Aliens Quote by Alexis de Tocqueville
“In America, conscription is unknown; men are enlisted for payment. Compulsory recruitment is so alien to the ideas and so foreign to the customs of the people of the United States that I doubt whether they would ever dare to introduce it into their law.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Democracy in America, 1835
Conscription clashes with American values of volunteerism and individual liberty.
In simple terms: Drafts feel foreign to US culture.
Key Takeaway
Consider alternatives to compulsory service.
Themes
freedom
individualism
military
citizenship
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- military recruitment
- public opinion
Key Concepts
political philosophy
civil liberty
national defense
Questions to Reflect On
- How would a draft affect American identity?
- What alternatives could meet defense needs?
A Different Perspective
Voluntary service may still be insufficient for defense needs.
![“Be ... suspicious ... of all those who employ the term 'we' or 'us' without your permission. This is [a] form of surreptitious conscription ... Always ask who this 'we' is; as often as not it's an attempt to smuggle tribalism through the customs.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cee/christopher-hitchens-117_conscription_be-suspicious-of-all-those-who-employ-th_781600.jpg)
