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

I just don’t see how dragging young people in to ‘defend’ is fair. These wars and flashpoints are being started by men in their 70s who are no longer relevant and are acutely aware of their own mortality and seem to want to leave some sort of misguided and narcissistic legacy. There’s no way I’d have my precious dc involved.

If the whole world turns into anarchy then there's not really anything left to fight for anyway. If they did manage to claim asylum in a country that could offer them a decent life I would then encourage them to fight for that life/country.

I’d actively try to dissuade any family members.

It would depend on who we were fighting & what for. Little chance on any of mine being called to the front line though, they have skills that'd be more valuable elsewhere (house full of drones in various stages of development/modification).

None.

They’d all refuse. I’d be extremely proud. We need to break the cycle of violence in this world.

I only have one 18yo and she’ll be more likely painting protest banners for Stop The War rallies than join the Armed Forces. For OPs though experiment she’s a creative type who will start a Documentary Photography and Film-making degree this autumn if she gets the right grades. I think she’d document the rallies and protests over going to Warzone, too.

What would we be defending?

But happy for other people and their children to die for you and yours?

What makes your lives more valuable than anyone else's?

If our country was being invaded then it is the responsibility of everyone who is physically able to help defend it. Both to keep our country for future generations, but also to try and stop the crimes that happen during invasions like rape and the killing of children.

You do know that Hamas is funded by Iran?

He isn’t just bombing Hamas though. He seems determined to create more instability across his neighbours.

My first thought was that I wouldn’t want to defend this shit hole of a country.

Then thought well, I could shoot a few people I really don’t like and call it “collateral damage”. I’m in!

Don’t we have paid armed forces that a lot of public money is spent on? Maybe they could do it 🤷‍♀️ Maybe also the politicians who caused the war to start in the first place.

Just because you don’t support Israel that doesn’t automatically mean you support Hamas. Some people can see the wrong on both sides and are fed up of watching innocent civilians getting killed.

To defend our shores? Ds would be there and I'd be right beside him.

My eldest is an expert in COD as most people his age are so we’ll be okay. Seriously though we all know if push comes to shove it’s going to be the working class that go first, the elite will probably fly out of the country because they can afford to escape.

My nephew would. He's just about to finish school and join the army at 16.

I wouldn't trust my autistic adhd kid to cook dinner by himself never mind fight in a war

So are you on Hamas’s side?

This whole fight for your country thing is framed as bravery vs cowardice as that’s the only way to get young men to give up their one and only precious life for some abstract ideal.

Give up your life to protect your own family from immediate harm? Of course.

Give up your life to prevent a change of administration in the government? What a meaningless waste.

People who willingly, of their own volition, choose to take a paid job in the army, who are fully aware of what being a soldier entails.

How is that going to be possible? Where do you think they could go?

And if countries start walking into other countries without challenge very quickly nowhere would be as you describe.

The vast majority of my family and friends would be conscientious objectors. I don't have kids but certainly my nieces and nephews and siblings - no way would they involve themselves in war.

Several of my friends go to Calais regularly to help with the camps there so I think that's their moral duty done.

I, personally, would hate the idea of killing anyone or going into any kind of battle but I have no doubt in my ability to if it was needed.

Not the same at all but twice since I've been with DH he's been attacked by other men in my presence (he's seen as 'soft') and both times I launched into defence fight mode, it was unconscious really, but I won both times (never been in in a fight before or since, I'm not violent!). I think if I was in the situation I'd probably go into same automatic mode

I’d hope my kids would be directing things from Westminster. However the reality, they’d be classic draft dodgers. 🤣

My son would absolutely. He is 15 and so very patriotic but the exact type the government seems to hate…White working class!!

Leave, find somewhere better. Find somewhere they could get an education, earn a decent wage, buy a home, somewhere that invests in the most vulnerable in society rather then the most powerful and richest... I wouldn't want any of my children to fight for this country.

So if Israel took it into their heads to bomb the UK tomorrow would I send my children to defend the country?

In all honesty I’d rather go myself but what choice do you have? Like most people I’d want to avoid war but if it comes to it I think they would try their best as would their parents to protect those who can’t protect themselves.