David Cameron’s blue-and-white army?

It’s easy to sneer. In fact, maybe I’m stuck on sneer. So, today, I’m going to try and sound positive about something apparently ridiculous. About this:

Forcing school leavers to do three or four months of community service could help bring people together, Tory leader David Cameron has said.

Mr Cameron is making the case for his National School Leavers’ programme in a speech to voluntary group leaders.

This could work. More: it looks at first glance like a great idea. First, it needs to be compulsory. It’s pointless if the indolent rich can opt to spend their three months on St Kitts instead. Second, there must be some choice (what, where, when). No point forcing a young lad with building skills to do tea duty in an old folks’ home. Or a wannabe carer on graffiti-scrubbing duty. Or someone who wants to attend university first to do her service at age 18. And so on. Third, compensatory remuneration has to be sorted out (not pay). I’d also like to see exemptions for those training for community service: nursing, teaching, medicine and the like. And it ought to be clear: this is an obligation, not an opportunity.

But overall I can’t see a decent objection in principle. It’s egalitarian. Which is more than the tax system is. It’s race, color and faith blind, which is more than the education system is. It’s a practical response to communitarian concerns coming from left and right. It might even be achievable, though the Tories can probably be trusted to chuck a few bones to the clients when it comes to implementation.

But is it illiberal? Absolutely not. It would be great if we all volunteered, but we don’t. Or won’t. Most people don’t even give blood, which is a minimal commitment to sit on your arse for an hour twice a year. We’re increasingly aware of our rights. But what about our counterpart (though not contingent) duties? Not to the state, obviously: to each other.

But people aren’t going to help their neighbours unless they’re made to. And consider this: if you believe it’s okay to forcibly deprive someone of a third of their income every year until they die, how exactly is making someone give three months of their lives to help their local community any less liberal?