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 months 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 months ago
MonsterMonster@lemmy.world 5 months 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 months 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 months ago
Conscription isn't fundamentally a bad idea it just needs to be built into your long term defense strategy
HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 5 months 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 months 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 months 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 months ago
MonsterMonster@lemmy.world 5 months 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 months 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 months ago
You should reconsider resisting
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57428716
Flax_vert@feddit.uk 5 months ago
Only 5 between 1995 and 2024? That’s less than schools, lol