Los Angeles can be one of the loneliest cities in the country to live in at times. It lacks the roots and history that New Yorkers share, or the culture that borders on nationalism the South possesses. We are a city of transplants who have little in common past traffic and earthquakes.
Those of us from the east coast tend to band together, finding each other because everyone else thinks our humor is crude and offensive. I imagine the midwest and southern transplants have their own mating calls, although I’ve heard that after the World Series, the Chicagoans had difficulty identifying their own, as Los Angeles became saturated with fashionable Cubs fans.
In any case, our commonalities become a source of bonding. I have bonded with more people from the Northeast, in Los Angeles, over snow, than I have seen days of sunshine here. How glad we are it doesn’t snow; how much snow we use to shovel; “I got snowed in for a whole month once”; “I had to shovel my roof once”; it goes on and on.
From this small kernel of nonsense I began to think: what if our entire country had one universal experience, regardless of where you were from? Since just being an American is not enough these days.
Coastal elites, heartland “real” Americans, progressives, conservatives, Orwellian thought control enthusiasts also known as social justice warriors – all of these different groups, and the people that identify with them, have shunned their unifying American identity, in favor of a newfound tribalism.
There is precedence for mandatory military service. 64 countries worldwide, including Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria, and Israel all have mandatory service, and they seem to have their heads screwed on straighter than we do right now.
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A mandatory minimum of two years to serve in the military is the solution to this problem. It would be the great equalizer and common thread that every American shares. A farmer in Iowa, and a film executive in Beverley Hills – two people who wouldn’t be able to make the most awkward of small talk waiting in line at the DMV – would have something in common.
There is precedence for mandatory military service. 64 countries worldwide, including Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria, and Israel all have mandatory service, and they seem to have their heads screwed on straighter than we do right now.
Some people are triggered by the use of the word military, and understandably so. But I stress that the U.S. military serves more functions than simply taking over the world. Let’s take for example the one thing that those on the left and right can agree on – the American infrastructure is collapsing. Most roads and bridges haven’t been upgraded in decades and are in a state of complete dilapidation. There is no shortage of work for people to do, and a mandatory military service would address these issues. Additionally, the contributions to the tech sector from military research are common knowledge. Ask Israel about that.
Plus there is something to be said for contributing two years of your early adult life to the greater good of society, instilling a sense of responsibility in young adults, and educating them on civics.
It’s not a perfect idea. I haven’t worked out the kinks yet, but by God I am grasping for straws at a solution here because the schisms are growing deeper than ever, and things are about as stable as the San Andreas fault. If you have a better idea, I’d love to hear it, as it seems like most Americans are ready to cut their nose off, to spite their face.
“Orwellian thought control enthusiasts also known as social justice warriors”. That’s a weird and out-of-place joke to toss in.
On the whole, I agree with your idea that universal service to the nation is a good thing.
As our social structure started breaking down, now almost 20 years ago, I openly advocated this solution. Black, white, rich poor, men, women. All Serve a minimum of 2 or 3. Get these kids out of the cities, get some discipline and some skills for their future. The spoiled brats would see how the rest of the world lives. I believe the military would be the best opportunity for leveling.