(U.S.) Generals say women should have to register for draft - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Uberpro;49682610]Since I'm currently doing my (hopefully) 9 month military service I'm curious what people in this thread think about conscription? In Finland male citizens have to choose between 6-12 months of military service or over 2000hrs of community service. It's a criminal offense to avoid it. For women it's all completely voluntary.[/QUOTE] I'm fine with a mandatory conscription if it's for the National Guard and not the armed forces. Yes, the Guard can be federalized but the people should only be drafted or conscripted for the defense of the land, not to fight wars overseas fueled by political interest or military industrial complex. We sent men off to die in Vietnam just to say "look! We're fighting communism!" If the conscription was for the Guard and taught me survival skills and other essentials to know in a state of emergency I would be for it. But that should be at the state level. Leave the armed forces voluntary.

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;49682397]That could never happen. American food production is ridiculous.[/QUOTE] Food wasn't the only things that there were rationed, things like gasoline were also rationed and people in this country like their cars although I can see rations on gasoline making people go toward solar and hydrogen cars. Other things that were rationed included shoes, rubber footwear, tires, and kerosene. I can also see them rationing materials like aluminum considering that it's used a lot in modern military equipment due to it's generally lightweight.

Rangergxi and wauterboi have made a lot of good points here. I'm against national conscription, but if it's going to exist then it probably ought to be equal for men and women. Now wauterboi doesn't want to waste his life away for his country. Understandable. Most likely the majority of the population feels the same - they disrespect their government and dislike the values that the country stands for at this time in history. But what if you had a government that people really liked? One that they felt listened to them, worked FOR them, treated them with respect? One that universally across all strata of society was respected. The alternative to this I suppose would be propaganda that simply makes people perceive the situation to be so, rather than how it really is. You'll probably find people willing to lose their lives to uphold this government and nation - in a real situation where the nation is really threatened by invasion. See this paradox: you don't need national conscription, because people will volunteer to defend a country run by a respected and noble government. Enforcing national conscription will still add to the military's manpower at that point, but you'll have a greater volunteer force which is what you want really. Small nations using conscription to stand up to larger nations are screwed every way really unless part of a united coalition of nations that do the same thing.

[QUOTE=LtKyle2;49683535]I'm fine with a mandatory conscription if it's for the National Guard and not the armed forces. Yes, the Guard can be federalized but the people should only be drafted or conscripted for the defense of the land, not to fight wars overseas fueled by political interest or military industrial complex. We sent men off to die in Vietnam just to say "look! We're fighting communism!" If the conscription was for the Guard and taught me survival skills and other essentials to know in a state of emergency I would be for it. But that should be at the state level. Leave the armed forces voluntary.[/QUOTE] Chances are, if you get drafted, you'll find yourself in the regular Army in one capacity or another. Possibly combat arms. However, there's a good chance you'll wind up in a support MOS where you'll learn a trade you can apply later in life, like carpenter or electrician or mechanic. They want volunteers in the infantry. They want motivated, athletic, door-kicker types, not guys who only showed up because they had the option of going to war or going to jail.

[QUOTE=phygon;49682849]And then I'm forced to break up my life, my current line of work, and more to work in the military so I don't have the random chance of being essentially forced against my will to people. That's awful. Even if it's unlikely, the concept that it can happen and that it HAS happened is horrifying. [editline]6th February 2016[/editline] What about [I]you[/I] being drafted?[/QUOTE] Oh I'd be a draft dodger for sure