UK Politics
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It’s a really funny post and I’m not a Tory voter.
That said, I do wonder what it will require for Britain to reintroduce some form of conscription?
I’ve grown up in countries where it was second nature for some to get drafted (forced to join) and many volunteered (80% of the people in my platoon were volunteers), with a mandatory “Forces Day” that you were required to attend not long after your 18th birthday. Even the people who were forced to join accepted it as “oh well, it will be a gap year, I suppose”. There was an option to become a conscientious objector but very, very few took it (it meant spending 10 months working for the same salary in a library or similar).
How bad does the UK’s security outlook have to be before young people will understand a necessity?
People turning 18 this year have the lowest wages to housing cost ever, house buying is a distant dream for anyone without £100k+ from the bank of mum and dad, and mum and dad have been squeezed too, most middle class families do not have that sort of money available per child.
Buying a car is beyond the reach of the vast majority, fuel is at record prices and insurance is mandatory and has increased well above inflation. 18 year olds are looking at average insurance of £3000 or 10 weeks of working full time at minimum wage.
The social contract for young people in the uk has been broken, if you are not already wealthy or incredibly lucky you cannot afford to live a fulfilling life. Children, holidays, personal transport, home ownership all out of reach.
Before forcing people to fight for their country, you need to make it something worth fighting for.
If a between A-Level and university 6 week PAID training position in the military were offered, where your housing, food, basic training are provided, and you are able to save some money at the end of it, would probably be a good policy.
Yes 100% agree.
Again 100% agree.
Completely agree that the volunteer service (whether forces or in a civilian volunteer position) could be combined with education credits, or pay, or housing, it would be much more attractive. Certainly where I served, I was housed and fed and had a salary (£650/month equivalent to £1300-ish today). It allowed me to save most of the money.
Initial reports of the Tory plan is over multiple weekends so no accommodation, unpaid, mandatory and punishment for non compliance.
Basically slave labour under the guise of community and service.
If it’s unpaid and mandatory they can fuck right off.
Unpaid and mandatory is literally slave labor. It's basically the definition of it.
Part of the problem people have is that the only reason the security situation is so bad is because of the Tories cutting funding to the regular military. It's going to cost 2.5 billion to implement this scheme, well wouldn't it be better to spend that money on professional soldiers, before telling everyone they have to conscript?
If conscription is still required at that point then maybe it will be tolerated, because there'll be an understanding that it's now actually necessary. As opposed to just covering up for previous governmental mismanagement.
It’s not just the U.K. that’s been neglecting its duties; the whole western world has been sleeping at the wheel. £2.5bn is a drop in the ocean that we, collectively in the west, need to invest to stand up a credible defense posture.
Ignoring for a second the paid/unpaid status of the proposal (which won’t happen anyway as the tories will lose this one), the notion of training some conscripts for a possible mobilisation isn’t the worst idea in the world - it’s how most of the states bordering Russia balance peace vs possible war.