Which of your children would take up arms if need be to defend their country

I agree with @BethDuttonYeHaw , @theleafandnotthetree and @Letstheriveranswer .
There is little collective awareness of what a land invasion might look like. It's strange, seeing as it was a distinct possibility here, only some 80-85 years ago, and within living memory of some still living today, including my own UK in-law family members.

The fate of my own family was forever impacted by my country's attempt at 'neutrality' while allowing the shameful through transit of German soldiers into neighboring nations, which led to a direct and devastating consequence for one side of my family, the consequences of which are still felt today, both in practical, material terms and as generational trauma.

When war comes, there is usually no real 'opting out' as seems to be suggested on this thread, just an ugly smörgåsbord of choices you wish you'd never have to make, loss, risk, betrayal, displacement, deprivation, shame, coercion, regret, impotence, fear and suffering.

And what if an evil regime invaded this country put your babies lives at risk

Would they though? Countries need young people to work and produce. Surely they would keep the youth and just kill older people from an economic perspective?

I wonder about this idea of fighting for your country. Surely it depends on what the invaders were offering? If it was a similar life but just different rulers why would you bother to fight?

People do give a shit, but they're giving a shit in several opposing directions, which creates conflict and stalemate. What do you suggest?

All three would volunteer. For the sake of the country, it would probably be better if they didn't go into the armed forces; I can see them doing something like going into the equivalent of Bletchley or developing weapons or something.

This thread reminds me of the book Prophet song by Paul Lynch, which won the Man Booker prize 2023. It's based in Ireland not UK but shows what happens to a modern western European country when under an oppressive extreme right wing regime. It's written from the perspective of a mother trying to do right by her kids, I'd really recommend it.

As a white poppy wearing pacifist I've raised one child who is in cadets and planning to join the army. If the call came tomorrow she'd just be angry that I'd not let her go at 15. She's barely forgiven me for making her do GCSEs and apply to college rather than going to Harrogate and joining at 16.

The other one is an enigma so who knows.

It's complicated. What about Brits abroad who've been screwed over by austerity and Brexit? (Yes, I know Brits in Britain have also been screwed over, the rapidly diminishing number of "I'm all right Jacks" aside.) They might feel more obliged to a country that's welcomed them, but not yet have citizenship, putting them in an awkward or even dangerous position. What about Brits with one foreign born parent, who can be stripped of British nationality on a whim? Hard to argue that they owe much loyalty to the UK. And what if their foreign parent was from a country that the UK was at war with? Interned as enemy aliens, deported?
Even a British subject who wasn't in any of these situations might well feel that the UK isn't so much a country as a company with a toxic culture that's been left in a bad way by the asset strippers. Not much worth dying for in any of that.

P.S. the iconic British patriot Nigel Farage MP is on record as saying that if the UK goes tits up, he'll move to Germany. This may be an example of his legendary hilarious banter or it may reflect the selfish careerism behind everything he's ever done.

P.P.S. the OP's question is of course legitimate as a hypothetical scenario, but there's a hell of a lot of jingoistic fearmongering about in the press and in politics, and we all need to take a step back and evaluate what we're being told and why, rather than instantly turning into Chicken Little. Just saying, not accusing anyone on here.

And what if an evil regime invaded this country put your babies lives at risk

And that's exactly why this country is how it is. Nobody gives a shit about standing up for it, they just think 'oh I'll go elsewhere'. What do you do when you can't go elsewhere? When you have run out of places to hide?

If our country was the aggressor- no. To protect our country, families, freedom, way of life from an aggressor- yes absolutely, my whole family would without a doubt. I’d be genuinely surprised if there were people who wouldn’t in those circumstances.

They're not fools, it's admirable and someone has to do it.

People will claim it's hypocritical but seeing as normal citizens have relatively fuck all say in the geopolitical going on of nations I don't think it is and I'm not going to willingly see my family risk their lives for something the leaders who are involved won't even risk a sprained ankle for.

Essentially my family living longer is more important to me than my moral consistency

You’ve invented an unlikely hypothetical situation that you feel very strongly is an important moral measure… and then you’ve ranked your children by how likely they are to meet it?

My kids are 13 and 9 but the younger one isn’t afraid of anything so she’d probably be all we need as a nation.

If it was against our family specifically me and DH are whooping ass.

I really feel as this is mumsnet so mainly mums answering probably a good proportion would say none .Who would want there child .especially if it was not britian that was attacked .thankfully all that my children would be considered fir would be home guard. They all wear glasses and are to short sighted

Yes hopefully. This country and the way we live is not more important than my babies lives. There are no ideals or morals that are worth more than my children staying alive and safe.

Yes, but there have been, and are, lots of awful people with lots of power doing awful things. I don't buy into it being my responsibility to give my life (or my DC) to stop them all. There's plenty of awful shit that we all just sit by and watch. It's always been very selective. There's a vast difference between fighting to defend yourself/loved ones against an immediate threat and fighting for the arbitrary notion of "your country", or fighting just because someone else thinks you ought to.

I’m probably an age where they’d try to recruit.

A nation is an imagined political community. Why would I fight for it?

I might choose to fight against a far right regime that was intent on expansion.

If, for example, I was 25 in 1939 then I likely would have put my hand up before conscription to fight against the Nazi’s. But I certainly wouldn’t blindly fight for this country.

This country has been the aggressor. The Opium wars, Zulu and Boer wars. It’s fought stupid wars - Iraq spring to mind.

Any person blindly following the country they live in to any conflict lacks critical thinking skills.

Yes, most of the comments come from a place of privilege and total lack of awareness of what it's like to be genuinely under the jackboot where you don't have the luxury of choice, or at least not the kind of choices anyone would ever want to make.

Far too many young men have died for the egos of rich white men - my sons will not join them.

@Digdongdoo that is true, but I think fighting against Hitler was a just cause.

reading these posts about non combatant roles and leaving for safer pastures is a very British centric view where we’ve grown up watching dramas about WWII where we weren’t actually invaded and these were rational and available choices.

if an ugly regime invaded Britain or threatened too and started taking your DH’s out in the street to shoot in the head and asking if you want to be raped before or after your daughter then becoming a land girl isn’t the choice - you won’t get the choice to go to Canada or Australia

the choice is fight back or try to survive whatever, live under the regime (which is what most people do) or resist.

Interesting thread, thank you op.
I doubt that nowadays civilians will be called up to fight in conflicts overseas (though never say never).

However hostilities may break out here, not because of an invasion but Civil War. It could be the have-nots v. the haves, or racial or religious.
I wonder where is the best place in our house or garden to hide/bury jewellery and other things of value if we manage to flee.

To defend our shores in an actual invasion I would think all of my younger relatives and even though I’m older and my registration is long gone as I retrained in the early nineties I could do basic nursing still if allowed to.

I agree with this entirely. I would not encourage any of my family to needlessly throw their life away in conflict that is generally pointless.
I'd far prefer they engaged their time in more strategic effective measures like diplomacy.

There are many way to defend yourself and country and they do not have to involve fighting or 'bravery'.

How about volunteering their engineering, technical or software skills to work on new defence systems that could protect our country from incoming missiles.

I'd be encouraging that sort of input, not mindless fighting and getting themselves killed.