>>>Conscription of the entire population is more appropriate to North Korea or Cuba...
>>>
>>>Or Switzerland, if you're male.
>>
>>My recommendation was not mandatory conscription in the military. I recommended any public service (peace corps, local community, schools, hospitals, americorps, military, etc) as a way to earn money for college. I feel that is a fair exchange and does not constitute involuntary servitude.
>
>Cuba uses conscription for non-military labor.
>I don't know if they still do it, but they used to have professionals and office people out harvesting sugar cane.
>
>>>I feel that is a fair exchange and does not constitute involuntary servitude.
>If it is service that is not voluntary - that is involuntary servitude.
>
>As noble as public service sounds, the reality would be bureaucratic servitude.
>
>Also, it may seem odd, but the only ethical case for mandatory government service is military.
>Not because of any high morality - but the very lowest morality - survival.
>And our present volunteer system is more ethical yet.
>
>Why should "public service" include reporting to a government bureaucracy?
>Wouldn't people get more out of volunteering for the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, or Church Missions to care for the needy?
>
>Volunteer organizations get more done with less money, and the money that they spend was not taken by force.
>
>Bureaucracies exist to perpetuate themselves and to serve politicians - their mission statements are just a pretext for feeding at the public trough - not anything we should empower in any way.

I agree that service to volunteer organizations should count as well. I did not mean to limit the type of service, only that it should benefit the public.