Obama calls for mandatory government service.

[RufusMcLaser]

From a military readiness standpoint there are more reasons for U.S. to oppose universal mandatory service than to support it. Conscripted forces are, if anything, consistently underwhelming. Bongo Bill just made the good points about Israel- since the U.S. is not surrounded by hostile neighbors, it's hard to imagine the system working again. We retain selective service for just such times, after all, but the draft ended in the 70s and I don't want it anywhere near the military today.

 

[BishopOfBattle]

I think this story is being taken vastly out of context. The link there has a video of the entire speech, and its pretty clear to see that he was talking about a social structure of supporting America at home, supporting non-profits and organizations that take part in welfare operations, AmeriCore, etc. and of expanding these services to a level "just as well funded" as the American military.

He encouraged Americans to *voluntarily* join the Armed Forces and additionally *asked* that people at home *volunteer* for those organizations.

The only mandatory work he mentioned was making community service a part of our school curriculum. No where does he describe some sort of civilian military force against individual will, despite the small scale uproar this is getting.