Restore the draft?

Leonard Wong argues that a draft or other form of 'mandated volunteerism' will not really solve our manpower problems.

It has not, however, always been this way. Alexis de Tocqueville, the French commentator on American democracy, wrote in 1835 of the American “principle of self-interest rightly understood.” He observed:

The Americans, on the other hand, are fond of explaining almost all the actions of their lives by the principle of self-interest rightly understood; they show with complacency how an enlightened regard for themselves constantly prompts them to assist one another and inclines them willingly to sacrifice a portion of their time and property to the welfare of the state.

Tocqueville recognized that American citizens of that day lived by the principle of self-interest, but it was the principle of self-interest rightly understood. People during that period operated under the realization that citizens who acted to further the interests of society ultimately served their own self-interest through the betterment of the society in which they lived. Part of the uniqueness of America, as observed by Tocqueville, was that individualism was kept in balance by the principle of self-interest rightly understood. Today, that balance appears to be slipping.

The principle of self-interest rightly understood, however, cannot be restored by fiat or programs. Requiring mandatory volunteer hours for high school students, handing out “community service” sentences to celebrity wrong-doers, and even implementing a draft or compulsory national service program only serve to address the symptoms of a much deeper issue. America needs to discuss and debate the responsibilities of being a citizen in a democracy. As a society, we have gradually learned to major in our individual rights and minor in our obligations of being a citizen. In our zeal in chasing the American dream, we have neglected the American spirit. Restoring the principle of self-interest rightly understood must come from within the citizenry. It must come, as Tocqueville noted, from within the community—the family, houses of worship, and education. Unfortunately this task will be much more difficult and take much longer than merely imposing volunteerism from above. It is a task, however, that demands our attention now.

Emphasis added.