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Like most federal agencies the Peace Corps has become, over its lifetime, a bureaucracy filled with cronyism and enormous waste.  Having served in 2004-2005 I found the majority of those in my "class" acknowledged they were there to make sure their future applications to law or business schools were viewed favorably.

The Peace Corps assigned volunteers to the same favorite agencies  every year in a cooperative spirit of "you be good to me, we will assign you another volunteer".  Many volunteers did almost nothing once assigned to their site, while others partied with co-volunteers every weekend.  One volunteer lived in a high rise apt. bldg., was picked up each morning and driven to the high rise office bldg. to which he was assigned and driven back to his apt (TV and all) each evening.

The world is indeed flat and with today's technology allowing immediate and constant world wide communications it no longer serves to have individual Americans representing the services offered by the Peace Corps.  Far better this country spends its budget and human resources to serve the very needy communities here at home.  The Teach for America program should be given a huge financial increases.  The notion of an international Peace Corps is romantic, but not at all what it is presented to be.

posted 2 years, 3 months ago
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