I quite often think about Cameron’s ‘Big Society’, and how the continual underfunding of public services over the past 14 years has led us to a place where we’re essentially there anyway.
Comment on Conservatives plan to bring back mandatory National Service
frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 5 weeks ago
Another unfunded pledge from the Conservatives. What do we want? Housing! What will we get? Conscription!
David Cameron already did this anyway with the voluntary National Citizen Service. He also promised to eventually make it involuntary but never did, presumably because it was unworkable, expensive or both. So, what has changed to make it workable or inexpensive?
DJDarren@thelemmy.club 5 weeks ago
MonsterMonster@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
The realistic prospect of an armed conflict with Russia is what has changed.
Whether we cannot afford it is irrelevant, we may have no choice. We couldn’t afford it in 1939 and it wasn’t long ago that we’d only finished paying for our WW2 debts.
Unless something drastic happens that Putin comes to his senses we are in most likelihood heading for very dark times.
We’re not the only country considering a return to National Service/Conscription.
frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 5 weeks ago
Which is exactly why the army has been asking for more funding, which it actually needs. It doesn’t want conscription, which it recognises would be a waste of resources.
Other countries considering a bad idea doesn’t make it a good idea.
ceasarlegsvin@kbin.social 5 weeks ago
Conscription isn't fundamentally a bad idea it just needs to be built into your long term defense strategy
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 5 weeks ago
The military disagree with you. IE the experts who need to manage the system.
All it dose is create ill motivated unskilled labour. At a time were fighting a wat has the least need for that type of labour.
frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 5 weeks ago
It is a bad idea, which is why nearly everywhere has stopped doing it and hardly anywhere has started again.
thehatfox@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
The military part of the proposed new national service is going to be optional however, those “conscripted” can choose a civilian volunteering path instead. So I’m not sure how this scheme would help with the threat of future conflict when nobody chooses the military option.
It’s a ridiculous gimmick to distract from the Tories failures in areas people do care about.
Dendrologist@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
You think NATO v Russia is going to require conscription?
Or, sorry, let me rephrase that. You think Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, and USA v Russia is going to require conscription?
Or, sorry, let me rephrase that. You think 966 million people v 145 million people is going to require conscription?
Or, sorry, let me rephrase that. You think a country that has been at war with its small neighbour for 10 years and is struggling v the largest military alliance in the world with the largest economies in the world would require conscription?
I’ve been a bit of a dick here to get my point across but making excuses for the tories bringing back conscription is also a bit dickish.
If you want to sign up, go for it. If there comes a point where it’s required, I’m a relatively young fit man so would consider signing up too. But only when there’s a need for it. There is no need yet.
Plus, if we’re going for WW3, we’re all gonna die in the nuclear blasts before we even get a chance to put boots on the ground anyway.
MonsterMonster@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Yes you certainly have.
For clarity, I have not stated any excuse whatsoever, certainly not for Tories, but rather a reflection on where we are at present, where we could possibly be in the future and what has happened previously.
Flax_vert@feddit.uk 5 weeks ago
Tbh as much as this annoys me, if it became mandatory I wouldn’t really resist it. Because I can see the necessity of it, and it could easily do me some good.
FarceOfWill@infosec.pub 5 weeks ago
You should reconsider resisting
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57428716
Flax_vert@feddit.uk 5 weeks ago
Only 5 between 1995 and 2024? That’s less than schools, lol