[Closed] Compulsory volunteers

Negative, Comrade. For questioning the Supreme Leader, you have just volunteered for the salt mines...

It's as acceptable as benefits for doing nothing ...............

Sounds good to me and it says their effort will be acknowledged.

It applies to everyone, so maybe, and its just my opinion, it will give the more fortunate children in society a chance to help out in communities they might otherwise not get a chance to intergrate with and the less fortunate children a chance to see that there is some value in life, even if their position looks very bleak.

Of course a scheme like this will never be perfect - you know how hard it is just to get teenagers to wash the dishes ffs, but good effort for trying.

🙂

until recently in [s]the motherland[/s], er, France, (and Germany I think if i recall correctly), you could do exactly that, ie 'volunteer' for social care, fire brigade, foresty commission etc as an alternative to your military service. It is a terribly silly terminology/way to explain what isn't really all that bad or unusual an idea.

[edit/PS] ...in fact, whose terminology is 'compulsory volunteers'? A link to some political waffle from the bbc article might clarify whether this is Brown's expression, as they don't seem to have directly quoted anyone saying this. Did the reporter just, errm 'paraphrase' this?

Not saying it's a bad idea. Just saying that they shouldn't call it volunteering. As it's not. Forced labour would be more accurate.

yes, 'volunteering' is a bit optimistic! Unless volunteering is also a word for 'a group of sullen 18 year olds standing around trying not to paint railings in a park'.

I think you can safely discount whatever the "news healine" calls it and just view the scheme on its own merits.

Sounds likes something George Orwell wrote about

I think the idea is that the hours are compulsory but the area where you put them in is subject to some degree of choice

50 hours by the age of 19 is a staggeringly modest ambition

The youth demographic at whom this is aimed can easily put in 50 hours of aimlessly hanging around outside the local offie harrassing pensioners and little kids within the space of one Easter weekend!

And what choices will they be offered about where/how the hours are served?

50 hours building more MTB trails in Grizedale Forest? Great idea!
50 hours cleaning up chewing gum, dogshit and food wrappers outside Kendal McDonalds? Great idea!
50 hours shelving books in Kendal library/ That's what I'd go for

My company is currently asking me to volunteer on a compulsory basis to work for upto 30 days without pay. (we made £500m + profit last year) I feel a bit upset about this, but our shareholders demand this to maintain the profit margin. (3 very large German banks)

Good old Stalin!

Mind you with minimum wage for under 18's etc any chance of paid work for them has been taken away.

I remember doing a YTS for £40 a week (£1 an hour) in 87 it was rubbish money but at least it gave me a trade and a future.

they have a scheme here in germany, civildienst. when called up for military service you can opt out and workin care homes, for the red cross, youth hostels (which are govt. run, no private youth hostels here - state control.....!) or other low skilled jobs. forestry comission type work is out of the question as that is a job that requires 4 years of training.

not everyone is called up though. you are paid enough to live and generally have housing and board paid for. you are able to choose within reason where you want to work depending on availability of places. one friend chose to work in a youth hostel on the edge of the alps because he liked skiing and mtb. lucky bugger.

i think kids in england people will resent having to work for nothing.
but isn't this what those on community service should be doing? or those in prison?

Bit like when Elrond says in FoTR - "You have only one choice".

Community service used to be a punishment.

This might encourage kids to start mugging grannies if they're going to be picking up the litter anyway.

Having worked with yoofs for a number of years often many know nothing outsiude the immediate area they live in ...no car to travel never been on a holiday etc
I have been on many trips with these people to places like the lakes for a week and you really can see a huge change in their outlook on live and what they can achieve.... those who grow up in poverty suffer from a serious poverty of ambition and if we can give them an escape route or see the world through different eyes I am all for it... not really sure how we do this as a society as compulsory volunteering or national service are not really the best optiosn though.