I thought he told Jon Stewart he wasn't gonna do that.

Read http://change.gov/americaserves/ .

Don't trust stupid blogs.

Do they get paid?

I think it's a good idea.

This should be a fun one (even if it's based on a bullshiat premise). There's nothing Republicans hate more than having to sacrifice for their country.

Just STFU. Thanks.

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: This should be a fun one (even if it's based on a bullshiat premise). There's nothing Republicans hate more than having to sacrifice for their country.

To be fair to Republicans there should be some program to let them do something harmful or detrimental to America instead of service. Just so they can continue to exercise their hatred of this country.

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: This should be a fun one (even if it's based on a bullshiat premise). There's nothing Republicans hate more than having to sacrifice for their country.

Its not sacrifice... its a poll tax according to Rachel Maddow. Anytime you miss work to do a civic duty then you are being wronged.

and he is going to pay for all of these handouts ... how? Oh, that's right; raise taxes on the rich, the answer to every problem.

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: This should be a fun one (even if it's based on a bullshiat premise). There's nothing Republicans Democrats hate more than having to sacrifice for their country.

Fixed it for ya...

Mordant: To be fair to Republicans there should be some program to let them do something harmful or detrimental to America instead of service. Just so they can continue to exercise their hatred of this country.

its called "government".

SilentStrider: Mordant: To be fair to Republicans there should be some program to let them do something harmful or detrimental to America instead of service. Just so they can continue to exercise their hatred of this country.

its called "government".


When Republicans do it, yes.

Hint: Government works better when it's not being run by people who think that government needs to be broken in order to prove that it doesn't work.

Much like cars work better when driven by people who don't think they need to intentionally run into telephone poles in order to prove that cars are dangerous.

drestin: and he is going to pay for all of these handouts ... how? Oh, that's right; raise taxes on the rich, the answer to every problem.

Actually he's going to send the rich to Alaskan gulags and confiscate all their property and distribute it to the poor. He'll do it when they go traveling - they'll claim the rich people died in a plane crash, but actually they'll be breaking rocks in Alaska.

You can find this out with some careful google searching.

bitter McCain supporters. I sees them.

drestin: and he is going to pay for all of these handouts ... how? Oh, that's right; raise taxes on the rich, the answer to every problem.

and drop the tax breaks (in billions maybe) to major companies that are sending jobs over seas and oil companies posting BS profit while driving up the gas prices.

Community service is already a requirement for graduation from high school in Louisiana. Helping deliver meals to the handicapped and elderly with a "faith based" organization is frown upon, but planting trees along busy roads is acceptable.

Yup, starve the old people, but keep the highways green.

Remove all Republicans: Mordant: To be fair to Republicans there should be some program to let them do something harmful or detrimental to America instead of service.

It's called "voting Republican."

This is a man who lives up to his Handle.

Does working in a kibbutz, taking Palestinian property as a "settler", count?

vegasj: drestin: and he is going to pay for all of these handouts ... how? Oh, that's right; raise taxes on the rich, the answer to every problem.


and drop the tax breaks (in billions maybe) to major companies that are sending jobs over seas and oil companies posting BS profit while driving up the gas prices.

It's always so easy to spot the blind followers, they are so utterly devoid of facts and knowledge, their posts are filled with canned phrases designed to excite the masses.

Yes, I'm sure he'll raise taxes on the rich back up to 90% as it was before and just rape the profits of those evil nasty big corporations. That'll teach those people that are going to fund all his social welfare programs. And I'm equally sure the over-taxed will just sit still for it. Good luck with that...

Apparently all the worlds problems can be solved by tax and spend - cause that's worked so well before :)

ninjakirby: Remove all Republicans: Mordant: To be fair to Republicans there should be some program to let them do something harmful or detrimental to America instead of service.

It's called "voting Republican."

This is a man who lives up to his Handle.

What's going to happen when Remove all Republicans has his wish come true. Then who'll be contributing all those tax dollars towards his refund check and paying for all the handouts and bailouts and the rest of the welfare state?

vegasj: bitter McCain supporters. I sees them.

You need some help (new window). Don't worry, it was written for children so you'll understand too.

drestin: Apparently all the worlds problems can be solved by tax and spend - cause that's worked so well before :)

Sorry, me, my kids, and my grandkids, are already booked up for a few decades working to pay off $700,000,000,000 in community service to the needy at JP Morgan. As soon as that's done we will get back to you.

Kublai Khan: deleted misleading cartoon

Let me help you out with this whole Clinton Surplus Myth (new window)

Read it and learn. The truth will set you free. In case you need the short version and don't want to read. In every year Carter was president the national deficit went up, every year. So, despite having a budget surplus, the actual national deficit went up. Think of it like this, a budget is your plan but as we all know, reality likes to fark with the best laid plans. So, despite him proposing a budget with a surplus, in reality, it never materialized. You can call it anything you want, and quote anything you'd like but there is one simple and utterly undeniable fact, the deficit went up and it is literally impossible to have a surplus and not reduce the deficit, therefore, it is just a liberal myth.

Remove all Republicans: my desire is more for politicians, not society as a whole. I have no concern about Republicans in the general population. I just want them marginalized.

Your entire reply is so full of fail one wonders if there is any value in pointing out all it's flaws.

arkansas: Sorry, me, my kids, and my grandkids, are already booked up for a few decades working to pay off $700,000,000,000 in community service to the needy at JP Morgan. As soon as that's done we will get back to you.

And lets not forget the additional $25+ billion (new window) the big O wants to give the auto industry.

Wonder who else will have their hand out next?

drestin: Kublai Khan: deleted misleading cartoon

Let me help you out with this whole Clinton Surplus Myth (new window)

Read it and learn. The truth will set you free. In case you need the short version and don't want to read. In every year Carter was president the national deficit went up, every year. So, despite having a budget surplus, the actual national deficit went up. Think of it like this, a budget is your plan but as we all know, reality likes to fark with the best laid plans. So, despite him proposing a budget with a surplus, in reality, it never materialized. You can call it anything you want, and quote anything you'd like but there is one simple and utterly undeniable fact, the deficit went up and it is literally impossible to have a surplus and not reduce the deficit, therefore, it is just a liberal myth.

Let's say you're right. What are we left with but that he managed to increase the deficit by much less than W? So how does this help you?

Ask not what your country can do for you, do what your damn country tells you to do.

Kublai Khan: Let's say you're right. What are we left with but that he managed to increase the deficit by much less than W? So how does this help you?

I appreciate you being logical. Well, it means your cartoon and it's implication is wrong. All those presidents (and many before) were unable to reduce the deficit. I sincerely and truely hope Obama can. There is no partisanship in that desire, it's good for everyone. But, the myth that taxing the rich will solve all the economic woes of this country is nothing more than a revenge pipedream and does us more harm in clinging to it than focusing on real change. i.e., change from tax & spend politics that have made us slaves to the interest payments on trillions of dollars of debt. Increasing the tax burden on big companies has been demonstrated throughout history to not increase actual tax revenues so I hope that isn't tried again and more damage done than good.

It apparently makes some people feel good to punish anyone that makes more money than they do, but in the real world it really doesn't help anyone, the punished or the punisher. So, the change I hope I see Obama make is to not repeat mistakes of past administrations (both parties) but to try something genuinely new and help us all!

drestin: Kublai Khan: Let's say you're right. What are we left with but that he managed to increase the deficit by much less than W? So how does this help you?

I appreciate you being logical.

I'm inclined to at least consider any argument that is premised on politicians exaggerating their achievements!

Well, it means your cartoon and it's implication is wrong. All those presidents (and many before) were unable to reduce the deficit. I sincerely and truely hope Obama can. There is no partisanship in that desire, it's good for everyone. But, the myth that taxing the rich will solve all the economic woes of this country is nothing more than a revenge pipedream and does us more harm in clinging to it than focusing on real change. i.e., change from tax & spend politics that have made us slaves to the interest payments on trillions of dollars of debt. Increasing the tax burden on big companies has been demonstrated throughout history to not increase actual tax revenues so I hope that isn't tried again and more damage done than good.

It apparently makes some people feel good to punish anyone that makes more money than they do, but in the real world it really doesn't help anyone, the punished or the punisher. So, the change I hope I see Obama make is to not repeat mistakes of past administrations (both parties) but to try something genuinely new and help us all!

I can see your point. More of the same (and by that I don't just mean same as the last eight years, but further back than that) certainly isn't going to solve anything. I'm not an economist, and I have to go to bed now, so I'll leave it at that.

Hmm, I can't quite figure out what the asinine tag is for.

1. Is it for the submitter, who's submitting a content-less blog that contains "creeping coup" as part of its tag line?

2. Is it for the blog itself, which basically complains about putting your effort where your mouth is?

3. It couldn't be for the idea that community service is good, being prepared is good, building community (not self-centered personal) spirit is good, could it?

Personally, sign me up. A little bit of community, state, and national esprit de corps sure beats the self-centered attitudes and hate that are being preached.

/ Never mind - screw everyone else but me
// And once I'm dead, who cares about the mess I've left behind
/// Asinine indeed . . . .

What's so wrong with a national service requirement?

Italy has it. Israel has it. Under Obama you could choose what you wanted to do. Seems like a good thing to me.

Let's say for example that if you were over 30 you would be exempt but you could serve if you chose to and everyone else under 30 is required to serve 2 years. Would it kill people to mentor a child? Sweep the streets? Clean up trash? Take a group of elderly Americans on a hike? Take a disabled person shopping? Serve meals at a soup kitchen? Plant trees? Be a crossing guard? Put library books away?

Or they could serve in the military, peace corps, state, county or state sanctioned outreach program or any combination. They could get tax breaks or be paid or a combination of the two.

Who is arguing with this? This would save our economy so much in the long term it probably could not even be calculated. I have no problem requiring people to serve as long as you let them choose how.

This would be a great thing for America.

joshiz: What's so wrong with a national service requirement?

Italy has it. Israel has it. Under Obama you could choose what you wanted to do. Seems like a good thing to me.

Switzerland is the best model. Every home in Switzerland is required to have at least one gun. Shooting guns is the national sport in Switzerland. The Swiss are required to perform military type service every 3 or 4 years, I think, often to do with aircraft and tank training. It's a true militia.

Sun God: Every home in Switzerland is required to have at least one gun.

citation please

vegasj: America Serves

"When you choose to serve -- whether it's your nation, your community or simply your neighborhood -- you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That's why it's called the American dream."

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation's challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

Just yesterday, that page said that the 100 hours of community service a year would be mandatory for all college students, and said nothing of the 4k credit.

I've emailed the campaign about suggesting that the high school age idea be incentivized(is that a word?) by giving kids extra credit (my government teacher did that) rather than making it mandatory -- we are a generous nation, and I don't disagree with the idea much at all -- people need to learn civic duties somewhere -- but we are not indentured servants, either.

Megain: Sun God: Every home in Switzerland is required to have at least one gun.

citation please

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1566715.stm

Sun God: Megain: Sun God: Every home in Switzerland is required to have at least one gun.

citation please

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1566715.stm

i read that link as i looked around before asking for a citation. if you're referring to this:

Between the ages of 21 and 32 men serve as frontline troops. They are given an M-57 assault rifle and 24 rounds of ammunition which they are required to keep at home.

i would contend that does not require every home in switzerland to have at least one gun

100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free.

So that's $40 an hour for college? Better than the crappy $5 or $6 an hour I earned to help pay for college 20 some odd years ago.

damageddude: So that's $40 an hour for college? Better than the crappy $5 or $6 an hour I earned to help pay for college 20 some odd years ago.

You do understand, right, that now that you are out of college you will be expected to pay that $40/hour to some snotnosed kid to pick up garbage along a highway?

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: This should be a fun one (even if it's based on a bullshiat premise). There's nothing Republicans hate more than having to sacrifice for their country.

I think you should go to the nearest military base and present this idea to some of the soldiers. Be sure to take pictures and have your next of kin post them.

Megain: i would contend that does not require every home in switzerland to have at least one gun

That's perfectly fair, but it's an interesting thing about Switzerland and militia.

You know who else required mandatory service?

baked beans: You know who else required mandatory service?

Abraham Lincoln?

It sure seems like an awful lot of people who support the draft are really, vehemently against mandating public service. I don't have any hard numbers to back that up, but from what I've seen it's warhawk republicans who want the draft.

I'm not saying all republicans want to reinstate a draft. I know that's not true. But I've never seen one single democrat who supports the draft.

/It's ok to go kill brown people but not to repaint the homeless shelter?

drestin: and he is going to pay for all of these handouts ... how? Oh, that's right; raise taxes on the rich, the answer to every problem.

you're right, it's bullshiat. my suggestion was WAY better.



/let us take a moment of silence to reflect on the terrible misfortune of rich people

Now That's What I Call a Taco!: This should be a fun one (even if it's based on a bullshiat premise). There's nothing Republicans hate more than having to sacrifice for their country.

Republicans are all for doing charity work, that is why they give so much more to charity than the millionaires in congress do (based on % of giving and income). What I have a problem with, is FORCED.

If you are forced to do so, it isn't charity, but slavery.

ekdikeo4: suggesting that the high school age idea be incentivized(is that a word?) by giving kids extra credit (my government teacher did that) rather than making it mandatory.

You will do as you are told to do and you will like it.

Hiro Nakamura: But I've never seen one single democrat who supports the draft.

Tell me you're kidding.

You guys have to keep up with your talking points. I would've figured everybody would already be on to railing on him for changing the idea from what it was a few days ago. But, you people are still stuck on the requirement thing.

Several days ago it said "require" in a few spots and it said "voluntary" in a few spots in different parts of the plan. Some of the language has been changed to make it far more clear.

I'm disappointed, because now I have to wait until Monday or Tuesday for you people to bash him for changing his idea.