Conscription in UK?

Sarnia

When my Dad was alive he put everything that seemed to be on a downward slide, teenagers, crime figures, the length of boy's hair, unemployment, lousy Governments, anti-social behaviour etc all down to there being no more Conscription. His stock phrase was 'He needs a bl***dy good spell in the Army'. He may have had a point. 3 years in the Forces learning to drive, being taught new skills, being part of a team and accepting discipline and orders. Too many these days have little opportunity after leaving school, sometimes with few qualifications and mooch aimlessly through life often ending up on the wrong side of the law.

This is exactly what my dad used to say as well. He was a volunteer as he was in the navy but he always advocated national service as making men out of aimless boys and women out of girls who had been aimless school leavers..
I would have to think hard about it being implemented but in some elements he was right.
I have relatives who were in all the forces and all seemed to leave with a good trade and a very strong sense of right/wrong and a social conscious.
With gangs that fought he always said do what we did in the navy put them in a boxing ring with gloves on.

Kali2

GrannyGravy13

Kali2

Germanshepherdsmum

No. Increasingly battles will be fought using technology, not boots on the ground.

Do you actually think this will be better? Really?

Yes Kali2 drones and cyber warfare is far better than using the young men and sometimes women of any country as ^cannon fodder^

But it will the the civilians who will be killed- children, babies, the elderly and the vulnerable, whole families, in their homes, hospitals and care homes ...

I do think that it was better to have 2 armies in a field fighting each other- and leaving civilians.

You're going back centuries Kali. Have you any idea how many civilians were killed in WW1 and WW2? Nowadays drones and missiles can be targetted so as to take out as few civilians as is possible. Of course there would be civilian casualties, but nothing like on the scale of the past.

Chestnut

Can you even imagine trying to train today's youngsters? A hopeless and thankless task I would imagine. They would just refuse to obey and what could you do?

No-one can be forced to do anything they don't want to these days. It goes against their human rights!

So true, they would have a meltdown especially if they had their phones taken away from them.

You're going back centuries Kali. Have you any idea how many civilians were killed in WW1 and WW2? Nowadays drones and missiles can be targetted so as to take out as few civilians as is possible. Of course there would be civilian casualties, but nothing like on the scale of the past.

Do you, GSM, and anyone else who subscribes to this view, seriously believe that civilians wouldn't be targeted?

And I thought I was naive...

No, I don't believe that the NATO countries would target civilians. I don't dispute that there might be collateral damage, but actual targetting, no.

Oh that’s nasty visgirl there are many many hardworking young people a horrible generalisation I have seven grandchildren they all work, from the ones in school, collage and Uni to those already left every one is hardworking… a teacher, a plumbing apprentice, a wind farm worker, a hotel receptionist while at Uni, a bar worker while at Uni, a waitress while at collage , and a hairdressing assistant while at school

They all use phones though

ah the dehumanising language of war ' vermin, Nazis, collateral damage ...

Putin has not qualms about targetting civilians. Most of those who died in Dresden or Hiroshima were civilians.

We have just witnessed the young generation coping admirably with all the pandemic has thrown at them. The vast majority have followed the rules, worn masks, done whatever they could to help and just got on with life away from their schools, colleges, friends and many of the joyful things that make life worth living for youngsters. This tired old 'young people today are useless and won't follow rules' view has been proved wrong hasn't it?

With regards to worrying about conscription - I believe the best way to get through the coming days without going mad with worry is to try to remain as calm as possible, to keep informed and to cross bridges when we get to them.

My son, now 56, was in the British Army for fifteen years. He fought in Afghan 1 and was subsequently invalided out. He is still heavily involved with ex-Army charities.
I asked him if he thought he might be required for duty again? He said that he wouldn't, as too old. He also said that he was quite relieved, as he "wouldn't relish being ordered around by pipsqueaks anymore!"

You would never get them out of bed !

''We let Jerry have it'' as they bombed Dresden.

My husband joined the army as an “O type” this was a system where you joined the ranks then progressed to Sandhurst.
It was hard he was ex public school and had to take twice as much stick as the ranks.

It was a steep learning curve, he was disciplined as he had 11 years of boarding under his belt and he was fit but he didn’t have the aggression and fearlessness of his peers.
Many of them had their first boundaries, first real sense of comradeship and belonging, the military really was the making of them, they went on to be great soldiers.

I believe many young people would thrive in a military environment, they would probably whine and whinge for a short time but it really can be the making of a young person.

Visgir1

Chestnut

Can you even imagine trying to train today's youngsters? A hopeless and thankless task I would imagine. They would just refuse to obey and what could you do?

No-one can be forced to do anything they don't want to these days. It goes against their human rights!

So true, they would have a meltdown especially if they had their phones taken away from them.

The people I saw on tv protesting in Russia seemed to mainly consist of young people. And it was young men I saw being interviewed in Ukraine that were preparing to fight: one was a medical student They are beyond brave and I am in total awe of them….

MayBee70

Visgir1

Chestnut

Can you even imagine trying to train today's youngsters? A hopeless and thankless task I would imagine. They would just refuse to obey and what could you do?

No-one can be forced to do anything they don't want to these days. It goes against their human rights!

So true, they would have a meltdown especially if they had their phones taken away from them.

The people I saw on tv protesting in Russia seemed to mainly consist of young people. And it was young men I saw being interviewed in Ukraine that were preparing to fight: one was a medical student They are beyond brave and I am in total awe of them….

I was horrified to see a young woman in Russia who was holding her small baby being circled, harassed, pushed and taken away by a number of police.

Perhaps she was foolish to subject her baby to potential danger by protesting but Russian people who disagree with what Putin are doing are arrested and taken away.
I hope she and her baby are all right, that picture will be one I won't forget.

Kali2

''We let Jerry have it'' as they bombed Dresden.

Really?

What about Coventry, London and the surrounding areas Kali2 ?

Kali2

''We let Jerry have it'' as they bombed Dresden.

Oh, for goodness sake. WW2.

London? Coventry? Plymouth? Bristol? Southampton?
Need I go on.
How dare you.

Switzerland just hoarded Nazi treasures
Perhaps the UK could take a leaf out of Switzerland's book and hoard treasures.

Under pressure to explain its financial dealings with Nazi Germany, the Swiss National Bank publicly acknowledged today that it had made a profit on its wartime dealings in gold bullion with the German central bank. And for the first time, it gave an estimate of its gains: 20 million Swiss francs.

They dare because their Country is home to secret numbered bank accounts, no accountability, gateway to other European banks…

Callistemon21 crossed posts

So flipping cross!!!

Some posts are beyond offensive.

I have words, but I do not want to be expelled…………..

YOU talked about colateral damage- colateral damage is people, children, babies, families, the elderly, the innocent- on both sides. But it is a well known technique, to demonise and also dehumanise the enemy- by giving them names like the above.

Kali2

YOU talked about colateral damage- colateral damage is people, children, babies, families, the elderly, the innocent- on both sides. But it is a well known technique, to demonise and also dehumanise the enemy- by giving them names like the above.

You did.

I didn't.

Kali2

YOU talked about colateral damage- colateral damage is people, children, babies, families, the elderly, the innocent- on both sides. But it is a well known technique, to demonise and also dehumanise the enemy- by giving them names like the above.

Kali2 email Vladimir Putin, friend of Swiss Banks

Callistemon21

Kali2

YOU talked about colateral damage- colateral damage is people, children, babies, families, the elderly, the innocent- on both sides. But it is a well known technique, to demonise and also dehumanise the enemy- by giving them names like the above.

You did.

I didn't.

It was Germanshepherdsmum who called it 'collateral damage'.

Now will you please stop bickering, all of you.

Swiss bank accounts and the London Laundromat are as bad as each other. Neither Switzerland nor the UK has any particular reason to be proud of itself.