Poll: Should National Service be introduced

[Time Travelling Toaster]

No, I would happily serve if we came under threat, but since we're not, I'm not going to fight in some damned war that means nothing really. But if it was forced on us, I would do it, just so I couldn't get re-drafted later on. (Or can you get re-drafted?)

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

You don't get more retarded, you just never get smart, and according to the customer is always wrong thread, at 13 I'm smarter than a fairly large portion of customers. I don't like having to clean up the mess caused by people who never got smart.

And if even the Paris Hilton's of this world have to spend an afternoon cleaning up the milk aisle, there's a chance, however small, they might not be such tools.

No one enjoys cleaning up other's mess, but there's very few of us that ever enjoy work.

 

[Woem]

2 years, discipline, friends, travel, possibly find a calling. It could help sort out yob culture

You know we have something eerily similar to this and the best part is its completely up to you. Its called college, give it a shot.

That was exactly what I was thinking. I'd rather go to university than to do national service.

 

[mike1921]

You don't get more retarded, you just never get smart, and according to the customer is always wrong thread, at 13 I'm smarter than a fairly large portion of customers. I don't like having to clean up the mess caused by people who never got smart.

And if even the Paris Hilton's of this world have to spend an afternoon cleaning up the milk aisle, there's a chance, however small, they might not be such tools.

No one enjoys cleaning up other's mess, but there's very few of us that ever enjoy work.

I don't think it's worth that small chance.

I mean I enjoy it less than clean up a non-idiot's mess. Also, I don't like other people cleaning up their messes either. I think the idiots should have to wallow in their own mess.

 

[Magnuscell]

No, I live in the United States...and with the way things have been (global relations wise) I realize that our country is essentially led by the epitome of "evil" ideals and that is to say that its actions are conducted under the cute and fragile guise of benevolence while at the same time only serving the greater purpose of certain political elements; someone mentioned the issue of world hunger ..if you think its bad now, just wait...its only going to get worse...our borderline economy will soon be crippled outright, and the ripple effect will be "epic"; our industry is all but dead and our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is in the toilet, but it will be to everyone's detriment ...would I even consider laying my life down for this hell-hole? ..Not a chance

On the news, there's always mention of our soaring unemployment rate...but the fact is, we are essentially unemployed as a country, so I guess the facade is all riding on the amount of stock-piled weapons, how much fake un supported "money" we can produce, and whether or not any other political entity wishes to test it

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

NO! The world should eventually be rid of war. War is a bad thing. We do not want war. National service is adversary to that reasoning.

Also, some people are not suitable for war. War often leaves scars on someone's psyche. That may hamper their personal development, which is not exactly a good thin methinks.

War is acceptable under certain conditions (war that's a response to other war doesn't count). Also, it's part of human nature. The best we could do is starting wars for better reasons.

On that, my friend, I disagree. Perhaps now, at this day of age there is no feasible alternative. But for human species to truly evolve, and transcend beyond primitive barbarisms, all the world has to unite in harmony. Human kind should become one, instead of multiple warring factions battling for supremacy.

Yes, I am an optimist.

 

[mike1921]

NO! The world should eventually be rid of war. War is a bad thing. We do not want war. National service is adversary to that reasoning.

Also, some people are not suitable for war. War often leaves scars on someone's psyche. That may hamper their personal development, which is not exactly a good thin methinks.

War is acceptable under certain conditions (war that's a response to other war doesn't count). Also, it's part of human nature. The best we could do is starting wars for better reasons.

On that, my friend, I disagree. Perhaps now, at this day of age there is no feasible alternative. But for human species to truly evolve, and transcend beyond primitive barbarisms, all the world has to unite in harmony. Human kind should become one, instead of multiple warring factions battling for supremacy.

Yes, I am an optimist.

What about serious human rights infractions? How are we supposed to stop genocide and shit like that in your idealistic non-war world?

 

[PurpleRain]

On that, my friend, I disagree. Perhaps now, at this day of age there is no feasible alternative. But for human species to truly evolve, and transcend beyond primitive barbarisms, all the world has to unite in harmony. Human kind should become one, instead of multiple warring factions battling for supremacy.

Yes, I am an optimist.

Sorry dude but I have to disagree with that. Humans by nature are lazy, weak willed and corrupt.
The only way to progress as a species is war. The only time people ever really achieve anything is a live or die situation. We are no different than any other civilisation in history. We become fat and complacent and just stagnate ourselves into oblivion.
A good war is really what we need. Not this bullshit middle east waste of time and resources that does more damage to the US than it does to their enemies. We need a decent war against strong opponents.

Sorry dude but I have to disagree with that. If we were weak willed and lazy, we would never have made it out of the trees to this point now. And where are you getting this corrupt thing from? The TV? Everyone around me are great happy smart people.

We can evolve passed human nature (this is a big thing for one to say). We look down on barbaric acts in society that is seen as animalistic aka, rape and murder. So, if society breeds us like so, then we should shake it. Wars will be stopped one day. We need not keep fighting. Governments will be changed with these weapons more powerful then guns... words.

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

Spoiler: quote-tree

NO! The world should eventually be rid of war. War is a bad thing. We do not want war. National service is adversary to that reasoning.

Also, some people are not suitable for war. War often leaves scars on someone's psyche. That may hamper their personal development, which is not exactly a good thin methinks.

War is acceptable under certain conditions (war that's a response to other war doesn't count). Also, it's part of human nature. The best we could do is starting wars for better reasons.

On that, my friend, I disagree. Perhaps now, at this day of age there is no feasible alternative. But for human species to truly evolve, and transcend beyond primitive barbarisms, all the world has to unite in harmony. Human kind should become one, instead of multiple warring factions battling for supremacy.

Yes, I am an optimist.

What about serious human rights infractions? How are we supposed to stop genocide and shit like that in your idealistic non-war world?

Sorry dude but I have to disagree with that. Humans by nature are lazy, weak willed and corrupt.
The only way to progress as a species is war. The only time people ever really achieve anything is a live or die situation. We are no different than any other civilisation in history. We become fat and complacent and just stagnate ourselves into oblivion.
A good war is really what we need. Not this bullshit middle east waste of time and resources that does more damage to the US than it does to their enemies. We need a decent war against strong opponents.

That's why I said humans should evolve. I said we should all come together in harmony, however unlikely that sounds. We are so primitive, that the only way we make significant progress is when something threatens our existence! How's that for being silly? Won't we be better off if we somehow step beyond our laziness, and we can manage to progress without having to in order to save our puny lives?

I know it sounds bloody idealistic. I know this is damned impossible at the moment. Such a change would have to be worldwide and absolutely drastic. Everybody's and every thing's attitude needs to change, starting from parenting and elementary school, to the day we pass on. We should not think in terms of religion and countries, but as the world as a whole, mankind as a whole. No more slacking in school, but actively being encouraged to meet your own personal potential and having that as the norm in society.

I'm no fiction writer, and I lack the imagination on how all the details should be filled in. But I am quite certain that we as human species are not destined to continue waging these futile wars until someone drops an a-bomb (naturally followed by thousands more) and the whole population is vanquished. I refuse to believe that, and if I am proven wrong I have lost faith in my fellow human beings, and banish myself to another plane of dimension.

Edit:

Sorry dude but I have to disagree with that. Humans by nature are lazy, weak willed and corrupt.
The only way to progress as a species is war. The only time people ever really achieve anything is a live or die situation. We are no different than any other civilisation in history. We become fat and complacent and just stagnate ourselves into oblivion.
A good war is really what we need. Not this bullshit middle east waste of time and resources that does more damage to the US than it does to their enemies. We need a decent war against strong opponents.

Sorry dude but I have to disagree with that. If we were weak willed and lazy, we would never have made it out of the trees to this point now. And where are you getting this corrupt thing from? The TV? Everyone around me are great happy smart people.

We can evolve passed human nature (this is a big thing for one to say). We look down on barbaric acts in society that is seen as animalistic aka, rape and murder. So, if society breeds us like so, then we should shake it. Wars will be stopped one day. We need not keep fighting. Governments will be changed with these weapons more powerful then guns... words.

I AM NOT ALONE! Thank you my friend, I will love you forever. I haven't lost hope yet.

 

[sms_117b]

It should be brought in to those people that don't do A-levels, get a job or go on a apprenticeship after they finish their GCSE's, so that they don't hang around and mooch off the government. Instead they get skills whilst mooching off the government.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

National Service has been introduced in Singapore, and i tell you it is a BAD IDEA. People just don't like having their free will taken away for 2 years, maybe even 2.5 years. And if you happen to be out of the country when they round up the new recruits? Too bad! You take one step back into the country, they lock your ass in jail for "deserting the army".

 

[Samurai Goomba]

No. The Draft is horrible. I heard some folks talking about bringing it back around the time of the last election (I think the Dems were toying with the idea, but I don't know.), and about burst a blood vessel. A FREE people aren't forced to fight and die for the government ruling over them.

Lots of people choose to fight and I have great respect for them. But do you really want a soldier at your back who didn't choose to be there voluntarily? Regardless of how much flak we get as a country, American soldiers today are some of the very best. I think part of this is because it's an all-volunteer service. Nobody's fighting who didn't make that choice.

 

[S.H.A.R.P.]

*snip*

But that is not possible. I mean it is nice to think we could progress without a threat but that will just never happen. It is just human nature. Even without the threat of violence our inbuilt ego is the only thing that makes anyone do anything. Without the threat of violence or of someone stealing your job or getting the girl you are after, people just do not better themselves. There is no way to get rid of that part of us. We only value something we are about to lose.

*snip again*

We only progressed out of the trees because we needed to. We are only now not constantly threatened with death. We got out of the trees to hunt better food, develop better weapons and tech. As for people being corrupt. Do you truly, truly trust anyone? You do not really think anyone would steal from you, cheat on you or just generally screw you over to advance themselves?
As for the laws. That came from selfishness. The rich, the powerful, the influential did not like these things happening to their own kind. Killing the aristocracy was a big nono. Killing and raping the lower classes was no big deal until they started to grow soo large in number that they were able to bind together and force the powerful to respect them the same.

Basically look back in history. Practically every major scientific breakthrough was to keep us fighting from medical to simple canned food.

If global warming or cancer proved to be a major problem as in 90% of the population suddenly developed cancer it would be cured within a decade no problem. Global warming too. Because everyone would get off their asses and work non stop and put all available resources into fixing the problem.

I am of opinion that human nature can change. It's called evolution. We evolved from being mindless hunter gatherers, to having a reasonably balanced life nowadays. The mentality that we cannot evolve without something threatening us is exactly what is keeping us back. I think human nature can change substantially, if only it was the subject people strove for.

You say people act out of ego, I agree and most people do in fact. I am aware of it for myself in times, but I do not like that sentiment in myself. I try to be in harmony with my surroundings, and for that to be possible, one needs to be able to forget one's ego. Be happy for others, be happy for their achievements and especially their happiness. That sounds incredibly like a hippy, but it is more the Buddhist way I suppose.

Let's assume for a moment that there are less people like you (if that's who you are), who think that the only way to evolve is through hardship - and more like me, who think that by helping each other, living in harmony with your fellow human being is the way to go on. Don't you think that would be a good society? Of course, our mentality, and the way it is instructed from childhood through the rest of our lives (by example mostly) makes that impossible for the moment.

Excel thyself, Excel thy world.