If you merely set the example most people won't do it. So you have a society of free riders. Yes, they have free will, but they are also parasites on the efforts of others. While of course we accept that in many areas- there will always be welfare cheats, and tax cheats, there are also police mechanisms to catch these people- you don't really set up a system you want to work and build in such a huge probability of free riding.
Now if we don't really care about community service, by all means, we can say it would be "nice", but people don't HAVE to do it. Or we can offer benefits and pay, as the military does. But if you really want people to be active in helping out their communities, and you don't want to spend big bucks paying them, you'd better find a way to make it compulsory- or the same 15% of the population who shows up for church bake sales, and school activities, and everything else, is going to end up shouldering the burden. As one of those people who shows up I'm sick and tired of the free riders. I don't mind carrying the welfare cheats, and the tax cheats- because at least there are police mechanisms in place to catch those people- but there is nothing around to boot the apathetic off their couches. I think requiring people to spend a few hours a year helping out in their communities is little to expect for living in a country.
I think a society should require young people to serve their country for a year- whether in the military or on the social side (and I do think they should have a choice as to which side they choose). But service is a good thing, even mandated service. No child (at least no child of mine) ever said "WOW, can I do chores every week, for nothing?"
But as a family we mandate that our children do chores because they are part of our family. They need to do them for nothing, and they need to understand they are giving to the people who give to them. I think society should work the same way. But then I think society is more like a family than a family of disconnected atoms. I guess if you want to be an atom, being forced to be part of a community would be annoying. However, those people who do not want to be part of a community better not also be trying to control people's sex lives, or other intimate details of their lives- because that would be just too ironic. |
