skills where the need is.
The notoriously slow wait for driver's licenses down at the motor vehicles department, or for post office services, might seem different after you spend time on the other side of that counter. Some people may like building highways, or flagging the traffic -- Stop; Slow. Two years wearing a police uniform might make a law-respecting citizen for life.
You would have to be over 21 for some entry levels. For example, a public school teacher starts planning on it five or ten years ahead. Some like to do their two-year hitch at a desk, or a filing cabinet, and with that work experience, go into the private sector. Others arrange to stay on and make a career of it. Like in the military. Oh, and yes, there is certainly military service, just one more option when you're ready to choose. Everybody does something in a universal public employment draft.
Park ranger. Emergency responder. Staff work, in the legislative, executive, or judicial offices; city, county, state, or federal. Make training and education programs available, and accordingly, people to be trainers are needed. Full benefits -- health and insurance and tuitions and memberships. Pay low, but enough, with vacation days and overtime, and wages could be tax-exempt, no deductions.
Postal carrier. Zoo keeper. Social security and retirement planner. Poll taker, election worker, village ombudsman. Maybe something in human resources? Who washes the windows on the Capitol? Who paints the Statue of Liberty? Who mows the lawns in Arlington Cemetery? What can you do for your country?
Butcher, baker, candlestick maker. Every type of employee the public expects -- and you are one. Somewhere, some day, your community wants You. And You want your community. We, the People, are number one.
"A cross between military draft and jury duty," the caller was saying, "learning our Civics, hands-on."
digital programmer turned thought specialist, sorta: rocket surgeon.
The idea has merit but apart from human rights issues the idea needs more work. Some people you would need to force. The choices available to them may be inappropriate. Not all jobs have a public service equivelent.
Supposing there was a 20y.o.who sold insurance/autos who also had a wife, child, and morgage. He needed his commision to survive. drafting him to say Post office would destroy his life.
- Some jobs need minimum levels of education
-Aptitude (police) No good someone who's squeamish
- Apropriate background no criminal background
- Training whose going to pay for a rookie police officer for only 12 months?
- Physical ability
- Disability status
- Attitude
In reality the choices for some would be very limited dare I say untenable. I can just see my 24yo in a public job the result would be disasterous. I'm not saying that it's a bad idea but it needs a lot more thought.
by
Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 532 comments)
on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 6:40:44 PM
I simply liked it when I heard it on the radio. Especially that it made me realize that military jobs are public employees, just like a librarian or a post office clerk or a cop.
There is talk going around about 'restarting the draft,' but they only mean draft in the armed services. And the caller on Hartmann got me thinking, instead of trying to stop the draft, pull it harder. Make it universal. Get everyone experienced in government work, and what government is, and does, but not in the military.
He also talked about jury duty, and I don't think everyone is well suited to be a fair juror.
There are a lot of details missing as far as I wrote about it. I just thought it could all be developed and fine-tuned once the idea catches on.
People can't 'start at the top,' like the army doesn't draft kids to be generals. Also, like the army, there needs to be placement tests and giving people choices based on what we are interested in or what we are good at. Years ago a friend of mine was drafted and wound up as a musician in the Navy Band. There's all kinds.
And there's all kinds of government public employment jobs that need doing, which have starting positions for beginners. And the jobs are not like the military -- there are no ten-mile hikes at 5 a.m. Clerk or staff or bureaucrat is like a regular 8-to-5 job. You go home after work. I think I'd like to be a zookeeper or a veterinarian, and somewhere, I'm sure there are public employees who do that.
It just struck me as a new idea, and I hadn't heard it talked about. It sure changed my thinking about 'the draft.' Maybe there's a way to work it all out.
What could you see your 24 y.o. doing, or what does he like to do?
by
meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 421 comments)
on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 8:15:39 PM
I simply liked it when I heard it on the radio. Especially that it made me realize that military jobs are public employees, just like a librarian or a post office clerk or a cop.
There is talk going around about 'restarting the draft,' but they only mean draft in the armed services. And the caller on Hartmann got me thinking, instead of trying to stop the draft, pull it harder. Make it universal. Get everyone experienced in government work, and what government is, and does, but not in the military.
He also talked about jury duty, and I don't think everyone is well suited to be a fair juror.
There are a lot of details missing as far as I wrote about it. I just thought it could all be developed and fine-tuned once the idea catches on.
People can't 'start at the top,' like the army doesn't draft kids to be generals. Also, like the army, there needs to be placement tests and giving people choices based on what we are interested in or what we are good at. Years ago a friend of mine was drafted and wound up as a musician in the Navy Band. There's all kinds.
And there's all kinds of government public employment jobs that need doing, which have starting positions for beginners. And the jobs are not like the military -- there are no ten-mile hikes at 5 a.m. Clerk or staff or bureaucrat is like a regular 8-to-5 job. You go home after work. I think I'd like to be a zookeeper or a veterinarian, and somewhere, I'm sure there are public employees who do that.
It just struck me as a new idea, and I hadn't heard it talked about. It sure changed my thinking about 'the draft.' Maybe there's a way to work it all out.
What could you see your 24 y.o. doing, or what does he like to do?
by
meremark (1 articles, 3 quicklinks, 23 diaries, 421 comments)
on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 8:33:28 PM
