"Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You..."

Obama has signed his national service bill into law:

President Obama this afternoon signed the $5.7 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which triples the size of the AmeriCorps program.

Appearing at the SEED school in Washington, the president called the bill "the boldest expansion of opportunities to serve our communities and our country since the creation of AmeriCorps."

"What this legislation does, then, is to help harness this patriotism and connect deeds to needs," he said. "It creates opportunities to serve for students, seniors and everyone in between. It supports innovation and strengthens the nonprofit sector. And it is just the beginning of a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to involve our greatest resource, our citizens, in the work of remaking this nation."

The bill will expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 slots to 250,000 over eight years. It will "focus that service on today's challenges, including clean energy, education, health care, veterans care, and economic opportunity," according to the White House, and "provide new service opportunities for millions of Americans at all stages of their lives." ...

... "We need your service, right now at this moment in history," the president said from the podium. "I'm not going to tell you what your role should be. That's for you to discover. But I'm asking you to stand up and play your part. I'm asking you to help change history's course, put your shoulder up against the wheel."

We've seen these kinds of "voluntary service" programs before...

"Reich Labor Service: We build body and soul."


"No one shall go hungry! No one shall be cold!"


"Health, child protection, fighting poverty, aiding travellers, community, helping mothers: These are the tasks of the National Socialist People's Charity. Become a member!"


"Don't give. Sacrifice."

Do we really want to go there again?