Poll: Do you support compulsory military service?

[Phishfood]

I reckon a year in the military would solve a lot of problems. Getting some of these fatties into a proper fitness regime, teaching people to function without an x-box and live away from home, look after themselves generally.

A year military service doesn't seem any worse than 11 years at school to me.


I can't recall the exact numbers, but come on - you are not magically going to be sent into a combat situation. ESPECIALLY not if an entire country is forced to serve. Even with a war in iraq its not like the entire military is in one place. The military are currently helping out in japan - rescuing people and such. Even if you do end up frontline in your year conscription, basic training alone is what? 6 months?

 

[emeraldrafael]

I'd say no, But I dont think I would make it in the military anyway. I have issues with commands, I'm not fit enough for it, and I have a few health issues (psoriasis and glasses. Neither really keeps you from the military, but its really annoying and looks weird to have a guy who cant stop scratching himself and wears glasses. Besides, psoriasis worsens with stress, and I cant imagine getting shot out or blown up is very relaxing).

Now, if it were a draft with an immediate threat, or they trained you and sent you to reserves or national guard, then I could see it being a bit different. But just picking someone up, drafting them, training them, then saying "we'll call you when we need you" just sounds like a bad idea to me with the amount of dickheaded people there are in America. I can already see the situation where people will be beaten bloody or almost killed cause one had military boot camp training and though they were better then the other person.

 

[emeraldrafael]

if i was conscripted, i'd at least ask to be off the front lines.
Also, i think its sexist that only men can be deployed on front lines.

Well, women dont want that right. Thats the problem with Women's rights. They want all the good, but not the bad that comes with it.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

I don't think conscription to the front lines is a good thing.

Also, I generally don't support the idea, because whenever I see people supporting it, what they're usually saying is 'it'll make people fitter, it'll give the feckless youth a sense of discipline like our fathers had, it'll do all these great things.' Usually the people who are talking like that aren't talking about CMS applied to everyone, they're talking about applying CMS to thoe facets of society they don't like.

I reckon if you pointed out that CMS meant everyone had to go and clean toilets in Baghdad for a year, suddenly you'd lose a lot of the upper-class right-wing supporters.

 

[SilentCom]

I think a reason why there are so many jerk Americans not fit for military service is because we take a lot of stuff for granted. There is an obvious disconnect between the general public and events abroad. Sure we see there's a war going on and natural disasters but most of it is seen as far away from us and thus doesn't really affect us. Taking things for granted also gives us a false sense of security and make people think that it's fine to look like a dick in front of the world because no one is gonna hit back.

 

[pretentiousname01]

To hell with military service.

I want compulsory retail service.

Anyone here who's worked in retail would agree alot of people need to be less jackasses. Maybe a little time on the other side would give them pause to not freak out at the smallest things.

however I could never be that lucky

also captchas suck

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

I used to think it was a bad idea, but then a guest on one episode of the Daily Show changed my mind.

First of all, the reason we're using so many military contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan right now is because there's no draft. The contractors are...pretty goddamn evil.

And second, if there had been a draft we likely wouldn't have gone to Iraq at all because the outcry would have been so bad. Afghanistan probably, but not Iraq. We may even have caught Bin Laden by now if we hadn't wasted so much in Iraq.

I never thought about it that way before, but now I support the return of the draft. Only make it so there is an option for a more peaceful form of service as well.

Well, women dont want that right. Thats the problem with Women's rights. They want all the good, but not the bad that comes with it.

And you know this how?

 

[AvsJoe]

Big fat noooooo.

Sorry, but unless my country really, really needs me (i.e. World War feckin' 3), I'm not joining the military.

 

[kasperbbs]

NO, just NO. My country used to have that a few years back, i managed to slip through somehow, but my friend wasn't as lucky, he had to quit his job and go 'serve his country' for a year without pay or any compensation for wasted time. When he got back he had no job, nowhere to live, so he spent a few months at his grandparents house and left for england because the economy was already f-ed and he had no place here anymore.

 

[emeraldrafael]

And you know this how?

Ask them. Ask how many would like to lose that pregnancy time off they get (or use it against their sick days). Ask how many would like to do the work that men do, the dirty grimy stuff. Its hard to make the argument without examples, but that one alone where women cant go to serve in the front line (or even be drafted, the last time I understood it), and yet they want to be "equal" with men is horse shit.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

And you know this how?

Ask them. Ask how many would like to lose that pregnancy time off they get (or use it against their sick days). Ask how many would like to do the work that men do, the dirty grimy stuff. Its hard to make the argument without examples, but that one alone where women cant go to serve in the front line (or even be drafted, the last time I understood it), and yet they want to be "equal" with men is horse shit.

How many have you asked? Were they the sane and normal ones, or did you only seek information from the nutty fringe?

 

[Dana22]

No, I don't dig violence. It's not groovy.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

 

[pejhmon]

CMS no, National Service on the other hand yes. National Service wouldn't require the conscripts to leave the country, only receive training and general discipline. It would most likely help reduce the amount of crime and chav-related behaviour and will help clarify doubts for people considering the army allowing for a more profession army with (hopefully) more dedicated people with stronger morales than otherwise. And it should make a dent in the lack of fitness amongst the populus

 

[BENZOOKA]

It depends on the country!

We have it here and I've served it. Mandatory military service has to be, for practicality's sake.

 

[Ekonk]

No, I don't dig violence. It's not groovy.

QFT, this.

And no, forcing that onto people is wrong and also a bad idea.

 

[Queen Michael]

No, I don't dig violence. It's not groovy.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

What does this mean?

 

[spidermounky]

yes it would get rid of lots of chavs and i can not stad them
go die chavs

 

[Daverson]

Yes. And with no exceptions concerning race or gender.

A lot of people forget the military does more than just fightin'. A lot of humanitarian aid and crisis management has military involvement.

No, I don't dig violence. It's not groovy.

Si vis pacem, para bellum.

What does this mean?

If you want peace - prepare for war

 

[Zigot66]

I'd say that forced military service is bad, forced military training however could be very useful. If everyone had to do a certain level of training at some point, say while they are in the 18-25 bracket, I believe that it would be good for them and if a conflict came up, they would be prepared for it, should they be called on to fight. If you're smart enough to be a doctor, you get trained as a medic, mechanics get hands on experience, IT guys get to work with advanced systems, and so on. You also have the advantage of getting physically fit at a time when your at the greatest risk of settling into bad exercise habits. Finally, you have the discipline and sense of duty that would be instilled into you, which at that point in your life can really help you transition from whining teenager, to a responsible adult.

 

[emeraldrafael]

And you know this how?

Ask them. Ask how many would like to lose that pregnancy time off they get (or use it against their sick days). Ask how many would like to do the work that men do, the dirty grimy stuff. Its hard to make the argument without examples, but that one alone where women cant go to serve in the front line (or even be drafted, the last time I understood it), and yet they want to be "equal" with men is horse shit.

How many have you asked? Were they the sane and normal ones, or did you only seek information from the nutty fringe?

Lets see. I've worked for about 5 years of my 18, 3 of those were under the table payments, (2 at a gas station, 1 at a plant moving boxes with a friend), and 2 were at a movie theatre. Of that, I've worked with maybe... 30(-ish?) women, all of who were sane by the American Psychological Association or whoever decides that.

Of those, I worked with women who were between 15-40, six who had had child and 2 who were in pregnancy, but not at the point where they were qualified for "maternity leave". 25 of them said they wouldnt want to do the stuff I had to do (lift boxes weighing 70 lbs, clean the dirt and grime off floors and gas pumps, clean the floors and walls and popcorn popper in the movie theatre). of the 8 who had children/were pregnant, only one said she wouldnt mind not having her maternity leave count against her vacation, mainly cause she had so many days saved up she'd have enough and then some since she waas with the company for a while and worked a desk job.