August 24, 2015
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE:
Want More Heroes? Bring Back the Draft (Marc Champion, 8/24/15, Bloomberg View)
Europe's media is still abuzz with the extraordinary story of three Americans who tackled a suspected terrorist on Friday on a train in Northern France. The question being asked is this: Were they displaying a distinctly American can-do spirit?That's probably inevitable, but a better question would be: Should Western countries consider reintroducing compulsory military service to spread some can-do spirit around?An article published Monday by the French newspaper Le Monde focused on the attitude of the three Americans, exemplified when one, 22-year-old Oregon National Guard specialist Alek Skarlatos, said to his 23-year-old friend, U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Spencer Stone, "Let's go.""Will these three words become a hashtag?" the daily asks, describing the bravery and decisiveness of the men as an argument against passivity in such situations.
There's obviously no need for more soldiers, but following a period of universal training kids could fulfill their national service obligation in things like teaching jobs, the park service, etc.
Posted by Orrin Judd at August 24, 2015 3:24 PM
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