The war on terror is over officially \o/

Sooo... entirely leaving aside the little fact that Obama isn't about to institute either the draft or mandatory service, you're saying that a country with the draft (or mandatory service) is fascist?

Okay, I guess. Sorry, have to run off to polish my jackboots...

Prime Junta said:

Sooo... entirely leaving aside the little fact that Obama isn't about to institute either the draft or mandatory service, you're saying that a country with the draft (or mandatory service) is fascist?

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Just like the Communist ..er Fascist USSR

Prime Junta said:

Sooo... entirely leaving aside the little fact that Obama isn't about to institute either the draft or mandatory service, you're saying that a country with the draft (or mandatory service) is fascist?

Okay, I guess. Sorry, have to run off to polish my jackboots...

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Based on mudsling's interpretation of the public service bill that Obama *is* driving, he's completely correct and you're putting words in his mouth. We've already discussed that interpretation's merits at the beginning of the thread.

dteowner said:

Based on mudsling's interpretation of the public service bill that Obama *is* driving, he's completely correct and you're putting words in his mouth. We've already discussed that interpretation's merits at the beginning of the thread.

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I took his posting to mean that he equates mandatory service with Fascism and the draft with Nazism. It's quite possible I misunderstood him, though; I re-read the post and it's certainly open to multiple interpretations.

Prime Junta said:

I took his posting to mean that he equates mandatory service with Fascism and the draft with Nazism. It's quite possible I misunderstood him, though; I re-read the post and it's certainly open to multiple interpretations.

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Seemed like another toot on the "mandatory volunteer" horn to me.

Looking at angle you bring up, though-- if we divorce the manifold emotional implications of the words, I'm not sure that's completely silly. The draft-Nazi link is pretty shaky by comparison, but the basic concept of mandatory service for the state is textbook fascism, yes?

But mandatory service was also a requirement for old-style republics and democracies: such as Athens.

It's also been a part of our society in the past, and is part and parcel of many other democratic societies: including ones that are far more responsive to their population than we are, such as Switzerland.

dteowner said:

Looking at angle you bring up, though-- if we divorce the manifold emotional implications of the words, I'm not sure that's completely silly. The draft-Nazi link is pretty shaky by comparison, but the basic concept of mandatory service for the state is textbook fascism, yes?

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Uh... no. Mandatory service for the state predates Fascism by centuries, and is or has been a feature in political systems pretty much all across the board. (Finland has it, for example -- it's an alternative to military service.)

There isn't a single, good, textbook definition of Fascism, actually. Merriam-Webster defines it as "a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition." Wikipedia has a pretty good collection, too: [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definitions_of_fascism ]. AFAICT none of these definitions include mandatory service for the state as a defining characteristic.