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Younghusband
Author

Younghusband

Date

August 31st, 2007

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Civic duty

Volunteer firefighters. Reserve soldiers, sailors and airmen. Auxiliary police officers. Volunteer search and rescue, and paramedics. Our communities are full of people willing to trade their precious time for the welfare of others. Training evenings and weekends, these people provide many vital government services that would otherwise barely exist do to lack of infrastructure and/or funding.

I am curious about the Coming Anarchy community. I am sure most of you feel a sense of duty, but how many are acting on that feeling? Many of you are current or former military personnel. I thank you for your service, but today I would like to draw attention to those that perform their duties above and beyond their “regular” jobs. If you are a volunteer please leave a comment. This is your chance to give a shoutout to your organization. If you have a website please provide a link. Let us know how and where you take part!

Comments to this entry

RPL
August 31, 2007
6:15 pm
Sadly, I never served. However, I am an emergency first responder, and I'm certifed in basic first aid and CPR (adult,child,infant). I'm also certified as a rescue diver.
OldDog
August 31, 2007
6:29 pm
Army National Guard since last November. Prior service - Air Force, 1986 - 1990.

I joined up despite a bad war, badly run by a bad president. I'm a Chaplain's assistant. I help look out for the Soldiers that are suffering from the effects of poor foreign policy decisions, and I'm ready to react to local or National emergencies caused by weather or, again, poor foreign policy decisions.
shane
August 31, 2007
6:43 pm
YH: How timely! I just made a similar post at Oz:

http://oz.deichman.net/2007/08/be-prepared_27.html

I volunteer with the local American Red Cross Chapter's "Disaster Action Team".

For everyone in the CA community, they should (at a minimum) have a family disaster plan and kit, and get certified in CPR.

vr/ shane
Lobo
August 31, 2007
9:51 pm
I was attending studies at the Sociology faculty when September 11th took place. I had been discussing months before with a half Palestinian half Spaniard lecturer on the changing nature of war so when I turned on TV that day my first thought was "It is happening already!".

I graduated and I moved to Madrid to attend a post graduate course. The second semester one of my best friend phoned and woke me up just to check I was OK. The biggest terrorist attack in Spain's history had taken place 20 minutes away from my home.

I had a personal blog titled "El Lobo Estepario" (The Steppen Wolf). I gradually started talking less about whatever popped up in my mind and I focused on international issues. Finally I changed my blog's name to Guerras Posmodernas (Postmodern Wars).

Finally I joined the Spanish Marine Corps "Volunteer Reserve" as Staff Sergeant last year.
Mark
September 1, 2007
3:42 am
Central governments cause too much harm and steal too much money through taxation to warrant any support. I look forward to and prepare for a post-nation-state world that is unfolding as we speak.
lireou
September 1, 2007
6:02 am
Retired after 27.5 years military service in 1989 and still work for my government. Just finished two weeks of periodic shift work doing 13.5 hours a day at a remote location, so zilch time as a volunteer..
Rommel
September 1, 2007
4:11 pm
Mark,

Serving your community is just that - serving your community.
One need not serve the central government and can help the local community in time of need (which is about helping one's neighbors, not a beauracracy.)
That said, I plan on eventually being an FSO - if that counts (and it shouldn't.)
Mark
September 1, 2007
5:04 pm
Self-sacrifice is not noble, but foolish. Asians know this, and that is why the 21st century is theirs, not the west's. Even worse is the forcing of others to sacrifice part of their wealth or time "for the greater good".
Lexington Green
September 1, 2007
7:09 pm
"the 21st century is theirs, not the west's."

First, the 21st century will not be Asia's. At current growth rates, which are way overstated, China will have something like 1/4 the USA's per capita income at the end of the century. India will be farther behind. The 22nd century may be Asia's, but not this one.

Second, a core strength of the West is the public service ethic, whether on a private or public basis.

"Self-sacrifice is not noble but foolish." Depends on the circumstances. Saying this categorically is an ideological position, not a statement of historical fact.
Mark
September 1, 2007
8:29 pm
You are assuming the US's income will stay the same. The housing bubble is just starting to burst, and all the notional home equity will disappear. Combined with an expensive lost war, and the standard of living may be standard across most of the world. A class of rich, who have much in common regardless of nationality, and a huge class of poor, competing with each other across national borders. Think of Brazil. Since I am not poor, this looks pretty good to me. I never could stand middle class morality.
Anymouse
September 2, 2007
12:49 am
"Self-sacrifice is not noble, but foolish. Asians know this,"
Mao, emperor worship? Rings any bells?
Lexington Green
September 2, 2007
4:25 am
"The housing bubble is just starting to burst, and all the notional home equity will disappear."

"All ..."

Delusional. House prices will adjust to economic reality. The core strengths of the economy are untouched.

"...an expensive lost war ..."

We have been through far, far more expensive episodes. People have been hoping to see the USA fall apart for a long time. It is not going to happen.

"Think of Brazil."

You think of Brazil. I'll think of the United States, with its middle class morality, public service ethic and many other things I (and many others) love and respect, and we will make sure they continue.

"...I am not poor."

I hope you suffer the financial ruin you wish on other people.
Mark
September 2, 2007
10:43 pm
My wishes have nothing to do with it. A credit/debt bubble only has one way to end, according to Austrian economics. "Whatever is going to happen will happen...just don't let it happen to you.”? -Doug Casey
Regarding the odious middle class: Smug on the way up, whiny little bitches on the way down. Real estate has become their only sizable asset, and it will shrink to less than the mortgage owed. For supporting a corrupt federal government, they'll get what they deserve, like us all.
Lirelou
September 3, 2007
8:39 am
Lexington, East Asian societies were also held together by a strong public service ethic. Indeed, when things were going well, it was often because entrance into the mandarin classes was based upon performance in exams, backed up by observed performance in one's duties. Of course they, like other societies, had their up and downs, with periods when the mandarin class was entrenched and self-serving. As for the good ones, Admiral Yi Sun-shin of Korea, and Nguyen Du of Vietnam come to mind. Pity I've forgotten the name of the Chinese mandarin whose strict enforcement of China's anti-drug laws sparked the Opium Wars.