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Originally Posted by SHERMAN its much easier for people to accept conscription in all out war...but in todays world...there arnt any. people arnt very patriotic anymore. |
100% agree.
The draft was unpopular in the Vietnam era, but when the crap hit the fan protecting your buddy became the #1 priority, and many, many acts of valor and heroism are traced back to draftees (conscripts). While no one
wanted to go, once they were there they became the professionals their country needed - up until the politics and civilian populace stopped supporting them, and then they just became drunks and drug addicts. But for a time, it was a successful program, just as it was in Korea, WWII, and etc.
But these exceptional men were a prodigy of exceptional circumstances, where survival depended on the guy next to you, and his on you.
In a peacetime military, these exceptional circumstances (obviously) do not exist, and while some will find the military lifestyle enjoyable and educational, I feel that most would simply resent the stripping of their freedom to choose between service and not serving.
This resentment is detrimental to unit cohesiveness, the moral and trust and structure of command that makes us the greatest fighting force in the world.
With that said, allow me to put a different spin on it:
I do believe in mandatory service - to country. The military is NOT the only way to serve your country. So I say, enact mandatory service, but give them a choice.
Some may choose to work in a homeless soup kitchen. Or as a teacher. Or in the Veteran's Administration. Or a nursing home.
You get the point. Service to others above service to self is true service - be that military or otherwise.