November 09, 2004
A Fine Line...
Yesterday on Garthnakdot, Garthnak wrote a little political rant about the differences he percieves between Libertarians/Classical Liberals and pretty much everybody else.
His basic point is that the Libertarian believes that the primary function of Government is to serve the [will of the] people. I certainly remember being taught that this was the purpose of government.
Not everybody sees things this way. Many people today apparently believe that one of the purposes of government is to encourage the following of certain "moral values." Many of these people reminded us to vote for George W. Bush because of his strong stance on moral prinicples and values.
Garthnak points out that serving the interests of the State — especially when they coincide with those of the people of the State, is a noble and honorable thing to do. That said, mandatory service of the State... well... you can read his thoughts
As I am still in the appropriate age group, the occasional comment about the military draft gets my full attention. But many people — especially those who served previously seem to think that it is my duty to serve... I have spoken with a number of people who believe that everybody should be obligated to join the Army.
Why should I join the Army? Because I should learn what it means to be an American, or what it means to be Free, or how wonderful this great country is, or some other such nonsense. The only valid reason I can think of for someone to serve would be: They believe strongly in the necessity of the conflict and have the desire to participate.
However, the way our current military is set up causes great difficulties here. Suppose, for instance, that I decided that the current fight in Iraq was so crucial to the freedom of this country that I felt a need to contribute. Well, first I must sign number of contracts that strip me of all but a few of my personal rights.
I would become, for all intents and purposes, property of the U.S. Army. Not that I am saying that battles should be run by committee... but... after a soldier's commitment is up, he is free... unless the government decides that they want to keep them longer. You lose your right to a jury trial — its a military court for you now...
This means that should the Iraq war be ended, and the government should entangle itself in a less worthwhile battle, they could force me to support it. How is that fair?
I know I've run over a few different topics here, but the basic idea is this: I agree with Garthnak — it is the purpose of the government to serve the people, it should never be mandatory for a person to serve the Government. If that means I'm a Libertarian, so be it.
— The Shelanman
Posted by andrew at November 9, 2004 02:03 PM
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