[Gerard.P]

If we as a society want to require two or four years paid service from young people, that's hardly slavery.

Interesting. I wonder if we just change around a few words here and there, we'll see how much that position stands on principals.

If we as a society want to require two or four years paid sex from young people, that's hardly prostitution.

If we as a society want to require two or four years paid abortion from young people, that's hardly contraception.

If we as a society want to require two or four years paid food and shelter for young people, that's hardly welfare.

If we as a society want to require two or four years of wages from young people, that's hardly an unfair tax.

If we as a society want to require two or four years of government run health care from young people, that's hardly socialized medicine.

Even indentured slaves in the early history of America were voluntary.

"Fair" or "unfair" has nothing to do with it. Enforced service and freedom do not go together.

[dsc]

"I wonder if we just change around a few words here and there"

All invalid analogies.

[x]

That's clever -- maybe too clever. The US did require up to four years paid service from people in the years 1941 to 1945. Was that slavery? It gave them up to four years paid food, shelter, and medical care. Was that welfare or socialized medicine?

I'm not saying that mandatory community service is a good thing, just that not all forms of required service can fairly be called slavery. If the country is in trouble, and that service is necessary to prevent real slavery it's justified.