National Service?

[Delbáeth]

What are peoples opinions on this matter? Do you think it is a good thing? Do you think that it should be brought back? Or in the case of countries that have never had it, should it be employed?

Currently in the UK there has been a large talk about bringing National Service back. Me being 16 means it is very probable that I could be taken in. I don’t think this is a bad thing, and I believe the current street culture that has spread through the country needs to be tackled head on. So I am in favour of National Service.

[Menydh]

I did my military service first as a conscript in the regular army infantry, and then as a volunteer in paratroopers. I'm in favour of the reinstatement of the national service, but on solid grounds.

In my opinion, there should be a militia focused solely on the defense of the territory, based on conscription. These shouldn't have to spend their service time far away from the territories where they live (I mean on a regional level, here). Other alternatives should be offered, such as forest rangers. This militia should be considered somehow apart from the military proper.

The military should be a mixture of professional and semi-professional, at different levels. For the post-military, these semi-professional (and professional) servicemen should be given absolute preference to obtain jobs with the state, especially in the police forces, fire brigades, and others. But not just.

[Laocoon]

Fortunately I escaped this thing.

[Errigal]

I think generally conscription is good for the national character but bad for the military. Soldiers from rural backgrounds generally make the best soldiers and so gathering up street youths and putting them in uniform usually lowers the quality of the units into which they're put.

[Laocoon]

I think it shoud be mandatory for ultra progressive individuals only, those having a high progressiveness coefficient.

[wilpuri]

I finished my mandatory military service witht he FDF a couple of weeks ago, and I'd say it serves as an important ritual, a shared experience for virtually the entire Finnish male populace, connecting generations as well as neighbours. Definately positive as far as the national character is concerned.

[Marulus]

Once I used to think that it was useless, now I radically changed my mind and concur with wilpuri's opinion on the matter. It strengthens the feeling of the community of the nation.

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by wilpuri

I finished my mandatory military service witht he FDF a couple of weeks ago, and I'd say it serves as an important ritual, a shared experience for virtually the entire Finnish male populace, connecting generations as well as neighbours. Definately positive as far as the national character is concerned.

I agree with wilpuri here. It's an important ritual, and even a rite of passage. I'm sad to say that obligatory military service in Croatia is suspended. It can only be activated for war purposes.

[BeornWulfWer]

I believe the idea of conscripting the youth into a set term of military service is a fantastic idea.
I only wish it was implemented when i was young.

I think the youth today are lost in what their aims in life are.
A set period in the Army,or other military services,would be beneficial in redirecting this 'lost creativeness'

The only downside i can see is the claim culture the western world seems to currently have.

One bad shout by the Sergeant or a bad fall in the assault course and it could be a potential claim for compensation.

[M.R.]

Yes, I'm all for going into army - defending my homeland in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Forget about army guys, we have our own war going on.

If someone wants to go to army let him go, but mandatory army service is crap, why would some student who doesn't care about army had to go in army if it's obvious he's useless for army and the other way around?

Maybe I'll go in army if I'll need money (it's possible to do some kind of part-time job in the army when you're student and they pay you), but to be doing push-ups and running around for no reason is waisting 1 year of my life.

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Panonski

Yes, I'm all for going into army - defending my homeland in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Forget about army guys, we have our own war going on.

If someone wants to go to army let him go, but mandatory army service is crap, why would some student who doesn't care about army had to go in army if it's obvious he's useless for army and the other way around?

Maybe I'll go in army if I'll need money (it's possible to do some kind of part-time job in the army when you're student and they pay you), but to be doing push-ups and running around for no reason is waisting 1 year of my life.

I think that the essence of this thread was that most of us were speaking theoretically, about whether, on condition that our countries were ruled by real nationalist regimes and not the current traitorous ones, it would be good to reinstate the national service, as a means of fostering cohesion of the nation.

I agree that in current situation army means going to "defend your country" ... in Iraq and Afghanistan, as auxiliaries of the Yankees.

[M.R.]

Originally Posted by Marulus

I think that the essence of this thread was that most of us were speaking theoretically, about whether, on condition that our countries were ruled by real nationalist regimes and not the current traitorous ones, it would be good to reinstate the national service, as a means of fostering cohesion of the nation.

I agree that in current situation army means going to "defend your country" ... in Iraq and Afghanistan, as auxiliaries of the Yankees.

As I understood it it was talking about now and not about "what if" scenarios.

Anyway IF there was a nationalist regime (I don't like that kind of debates since I rather deal with problems of today than dream about a perfect state) I would promote army, but not force it.

[Marulus]

Originally Posted by Panonski

As I understood it it was talking about now and not about "what if" scenarios.

That was at least what I was thinking about, I cannot guarantee for the others.

Originally Posted by Panonski

Anyway IF there was a nationalist regime (I don't like that kind of debates since I rather deal with problems of today than dream about a perfect state)

The crux of the matter is that the current system is rotten to its bones and none of the "problems of today" can be resolved through it. I was not talking about perfect state (an impossibility, anyway)...

Originally Posted by Panonski

I would promote army, but not force it.

Meaning, you would like it to be professional?

[M.R.]

Originally Posted by Marulus

Meaning, you would like it to be professional?

Yes.

[gazumpiro]

I think at this stage it will degrade the effectiveness of our military. In this era we need soldiers who want to be there. I don't want half-arsed layabouts putting good people at risk because they are forced to be there.

It may serve a purpose to round up all the potential delinquents and instill some respect for authority into them, like some kind of Boot Camp daycare centre, but conscripts could not reasonably be pressed into active service.

[Kalevi]

I think it's good that we have a conscript army. We need it, since we have a big land area with few people, and it helps keeping people in terms with reality - training people to act in a state of war keeps us from falling into some obscure mental fluffybunnyland where wolves and sheeps dance together and nothing bad ever happens.