Walter In Denver

Where do I apply to become a “professional ethicist”? Seems like a job any half-wit could do. I read that article and not only didn’t think she offered any new insight, but showed that she is unethical herself. I don’t know how any person can advocate the reinstitution of slavery, and claim to be an expert on ethics.

"If the term 'a free country' has any meaning, in the sense of individuals being free, then citizenship doesn't carry legal obligations to the government."

While it's far too easy for the government to become coercive, it's not clear to me that, short of a Hobbesian anarchy, it's possible to have a country or society where there are *no* "legal obligations" or duties one is obliged to perform. Taxes and traffic laws come to mind.

I agree, though, that a draft or compulsory government service is distinctly over the line without a far more compelling reason than appeal to the ancient Greeks (who also built a society on slavery, so using them as a basis for societal ethics seems dubious at best).

Traffic laws, the well written ones anyway, aren't obligations to the government but to fellow individuals.

You may have noticed that I find taxes to be wanting in terms of ethics as well.

A basic argument against a welfare state is that when you give something to someone for nothing they don't appreciate it, nor does it actually help them. If they earn it however then they tend to cherish it. It's not written in stone with no exceptions but to an extent it's true.

So should we be required to serve the state to enjoy our freedoms? No.
However for the privileges a ctizen enjoys in a free 9or spudeo-free) society perhaps a price isn't unacceptable.

For instance the Swiss had a custom for a long time that in order to vote you had to present your arms that proved you were capable of acting as part of the militia.

It's too lengthy to get into in a comment & I'm not sure I have time to post about it but I wouldn't see it as objectionable if participation in the militia was required in order to vote. If it was required to exercise Rights of a more individual nature (such as property ownership, freedom of speech, religion, the Right to Arms, etc...) then I would protest. But keeping it at the level of political Rights or privileges wouldn't be as bad as you seem to think - at least if it were done correctly (i.e. abolishing the standing army & drastically reducing the police forces so the militia [every able bodied person] could take over the majority of the military & police duties).