Back on October 7, Morning Fog opined that the main burden of finding common ground among the U.S.'s two bitterly divided political factions will rest with the Democratic Party. Not because I necessarily expect them to win the election two days hence (on that, I give them 60-40 odds), but because we cannot expect any effort toward finding common ground from Trump, who has striven mightily to spike existing divisions and to open new ones. So even in the event of a Trump win, the Democrats will provide the only hope of conciliation.
Is conciliation necessary? Yes, probably, if we want to think of ourselves as one nation. In fairness, I reject the idea that we enjoyed sublime unity before Trump came along; all he did was make things worse for political advantage. On the other hand, I also reject the idea that we can't get past our divisions once Trump disappears; I believe we are more united than we realize, it's just the politicians who foster cataclysmic notions.
It will be essential to try restoring a greater sense of commonality. For me, the crux of the current problem is civic - too many people have too many options to work, play, socialize, communicate, and reside among people who are just like themselves on one or more yardsticks (political, economic, educational, racial). It's natural, I suppose, to do that, but it results in division rather than diversity. We've lost environments where people will meet other people whom they don't pick.
One of those was the military. Predating our current all-professional armed services, we had the draft. Readers of Morning Fog a few years ago may recall that I have more than once argued for restoration of conscription, among other reasons because it spreads the burden of service. It ends up giving our population a better appreciation of what the military is about; it gives the country a military leadership with a greater appreciation of its democratic legitimacy, and it helps bring together people from all sorts of places and backgrounds. Is there a war movie that doesn't have those scenes of the hardened Brooklynite New Yorker and the Kentucky farm boy having to learn each other's ways? [Schumer? McConnell? Sort of?]A draft could do this even more effectively now that women are accepted in most military roles.
The draft had a lot of benefits but it would still need improvements for the 21st century. The new environment should bring in more participants, and a broad cross-section of the population. It would need to be truly random in its application to the population (unlike the old Selective Service System, which too often ended up applying only to the poor and less privileged, with "exemptions" available to those who had the influence or money to obtain them. [George W. Bush?] That only means that it must very strictly mandatory for those selected. If picked, you will serve, no cop-outs. And that would be quite possible if it were not just for the military but for a wide variety of "social service" activity too. Something for everybody, regardless of physical condition, learning ability, race, religion, or riches. If all U.S. persons (let's include immigrants too) were in the pool, only a small percentage would need to be selected. I could imagine that a few years after such a program got up and running, those who had been in it would be much sought-after by employers.
Dream on, you say? Yes, this is pie in the sky, and would be hard, if not impossible, to bring to reality. Let's keep it in mind, though, as an incorporation of some of the key elements of a national plan to reintroduce us to one another.
Important Note: After writing but before publishing this, I was reading today's newspaper and was surprised to find that one-time Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has proposed a similar "civilian service corps" in his book Trust. Leave it to Pete to be ahead of me (I could be more inspired to vote the Dem ticket if he were heading it). However, if the summary I read is accurate), he suggests participation in this corps be voluntary. I think that would just lead to the self-selection of certain sorts of folk - people already inclined toward seeing good in others. A random selection with no opt-outs would be a far better way to get a true cross-section involved.
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