Common Experiences

Send everyone to summer camp

There are few ideas that offend my libertarian sensibilities more than “compulsory national service.”

• “Compulsory” means that people are being drafted against their will. They are being treated as slaves of the state

• “National service” is an example of the intention heuristic run amok. That is, instead of looking at the consequences of actions, we look at their intentions. So people think that profit-seeking is inherently bad, while “service” (as defined by government officials) is inherently good. But instead the profit-and-loss system produces tremendous social benefits, while the much weaker accountability systems of government and non-profits result in much less beneficial outcomes.

Even so, compulsory national service could potentially address a problem that concerns me: a lack of common experiences. Back in the 1950s, public schools were more of a common experience. But since then, parents have discovered “good school districts,” meaning districts with mostly affluent parents.

Also back then, entertainment was a common experience. Three television networks. Baseball and football (everyone could afford to sit in the same sections). Major movies.

Work was a more common experience. More people worked in manufacturing. Executives had spent less time in university classrooms and more time on the factory floor.

Nowadays, you can go through your whole life without encountering anyone from a different social background. Military service used to force men with different backgrounds to function together. But I fear that if we had compulsory national service there would probably be many types of service that would qualify, and my guess is that the upshot would be segregation by social class. Some forms of service would be populated almost entirely by affluent youths while others would be populated by youths from lower classes.

So, my idea for common experiences is more like summer camp. Four weeks. Maybe six weeks. At age 18 or so. About 100 people per camp, selected entirely randomly. Mandatory attendance, with deferral for temporary health problems.

A lot of outdoor experiences. Some team experiences. Some group musical experiences.

There would be a lot of logistical challenges with universal summer camp. You would have to find adult instructors. My guess is that former army sergeants might be the best. You would need to have “inclusion counselors” to help youths with physical or psychological disabilities. You would have to accommodate various dietary requirements.

The purpose of common-experiences camp is to give people a sense of what folks from other walks of life are really like. My hope is that this would improve their perspectives on their personal lives, the economy, and politics.