21st Century Work House?

James Hulme of the 'New Local Government Network' has posted a Telegraph blog on the dynamic new Government ideas for the nation's disenchanted youth. Ultimately, I think this has more to do with the Government's concerns about poverty, which is deep in the UK and, of course, trying to deal with the outcome of that poverty, which is social exclusion (a fashionable phrase I know) and people with a poor education with less opportunities than the more privileged.

It also has something to do with the fact that I think the Government, now that unemployment is spiralling, are gearing up to blame unemployed people for their situation, rather than admit that the Government themselves bear some responsibility for the present economic crises. I don't know! They take all the credit when the economy is in 'boom' time and then blame us when they've bankrupted the State by bailing out incompetent bankers. In these harsh financial times, the only thing left to do is blame the people who don't have a voice: the Poor. This is how the article begins...

Sometimes ideas are so good yet so simple that you wonder why they haven't been enacted by the Government already. This is the case for the recently published proposals from James Crabtree and Frank Field MP to establish a compulsory civic service for young people in the UK. Whilst Hampstead liberals and professional harridans will no doubt balk at the idea, citing an abhorrent infringement of our young people's liberty, the scheme could spark a revival in civic pride and help to tackle unemployment, crime and anti-social behaviour....

...click here for more and see what you make of it. Sounds nice and fluffy on the face of it, but it is just that idea of "compulsory" "voluntary" "work" just doesn't make much sense to me.