individual wrote 12 January 2011 10:00:05 AM:

>... Engaging the unemployed under the same pay conditions as used to be the military service ...

The Austrlaian Government already has a scheme to engage unemplpyed people under the same pay conditions as the military: <http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/>. ;-)

More seriously there is an outline of "Mutual Obligation/Work for the Dole" schemes from the Parliamentary Library at: <http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/dole.htm>.

Not at all, individual.

>>Pericles, yoy're just arguing for the sake of it. You obviously have no compassion nor the mentality, nor interest in this country to rebuild. What a waste.<<

I am arguing for the application of some practical commonsense to your suggestion that this country should enlist "many of the young unemployed as part of a trial national service".

My position is not frivolous, as you suggest. It is offered in the context of assessing the need from both a national perspective, as in "what problem would compulsory national service address", and from an ideological one, which asks "is national service the most appropriate response to unemployment".

Admittedly, I had assumed you actually meant National Service, which, given all the references to discipline and dole-bludgers, was not too much of a stretch.

But given this was not your intention, I ask again - what form do you see it taking? Simply slagging me off - "no compassion nor the mentality, nor interest in this country to rebuild" - for not sharing your views is pretty cheap, given that you haven't even expressed them clearly.

Pericles,
I have no problem with your last post. My question is how soon are we going to implement a service to the nation by every young 18-19 or 19-20. We desperately need some form of service through which or in which many young people can learn & even appreciate responsibility in return for a bloody good life in this country. This country needs help now to remain good. We need to engage people now. We need a service now. It's irrelevant what it's called. Called responsibility service for calling it something's sake. Words like compulsory & ideological aren't in the equation.
You must acknowledge no matter how unpleasant a fact this is but there are way too many unemployable in our society simply because they either don't get direction or it is even offered to them. Not everyone needs or indeed desires academic achievement, more people just want reasonably rewarding employment. A service to the Nation at a young age will give direction & make people see purpose in things they don't normally hear about. A service to the Nation is the best nation builder available to us. let's not squander the chance again like the Whitlam Government did. Just imagine where Australia could be now if it weren't for that outfit. The rebuilding of the flood/fire affected parts of Australia is an ideal stepping stone for getting this Nation back on track.

No we don't, individual.

>>We desperately need some form of service through which or in which many young people can learn & even appreciate responsibility in return for a bloody good life in this country<<

That's a myth.

Like your proposition that:

>>the reason why we so many literally useless people is because they're all rather educated but have had zilch exposure to practical work<<

There is so much wrong with that statement it is difficult to know where to start. But at least we now know who is to blame, in your view:

>>...let's not squander the chance again like the Whitlam Government did. Just imagine where Australia could be now if it weren't for that outfit<<

Whitlam's government was thrirtyfive years ago.

We have elected fourteen governments since then, seven Labour, seven Liberal.

Check your calendar, individual. We are already eleven years into the twentyfirst century.

Pericles,
what is the myth part, tell us some of the wrongs of the statement. Btw. the Whitlam bandwagon started rolling before he became PM. So pretty close to 40 years. Also, I notice you didn't actually refute the squandering part. Good to see you have some grasp of reality. I know we're in the 21st century that's why I know it's high time to act. You're still raving on about sitting back & waiting for more ideological academics to make profound but practically useless statements. Action does something for flood & fire victims, statements don't. Just in case it hasn't sunk in yet this is about rebuilding not defending incompetence. I suppose you don't quite get the difference do you. never mind, one day hopefully you will.

Boot camps for young 'uns

Is what this country requires

To forget Whitlam