How Exactly Do We Fight Compulsory the "Civil Defense" Army?

This vid is must watch. Obama really does seem to have in mind a paramilitary domestic security force.

Among many other problems, such a force is, frankly, creepy and dangerous. But it's difficult to express a fear of a large domestic paramilitary devoted largely to a Cult of Personality without bringing up the H-word. Maybe the H-word is appropriate-- but it sounds nuts. It Can't Happen Here and all that.

So the difficulty is formulating a response which doesn't sound crazy.

For starters, we've survived without a domestic paramilitary for 240 years. Or, rather, we seem to have done all right with the National Guards fulfilling that function when necessary. We should press Obama to explain why such a thing is necessary -- and get him to be more specific than alluding to gauzy generalities about a "common experience" to remind young people what it is to be "an American."

Another point: Why does Obama wish to divert recruits from the military? Many young Americans sign up for a patriotic "common experience" which informs them what it is to be "an American" every year. We call this common-experience-providing organization the United States Armed Forces. In addition to providing common experiences to many young Americans of diverse backgrounds, the US Armed Forces also serve the minor secondary function of defending the nation against foreign threats.

What is Obama's goal here if not to undermine one of the main attractors of military service? The campaign continues running on the claim that military recruitment is low. Why does he strive to lower it further?

Getting to the creepy point: Let us concede that Obama is not Hitler the H-word and has no H-word-like designs. Even so, the idea of a permanent paramilitary for, um, "responding to emergencies" is worrisome. If anyone really believes that 18 year old college students with three months of kinda-bullshitty "civilian defense sleepaway camp" are going to be shoring up the levies the next time the Mississippi overflows its banks, I've got a collapsed bridge to sell you. What they're going to be doing is what they're always doing -- showing up late and getting in the way, smoking pot and trying to get laid.

Why are young military recruits different? Well, they're military, for one thing. For another thing, if they step out of line badly enough they can be court-martialed. Does Obama intend to impose military-style discipline and justice on his Obama Youth?

Obama's devoted cultists have already been caught abusing their jobs in the civil service -- digging dirt on political enemies, bullying a girl whose dad serves in Iraq. Why would we wish to swell the ranks of such hyperpartisan civil servants?

Given that there is so little upside to the notion of a permanent civilian paramilitary, the serious chance of small political mischief, and the small chance of serious political mischief, weight against this, um, audacious plan.

Finally, the cost. This is a somewhat secondary concern because Obama is going to pay off his cultists whether they do any work or not. The grants and giveaways for the Obama Youth are coming from the Obamistration way or the other. But those too should be fought.

posted by Ace at 06:02 PM

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