Peace Corps - ...

[PunkRawker677]

A friend of mine is thinking about joining this fall (he gets his Bachelors in September) and as i was researching it i was just wondering if you guys know of any "dirt" on this organization or are they really there to promote peace and help people..

[abstractmentality]

i was going to post a similar topic soon. i have been thinking about joining the peace corps after i get my bachelors, and wanted to know the info thats not on the website and stuff. my old government teacher was trained for the peace corps when she was younger, but didnt go do it because her fiance died, and he was doing it as well. she said it was a great experience, just what she did, and recommended that i do it. i trust her a lot, as she was extremely politicaly active in her youth: worked with nader on stuff, very active in the anti-war movement (which got her on some CIA list or something), and has oh so many stories about that kind of stuff. but i have been wondering the same things you are wondering PR, and i hope some people can fill us in on the information.

[stick person]

The Peace Corps was initially created to "win the hearts and minds" of people in developing nations as part of the US strategy in the Cold War. Despite being a Cold War tool, it has survived to be one of the few parts of US foreign policy that I can be proud of, as an American.

I've known several people who were members of the Peace Corps, and each one valued their experience. The sort of work that the Peace Corps does is not the sort that lends itself easily to being used as a cover for CIA-activity, and it is exactly the sort of foreign assistance that builds real bridges between peoples and does real good for regular folks. If the US spent as much money on and had as many people in the Peace Corps as it does with any branch of the armed services, the world would be better off.

[abstractmentality]

thanx for the info SP

[PunkRawker677]

Doesnt the goverment also have something where anyone who served in peace-corps cannot serve in the U.S. military? I was told this by a recruiter in high school.. a long time ago (i dont know if it was true)

[j]

PR- I have NEVER heard that someone who served in the Peace Corps can not serve in the military. That sounds completly off to me. Anyone who is eligible has a right to join the army. I can't see how the Peace Corps would make you ineligible.

I know that the traditional Peace Corps does good things. But I have also heard something about the Peace Corps starting to recruit US businessmen to go to the third world to build up their economies. Now I believe that the third world needs economic reconstruction but I'm not sure if this is the answer. I believe this new part of the peace corps is trying ensure capitalism for the world.

j

[Felicia]

A teacher of mine recommended that I join them, but it's only for American citizens so I couldn't. But there's always Canada World Youth, it's a little different but just as good.
To answer your question, I'm not much help because I'm not sure of any 'dirt' on them.

[truthaddict11]

wasnt the peace corps started by kennedy to "stop communism"

[maoist3]

Here is an article about the Peace Corps by the
Communist Party of China.

http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM/pirao/peacecor.html

Rather than working in the Peace Corps and living
off the U.$. government, it would be better to make
some money and donate it to a Third World persyn
so s/he could do the work you wanted to do.

[stick person]

Quote: from maoist3 on 11:37 am on Aug. 5, 2002

Rather than working in the Peace Corps and living
off the U.$. government, it would be better to make
some money and donate it to a Third World persyn
so s/he could do the work you wanted to do.


That would be unrealistic. It isn't just a matter of sending money to "some third world persyn." How would anyone know what person to send money to? How would the foreign exchange work? What if you can't make any extra money than what it takes to support yourself in the US? How would sending money to someone picked at random encourage anyone to develop understanding of other ways of doing things, which is the chief thing that Peace Corps volunteers get out of it?

[antieverything]

You forget that these people also do work, not just rake in money.

[maoist3]

Quote: from stick person on 3:10 am on Aug. 6, 2002

Quote: from maoist3 on 11:37 am on Aug. 5, 2002

Rather than working in the Peace Corps and living
off the U.$. government, it would be better to make
some money and donate it to a Third World persyn
so s/he could do the work you wanted to do.


That would be unrealistic. It isn't just a matter of sending money to "some third world persyn." How would anyone know what person to send money to? How would the foreign exchange work? What if you can't make any extra money than what it takes to support yourself in the US? How would sending money to someone picked at random encourage anyone to develop understanding of other ways of doing things, which is the chief thing that Peace Corps volunteers get out of it?


maoist3 replies: Stick asks, "who would anyone
know which person to send money to." Well, if you
can't answer that, how do you know
that the U.S. Government will assign you to work
with the right people? There is no getting around
that you will have to investigate the situation in the
Third World to have a positive impact.

I'm not suggesting sending money to people at random.
I'm suggesting making money in the u$A and
traveling independently and then looking hard for
people who succeed in "helping themselves."
Why do you trust the U.S. Government to send you
to the right people?

I'm not disputing the value of living in the Third World
or trying to give aid there, but I do dispute whether
the U.S. Government is any help in that.

[Michael De Panama]

That is one of the most rediculous things I've ever seen someone say, Maoist. How would YOU know that you're helping the right people?

[Lefty]

my ELP (smart people class) teacher was in the peace corps. Apparently she was in Jamaica and set up hospitals. That is EXACTLY the type of thing that i want to spend my life doing. My personal opinion of the peace corps is that it is great.