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Military issues, either as defense or offense, is a basic fact that many countries and states face, either for offensive or defensive purposes.
As a result, some countries have made mandatory military service, often called conscription and often held during one's (usually males) college years. Some other have historical basis for implementing mandatory military service, and the policy dates back years, decades, and in some cases even centuries. In China, due to its highly political and military history in the formation of its country through different warring states, conscription continues today starting from circa 220 BC. Other countries in similar predisposition are Russia, many North African countries, and Asian countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.
Others, despite similar historical background, manage to have more flexible conscription policies. In the UK, conscription laws have only been in force in the periods during the two World Wars. Other countries, especially European ones, have seemed to follow this same pattern as well.
There are also a lot of issues confronting forced military enlistment. Chief among them are personal and philosophical beliefs. Other groups and individuals affiliated to such groups violently opposed this policy because it goes against their basic tenet of peace and harmony with others. Most notable are some pacifist groups, religious groups, and Jehovah's Witness, whose main belief is not pledge allegiance to nation but to the brotherhood of men. There are also massive gender issues with this policy, noting how only male are subject to it.
What do you think TL? Is there still a need for any country to mandate forced military enlistment?
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Er...by China do you mean Taiwan? I'm pretty sure Mainland China doesn't have mandatory military service. In fact, citizens from HK and Macau are apparently forbidden to join the military.
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It should be just like you described it in the UK. If a country is endangered, it should have Mandatory Millitary Service (Korea). In Germany the MMS was put on a hold (cant get rid of it completely because its in our Constitution) and I think that was a good decision.
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I personally think the system is outdated, to say the least, but making it male-only is kind of silly in this day and age. Excuse my Y chromosomes for not wanting to be wrapped in a body bag.
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Only male is a an American distinction. There are countries like Israel that require service by both. I don't think mandatory military service is necessary,however 2 years of service to your country not required to be military would be a decent idea, and is something that I would vote for in the United States.
Also in times of crisis like WWII there really aren't all that many alternatives to conscription.
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Considering how the draft was received during the vietnam war here in the US, I can't imagine how it would be received in this day and age. Regardless of whether or not it's necessary, I think the outcry would be too great. I can't speak for other countries though.
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Drafts usually don't end well, but I can see why forced service even during peace time can be a good thing. A lot of people are total losers, and I doubt some military discipline will hurt them.
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I'm all for mandatory military. Half of this country lacks guidance, and discipline.
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On April 02 2013 05:43 GGY0UMAKE wrote:
I'm all for mandatory military. Half of this country lacks guidance, and discipline.
I find it funny that you think military service would fix that.
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As someone in the military, I don't like it. I already have to deal with enough people who don't want to be in the military who are lazy and suck at their jobs because of it, I don't want to deal with more of them.
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In my country men can decide between mandatory civil service or military service. Women can do their military service but its voluntary and any religious groups are free to do whatever they please.
-At the moment it kind of feels like the only way to sustain a military at all, if we had any other system we would be unable to defend against any military threat. But I am no expert, maybe we could just try the switzerland strategy and be neutral no matter what happens.
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On April 02 2013 05:46 stevarius wrote:Show nested quote +On April 02 2013 05:43 GGY0UMAKE wrote:
I'm all for mandatory military. Half of this country lacks guidance, and discipline. I find it funny that you think military service would fix that.
Here on Brazil military enlistment is mandatory and more than 2/3 of the country lacks guidance and discipline.
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I wouldn't explicitly call the current Chinese system conscription. When I lived there the "training," most students underwent was standing in a hot field marching and figuring out ways to dress up their GI uniforms, participation in that training was however mandatory. I am fuzzy on the details on this so I could be off on the specifics, I just thought it was amusing to see wealthy Chinese girls try and make a uniform fashionable. It was very GI Jane
If you compare it to Korea or Isreal where service is an extended duration of time, I don't see the need for it at present though culturally I understand (at least vaguely), the idea behind it.
Conscription should be a viable option provided there is an actual need for it i.e. imminent national threats, threats to pan global/regional stability or to key allies, formal state to state threats which can be addressed with traditional military engagements.
That being said male only conscription is not equitable in my opinion, taking into accounts the obvious medical asterisks that come into play when women may be called to serve. Equal rights is equal duty.
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On April 02 2013 05:50 Tileks wrote:Show nested quote +On April 02 2013 05:46 stevarius wrote:On April 02 2013 05:43 GGY0UMAKE wrote:
I'm all for mandatory military. Half of this country lacks guidance, and discipline. I find it funny that you think military service would fix that. Here on Brazil military enlistment is mandatory and more than 2/3 of the country lacks guidance and discipline.
America believes citizens should be armed but does not really enforce military training, we also have the lowest murder rates in the world.
Right???
Right???
Right???
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On April 02 2013 05:46 stevarius wrote:Show nested quote +On April 02 2013 05:43 GGY0UMAKE wrote:
I'm all for mandatory military. Half of this country lacks guidance, and discipline. I find it funny that you think military service would fix that.
Guidance is pretty far off in terms of what military service does for people, discipline could probably argue that it teaches discipline to authority figures but that's about it. For the most part military service promise group mentality and deindividuation.
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On April 02 2013 05:35 Daumen wrote:
It should be just like you described it in the UK. If a country is endangered, it should have Mandatory Millitary Service (Korea). In Germany the MMS was put on a hold (cant get rid of it completely because its in our Constitution) and I think that was a good decision.
yeah I like it the way it is right now in germany. What we had before was just weird and unfair. Saying that as someone who didn't have to do military service while it was still in place and didn't have to do Zivi either (if you got chosen you could still tell them "I don't wanna" in which case you'd have to do alternative civilian service like working in hospitals for basicly no money and stuff like that)
I don't know, felt really weird to have some people being forced to do military service while others don't have to (among boys, girls didn't have to) because they didn't eat for 3 days before the checkup so that the doc said he's nuts and shouldn't be given a gun or whatever you did to look not suitable.
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In general I don't believe it's a very good idea, seems sort of silly and archaic. However, if as a country we're going to go around war mongering then I fully believe in it. I mean if the people at the top are going to start shit with other people their children should be just as likely to die for it. It shouldn't just be the poorer folks who have to pay the price IMO.
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On April 02 2013 06:08 OuchyDathurts wrote:
In general I don't believe it's a very good idea, seems sort of silly and archaic. However, if as a country we're going to go around war mongering then I fully believe in it. I mean if the people at the top are going to start shit with other people their children should be just as likely to die for it. It shouldn't just be the poorer folks who have to pay the price IMO.
It will always be the poor folks whose kids fight in wars. At least in the current setup they can make that choice for themselves.
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On April 02 2013 05:39 Brawny wrote:
Considering how the draft was received during the vietnam war here in the US, I can't imagine how it would be received in this day and age. Regardless of whether or not it's necessary, I think the outcry would be too great. I can't speak for other countries though.
IMO, this is a strong argument for re-instating the draft, and it also shows why they probably never will.
I disagree with everything my country is doing overseas, but I don't care enough to get out and do something about it because it doesn't directly affect me. IMO, that's one of the biggest differences between Vietnam and today. If we had the draft today, millions of young people including myself would be out in the streets saying "end the wars." But it's basically out of sight out of mind for me, so I sit on my butt and play starcraft instead.
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It used to be mandatory here in Sweden but the last 10-15 years or so its pretty much up to the individual to decide if he wants to do the military service or not. (And even if you'd want to there's a good chance they won't let you anyway)
The military might have made "men" out of boys back in the day but believe me, thats not the case today, I know alot of people who has done the service and they are just as childish and immature as the next guy
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EPT
