Obama die Jugend Korps

"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that is just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded" – Barrack Obama, 2008

"When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.”- Adolf Hitler


"He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future." - Adolf Hitler

While Americans were fully engaged in righteous indignation over the 1/10 of 1% of the TARP money that AIG paid it's employees in compliance with legally contracted agreements, the US House of Representatives passed HR1388. The media barely took notice.

On Wednesday, March 13, 2009, "Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act" (GIVE), an expansion of the 1993 AmeriCorps program, sailed though the House on a 321 to 105 vote. Even though the bill would have passed without them, 70, evidently confused Republicans joined ranks with the Democrats in passing the bill. See the text of the bill here.

Proponents of the bill suggest that volunteerism and charity are acutely needed in tough economic times, and that this legislation answers that need. Yep, we can't let a good crisis go to waste. Opponents, on the other hand, are concerned about several aspects of the bill;

1) That community organizations which will be utilized in the 'community service' structure will be of the leftwing 'ACORN' variety; and that re-education and indoctrination would be an integral part of the training. Larry Hart, director of government relations for the American Conservative Union had this to say about the bill,

"It's allowing taxpayer funding of the left-wing organizations. I think this is a problem that is rife throughout the federal government. When you dramatically expand the program, then you dramatically expand the ability for these left-wing advocacy organizations to get more funding. I don't see a lot of attention being paid to that, even from those who are critical. That's where the focus should be. Republicans tend to say its not that they oppose the program, they just want to spend less money. It's the program that's bad."

2) That the bill will be too costly, especially on top of the obscene spending that Congress has already done. Fox News reports that Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers AmeriCorps received an estimated $260 million in fiscal 2009. GIVE is an expansion of AmeriCorp, so one would expect that the funding will be increased accordingly. The legislation is estimated to cost $6 billion over the next five years.

3) That many young 'volunteers' would be forced into lengthy service due to the attractive 'benefits' and 'grants' offered to participants, but which come with length of service requirements attached. There are also very disturbing hints in the bill which suggest that mandatory service for all young people would be eventually required. From Fox News again;

The bill creates a "Congressional Commission on Civic Service." The bipartisan commission will be tasked with exploring a number of topics, including "whether a workable, fair and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the nation."

I have reviewed the text of the bill and disturbing does not begin to describe the uneasiness I feel about the organization that this legislation will create and how it might be used. But given how easily it passed though the House, I expect that it will likely pass the Senate as well.

So, look out America, here comes the Obama Youth Corps.