From: utzoo!decvax!cca!hplabs!intelqa!omsvax!bc@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: "re: Education as a right"
Article-I.D.: omsvax.210
Posted: Fri Nov 12 13:07:47 1982
Received: Tue Nov 16 04:48:15 1982
References: ihnet.104

When I mentioned national service, I NEVER mentioned conscription,
which I am also opposed to, both in principle and in practice (draftee
armies, pyramid construction crews, whatever, just don't work well).  I
was suggesting a means by which people wanting extended educational
benefits could repay the society as a whole in a more immediate manner
than paying off a loan.

I like the idea of "universal" service in the sense that some basic
political or social priviledge can only be earned by such service (see
Heinlein's "Starship Troopers," but please don't send me any flames
about militarism; that isn't the subject of the discussion). I don't
think that it is unreasonable to *ask* every citizen to spend some
effort and energy in helping the society as whole for a sort period of
time.

By the way, I do not consider voting a right, nor does our own country
(and it never has).  I cite the fact that there are minimum standards
of competence and acceptance of civil obligation (those adjudged
mentally incompetent, and felons, are denied the *priviledge* of
voting).  If you want to bring up the question of who decides a
person's competence or what constitutes sufficient criminality for the
loss of citizenship, why that's another question entirely.  It is in
fact at the heart of the liberal/conservative debate, and I'm going to
chicken on that one for now.