--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Right now, America doesn't ask us to do…" description: "\"Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you, when you have to sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/sebastian-junger-4689_country_right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-a_91367.png" --- # Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides… ![“Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you, when you have to sacrifice for something, you value it more. What about national service for young people? Everybody between 18 and 24 could spend a year or two…” quote by Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/sebastian-junger-4689_country_right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-a_91367.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/sebastian-junger-4689_country_right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-a_91367.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/213/sebastian-junger-4689_country_right-now-america-doesn-t-ask-us-to-do-a_91367.png) > “Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. We don't even have to vote. But as psychologists will tell you, when you have to sacrifice for something, you value it more. What about national service for young people? Everybody between 18 and 24 could spend a year or two working for this country in some capacity. It'd be an amazing thing. And it would mix this country racially, culturally, economically.” [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for compulsory national service, arguing that shared sacrifice fosters appreciation, social integration, and economic cohesion. **In simple terms:** Compulsory service builds unity Key Takeaway Shared sacrifice strengthens society Themes civic duty social cohesion economic integration cultural mixing youth empowerment Mood optimistic urgent Type political essay call to action When to use this quote - legislative debates - youth programs Key Concepts public policy national identity Practical Applications - policy proposals - public forums Questions to Reflect On - What are the trade‑offs of mandatory service? - How might such a program affect social mobility? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [National service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-service/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychologist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychologist/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Year Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-working/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to sound like Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, but I do think there should be some sort of national service for young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-don-t-want-to-sound-like-disgusted-of-tunbridge-wells-but-i-do/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [I still get a lot of material but I find that as one gets older you get more fussy. You know you're going spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-jewison/i-still-get-a-lot-of-material-but-i-find-that-as-one-gets-older-you/) [Norman Jewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-jewison/) > [I love America, but I can't spend the whole year here. I can't afford the taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/i-love-america-but-i-can-t-spend-the-whole-year-here-i-can-t-afford/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [To be completely cured of newspapers, spend a year reading the previous week's newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/to-be-completely-cured-of-newspapers-spend-a-year-reading-the/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [I am not married to any particular genre. I am more interested in projects that capture my imagination and move me in a way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-torre/i-am-not-married-to-any-particular-genre-i-am-more-interested-in/) Oscar Torre > [It used to be that you commit to something, and then basically you spend your year doing that. Now there's a constant conversation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/it-used-to-be-that-you-commit-to-something-and-then-basically-you/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [I spend a part of the year in New York when based in L.A. and vice versa. It's the only way I feel balanced.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hale-appleman/i-spend-a-part-of-the-year-in-new-york-when-based-in-l-a-and-vice/) [Hale Appleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hale-appleman/) > [I would love to spend a year living in New York; I've wanted to do that since I was 18. I'll be really disappointed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-bruhl/i-would-love-to-spend-a-year-living-in-new-york-i-ve-wanted-to-do/) [Daniel Bruhl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-bruhl/) > [I had always wanted to see Europe, and what better way to see it than to spend a year there playing basketball?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-d-antoni/i-had-always-wanted-to-see-europe-and-what-better-way-to-see-it-than/) [Mike D'Antoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-d-antoni/) > [I think a lot of times when people have "creative blocks" and I know my share of friends do as well if they're at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/i-think-a-lot-of-times-when-people-have-creative-blocks-and-i-know-my/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [We never splurge on Diwali. How much can you spend on yourself? As it is, we do that throughout the year, so why not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-shroff/we-never-splurge-on-diwali-how-much-can-you-spend-on-yourself-as-it/) [Jackie Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-shroff/) > [I think it's incredibly important to spend the first year with your child, and it should be made possible for all women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-think-it-s-incredibly-important-to-spend-the-first-year-with-your/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [I spend about a year between novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-tyler/i-spend-about-a-year-between-novels/) [Anne Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-tyler/) > [I stop and think before I start a new book and ask myself do I really want to spend the next year or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-blume/i-stop-and-think-before-i-start-a-new-book-and-ask-myself-do-i-really/) [Judy Blume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-blume/) ## More by Sebastian Junger > [No matter how many people you kill, using a machine gun in battle is not a war crime because it does not cause unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/no-matter-how-many-people-you-kill-using-a-machine-gun-in-battle-is/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“There are houses in Gloucester where grooves have been worn into the floorboards by women pacing past an upstairs window, looking out to sea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/there-are-houses-in-gloucester-where-grooves-have-been-worn-into-the/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“Billy's at 44 north, 56 west and heading straight into meteorological hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/billy-s-at-44-north-56-west-and-heading-straight-into-meteorological/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [There is some evidence that average wave heights are slowly rising, and that freak waves of eighty or ninety feet are becoming more common.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/there-is-some-evidence-that-average-wave-heights-are-slowly-rising/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [If you get an infection, you get a fever; the fever is your body dealing with the infection. 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If you don't have very much, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/it-s-fun-to-have-money-but-the-more-money-i-get-the-less-interesting/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [“The United States is so powerful that the only country capable of destroying her might be the United States herself, which means that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-united-states-is-so-powerful-that-the-only-country-capable-of/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [The most profound question is, "What would I risk dying for?" The natural answer is "for my family." But for most of history, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-most-profound-question-is-what-would-i-risk-dying-for-the-natural/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [When you're scared, you're still hanging on to life. When you're ready to die, you let it go. A sort of emptying out occurs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/when-you-re-scared-you-re-still-hanging-on-to-life-when-you-re-ready/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [War is life multiplied by some number that no one has ever heard of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/war-is-life-multiplied-by-some-number-that-no-one-has-ever-heard-of/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) [Explore all 107 Sebastian Junger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) [Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Right now, America doesn't ask us to do anything besides pay taxes. 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