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Indybay Feature

Why Republicans need the WSC

by Dwayne Hunn (dwayne [at] dwaynehunn.biz)
People’s Lobby’s citizen-initiated World Service Corps (WSC) congressional proposals are non-partisan efforts to push Congress to enact legislation that will improve life in pockets of need at home and abroad and reduce the escalating spread of terrorism. Implementing the WSC could dramatically improve the world. It needs support from all parties and groups. If you have read this, read the companion “Why the Democrats need the WSC.”
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Why Republicans need the WSC

In January 2006, at the conclusion of two days of meetings, the California Democratic Party gave a unanimous resolution of support to the concept espoused in People’s Lobby’s citizen-initiated proposed World Service Corps (WSC) Congressional Legislation.

Here are 12 reasons why the Republican Party should do the same and encourage Republican congressional reps to co-sponsor and campaign for the citizen-initiated World Service Corps proposed congressional legislation.

1. Nation Building, an empty word mouthed by the Republican spin machine?

This Republican administration consistently mouths “Nation Building” as the foundation of its foreign policy. Democratic nations are built after they establish a solid infrastructure based on broad education, health, housing, and transit. That infrastructure then produces the literacy, understanding, economic sufficiency, and civic participation that build strong democracies.

Does the Republican Party believe that the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, and State Conservation Corps build a nation’s democratic infrastructure?

Those Republican candidates who don’t believe these organizations add to our and the world’s strength and security should say so and oppose the citizen-initiated World Service Corps proposed congressional legislation. Those Republicans who understand the benefits of building a peaceful, productive World Service Corps of one million can-do Americans should campaign for, co-sponsor, and help People’s Lobby push its passage. Voters should vote for those whose reasoning makes sense.

2. Preemptive War, the Republican Party’s 21st century update to Webster’s?

When a preponderance of evidence indicates an evildoer is about to imminently harm America, a preemptive strike is a reasonable and wise choice. This Republican administration has expended thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars on their newly formed interpretation of ‘preemptive war.’ The result? A majority of Americans have come to question a Republican administration’s costly interpretation of preemptive war. For GOP voter box health, isn’t it time for the GOP to support the creation of a robust, peaceful, productive corps to preempt warfare – and sweeten Webster’s by adding the “World Service Corps” to its lexicon?

3. Would the WSC be good for business?

That it must be “good for business” is the stick on which the GOP claims to measure its actions. Well, for mega-corporations as well as mom and pop businesses, the WSC is a godsend.

Critics of our recent preemptive nation building policies may say that while the largely Republican connected mega-corporate likes of GE, Halliburton, KNBR, Carlyle, benefit from such policies; lesser-sized companies, America’s workers, and middle class soldiers suffer. The business of GE, as well as Halliburton, Flour, Bectel, GM, etc., is no longer America centric. Their loyalty involves building, competing, and profiting in, from, and off of the world.

A smart business plan that will provide healthy, sustainable, long term profits in the world will require learning the world’s languages, cultures, and needs. It means holding the respect of those nations, which makes it easier for them to choose your contract or buy your product. The WSC builds the knowledge and people skills that all corporations who work internationally need. So, are Republicans for or against a smart program that builds the skills that will help business do well while doing good for all?

4. Do Republicans inherently oppose all new programs? Without considering the cost and other benefits, of even good, small, cost effective programs?

The WSC funnels can-do Americans into existing, cost-effective governmental and non-governmental programs. Yes, some of the governmental programs under the WSC umbrella will grow from having more Americans serving in them. Are Republicans against “bigger” even when such growth produces so much productive good that it multiplies savings many times over its costs? In that case, Republican opponents should detail to voters why having more Americans serving in the Peace Corps, Americorps, Teacher Corps, and Headstart would be bad for America’s business, economy, or character, while allowing more tax write offs for more corporate mercenaries at a much higher per mercenary cost is good.

5. Are Americans losing the experiences, skill building, and character that comes from overcoming challenges that lead to becoming self-made successes?

Most Republicans believe that their self-made drive to overcome challenges is what makes them, their party, and America great. Today, with so many inheritance-produced successful Republicans, the danger looms that the Grand Ole Party’s up-and-comers are losing the character forming experiences that its Lincolns, Teddy Roosevelts, Goldwaters, and Eisenhowers represented.

Some of the challenges facing America and the world include disease, poverty, natural calamities, the growing Ugly American image, terrorist recruitment, ignorance that spreads hate, etc. What better way to refortify the self-made Republican ideals and to insure that America’s character remains strong than by having millions of Americans use their proclaimed initiative and drive to overcome such 21st century obstacles. Are Republicans ready, willing, and able to turn the 21st century’s growing array of challenges into opportunities, which their sound bites consistently remind Americans is their forte.

6. Reduce, reduce, reduce taxes…

Revenue needs for costs related to the military have soared into another galaxy in this Republican administration. By implementing a million strong WSC, we could save a helluva lot more than the WSC costs from the savings the WSC would produce in the Defense Department’s deficit digging budget.

Spending less than what six weeks of what the Iraq war has cost, we could field a million WSC volunteers for a year and strike the need to spend many multiples of that amount from our military expenditures. Such cost savings would reduce our reliance on deficit financing, once an espoused credo of the GOP, and thus give some credibility to Republicans’ argument for further tax cuts.

When supplemental budgets, off budget, and hidden costs are added to budgeted costs to support each of our 1.4 million military personnel, our per military personnel (PMP) cost has soared to over $600,000 per year. And that was before the February 2006 outbreak of Iraqi Civil War and its additional off budget costs.

With the WSC’s governmental and non-governmental organizational (NGO) structure and financing mechanisms, the WSC volunteer cost could be $15-30,000 per year. The effectiveness of the WSC would then reduce the costly burdens borne by our 1.4 million military personnel by one or several hundred thousand dollars PMP. In GOP math, is spending $15 – 30,000 times one million WSC volunteers worth reducing military costs by $100 – 200,000 times 1.4 million military personnel?

7. How do we pay for the program?

That’s a Republican mantra thrown at implementing most social programs. The mantra is often linked with the fairness and wealth generating properties of their tax programs. Today, however, a majority of Americans believe their tax policies favor mega-corporations and the top few percent of the rich. The Financing provision of the proposed WSC legislation gives those who have benefited from America’s environment, the opportunity to reduce the perception that the GOP doesn’t care about tax fairness.

Since Republicans express the belief that everyone should pay a fair share of taxes, the WSC legislation will create a public web site that lists those Fortune 500 companies who have paid little, no, or negative federal taxes, an estimated 82 in the last three years. Such public knowledge will offer those none, negative, or low paying corporations the public relations incentive to contribute to making the world safer for their sons, daughters, and America’s workers, while dramatically reducing middle class tax payers financing of the WSC. The WSC web site offers the none, negative, and low paying giant corporations an opportunity to show – via their donated dollars -- their belief in tax fairness. http://www.WorldServiceCorps.us

8. Since religious fundamentalists are a fundamental part of the Republican Party, shouldn’t the GOP support one of Jesus’ and all religions’ fundamental philosophies?

As the Bible tells of the good shepherd leaving his comfortable flock to find and help the one lost sheep, the WSC puts a million American good shepherds a year in helping those temporarily lost or in need.

The WSC proposals are not written for evangelical groups. Only well respected, non-preachy Habitat is listed as one of the major participating agencies that has a religious connotation. Habitat’s Theology of the Hammer emulates, without proselytizing, all religions’ tenet to help those in need. Helping those in need is reflected in varying degrees with all the WSC’s organization.

9. Republicans are against expanding government, so why should we support the WSC?

Under the World Service Corps umbrella, the Peace Corps, Americorps, Headstart, and State Conservation Corps are governmental programs requiring day-to-day allowances plus service bonus completion costs. The rest are NGOs requiring only service completion bonus costs from our government and donations.

The WSC does not create a vast, new costly bureaucracy. It merely provides some minimal and nationally beneficial financial incentives to increase opportunities for Americans to serve their country – at a time when our slipping standing in the world needs millions of serving Americans to reverse America’s decline.

10. Will it work?

The government organizations under the WSC umbrella have histories. Most foreigners and experienced Americans look on the Peace Corps as our most cost effective and successful foreign aid program. Most families, especially families in need, praise Head Start and Teacher Corps, and wish the un-served 60% of low-income families could have their young exposed to more education. More Americorps and more State Conservations Corps, as well as Red Cross, Habitat, Mercy Corps, OxFam members certainly could have been used to prepare for and recover from recent disasters that have struck abroad as well as at home.

These organizations work. Most Americans and world citizens know they work. The world increasingly needs them. Why would the Elephant be against empowering them, when the California Donkey has?

11. Why wait?

It is time for a mission, not missiles. Before this WSC mission is grabbed by Move On and Kerry, Hillary & Bill, Dean, Clark, Kennedy, Boxer, Woolsey, Kucinich, etc., the Republicans should get on board.

12. And the final reason?

Do it before Letterman lists reasons why you should have, and Leno and the Daily Show smirks your insouciance.
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