If your country doesn't have it, should it have mandatory military service?

[PrinceOfLeigh]

No, it's not only right but also your duty.

Frankly I wouldn't criticise anyone who is interested in politics enough to voice an opinion. No matter how wrong that opinion may be.

Demanding a lot without giving anything back though.....

If we're moving on to 'compulsory military service' for those who are long term unemployed I don't think that's a great idea either. I do feel that people who are able to work should be put to some kind of 'community work' if they are to continue claiming benefit, but I don't think a warzone is the type of place for anyone who is anything other than fully committed.

 

[bathsheba666]

Give reasons for your answer.

I think we should have it for young people (males and females) between 18-20, because it will teach them discipline and let them give a little something back to their countries. This is especially relevant for young people in western countries who find it easy to sit around and criticize their governments. This will give them a different perspective and a little taste of what our ancestors fought for in World Wars.

What do you guys think?

I believe in compulsory military service .... only for the anal retentives who are happy to prescribe it for others.

I think there should be a queue for this.
First in it should be the people who claim exemption on the grounds they are better placed manufacturing bullets for the otherwise unemployed to dodge, and profiting handsomely.

And we don't have to travel too far, to see the deleterious effects a lifetime of following too many orders has on some people.

 

[Grisu]

No, it's not only right but also your duty.

Demanding a lot without giving anything back though.....

who said serving is the only way to give something back? Personally, I believe that I benefit my country much more, if I work, contributing to the econmy instead of sitting on a foggy hill with a stinger on my shoulder...

Plus, there's this thing called taxes

 

[Ingvina Freyr]

I don't think a warzone is the type of place for anyone who is anything other than fully committed.

I agree, and I don't think what I said earlier is contradictory.

 

[El_Machinae]

We don't need it, and I don't want the tax burden.

That said, we could do just fine with some military service. It might make people realise at a younger age that they don't want to be grunt for the rest of their life and that maybe they should look at a better career/education.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

I agree, and I don't think what I said earlier is contradictory.

Apologies, I was reverting to extremes* without having read your post properly

*which I hate when others do the same

 

[Volum]

We have it and i really don't see the point. A bunch of unmotivated kids isnt going to do us any good if Russia invades anyways.

 

[Evil Tyrant]

Voted no. But I do think that conscription should be an option avaliable to the government. The professional army is well and good, but to say there is no room for conscription is in my opinion foolish. Ideally, it should not be neccessary, but then again, the same thing can be said about war. So I think it would be best to keep simply in case the standing army needs some augmentation.

 

[Ingvina Freyr]

who said serving is the only way to give something back?

Well I don't think I did since I elaborated on civil service as another way of offering your services in my first post.

Personally, I believe that I benefit my country much more, if I work, contributing to the econmy instead of sitting on a foggy hill with a stinger on my shoulder...

Plus, there's this thing called taxes

I'm talking about strengthening the morale and the sense of community within a society wich I think would greatly benefit the nation. Taxes can't do that.

 

[Steph]

That's why is has been suspended in France. It's currently not needed, but we can call again conscripts if the situation changes.

 

[Winner]

Well, you've hit the nail right there. We don't need it technically now but doesn't mean we won't in the future. Why not prepare now? It's not like they're going to go to war, it's just training.

I'd agree with some sort of a course for citizens (you know, how to shoot, how to dig trenches, how to protect themselves from WMD's, who is lieutanant and why is his rank higher than sergeant's etc.), say 14 days long each few years. Nothing like real military service as we know it.

Then, those who want could go through a real training and become reservists, they'd get some privileges and benefits.

It is too expensive to maintain large army of conscripts in these times, but on the other hand, people should not become too soft. I imagine that if a large-scale war erupted right now, 2/3 of men in the West would be totally useless without year long training.

 

[Grisu]

Well I don't think I did since I elaborated on civil service as another way of offering your services in my first post.

I know, that's what I meant with 'serving' either military or civil, doesn't make that much of a difference for me, since both are forced (though the latter at least has a benefit for society, IMHO).

I'm talking about strengthening the morale and the sense of community within a society wich I think would greatly benefit the nation. Taxes can't do that.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see how a compulsory service is doing anything in favour of a 'sense of community' or doing anything for morale.

 

[Winner]

I'm sorry, but I just can't see how a compulsory service is doing anything in favour of a 'sense of community' or doing anything for morale.

In the socialist era, the military service was the best way how to make people hate communism It worked for almost everybody who served in People's Army

 

[Shaihulud]

I have some experience as a conscript for 2.5 years. We were extremely inefficient, unmotivated and a general disgrace to any professional soldiers. I don't see myself fighting then for my country, now im even more apathetic. To fight the way we were trained is suicidal. Now a country like Israel or anywhere with conflict, i can understand, but most countries would not be able to endure the kind of preparedness for a conscript army. Eventually it becomes more like a joke.

 

[Winner]

I have some experience as a conscript for 2.5 years. We were extremely inefficient, unmotivated and a general disgrace to any professional soldiers. I don't see myself fighting then for my country, now im even more apathetic. To fight the way we were trained is suicidal. Now a country like Israel or anywhere with conflict, i can understand, but most countries would not be able to endure the kind of preparedness for a conscript army. Eventually it becomes more like a joke.

That is what happens if the conscripts don't believe there will actually be a war.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

I don't see myself fighting then for my country, now im even more apathetic.

What country was that, if you don't mind me asking

 

[Shaihulud]

Its Singapore, and i don't mean i won't fight if we are invaded, but that i don't believe in the army.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

Its Singapore, and i don't mean i won't fight if we are invaded, but that i don't believe in the army.

I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't. I was just interested in which countries do, or don't, have mandatory military service.

 

[Steph]

I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't. I was just interested in which countries do, or don't, have mandatory military service.

Green: No armed forces
Blue: No draft (voluntary army/occupational army)
Orange: Still draft, but an abolition in close future (<to 3 years) is already decided
Red: Draft
Grey: No information

 

[ComradeDavo]

I voted 'No' in the poll, but my view is a bit different from that. Whilst I don't think it shoudl have mandatory military service per say, I do thionk that tehre should be some form of military service for young offenders.

The kids that repeatedly offend and cause great trouble for their neighbourhoods should be made to go to some kind of military boot camp as punishment, to give them a reality shock.