We are being primed

[Mambo19866]

Story after story now of conscription being needed. I was thoroughly convinced that this is just scaremongering but the number of senior figures coming out again today warning us to prepare it really feels like they are getting us used to the idea. Also in the papers today the US is moving some of its nuclear stockpile to the UK. Getting bit nervous now I have to admit.

I did a parody, some people got it some didn't.

Yes, there are lots of smart, clued up young people who we should be proud of from all backgrounds, of course there are.
But I do wonder if they would actually refuse to fight, whatever their parents said.
I was working with a group of teenage/ young adults as colleagues. At the beginning of covid, they were the first to embrace masks, distancing etc. They did as they were told willingly.

Where are the rebels and the social protesters? We had hippies protesting for peace, CND rallies. Love and peace were the aim, in tge 70s/80s.
The young, gentle, MN youngsters, where are they?
It appears that a large number cannot decide if they are male or female and large swathes are appeasing that rather than looking around at serious issues that will seriously affect their lives.

White Britons: Do you think I'm gonna fight for you after you've turned our country into an airport? Think again mate!

BAME Britons: Do you think I'm gonna fight for you after saying I'll never really be British? And bombing my home country? Think again mate/akhi!

You can't push for atomisation and unity simultaneously, doesn't work like that. Defend Britain? What is Britain? Give it another 100 years and you might be able to get some morale going.

DoubleTwin · Today 11:14

To those who are physically and mentally able saying they/their dc wouldn't fight in a war, what do you think should happen if Russia invaded another NATO country or the UK? Who should defend us? Or do we just yield?”

Presumably you will be signing up, @DoubleTwin ?

The armed forces themselves do not actually like conscription, so I think it is unlikely to happen.
However, I am concerned that our armed services seem to have been run down to very low levels.

Do you understand what ‘conscription’ means? This is getting quite tiresome.

It's a bit bizarre to read threads, on the one hand, so indignant that Trump would consider leaving NATO and leave Europe to fund it's own military protection, and on the other hand you get threads like this where people seem to be completely entitled, stating that they and their kids would never lift a finger to actually help fulfill these kinds of defense obligations.

Conscription might never be a thing but the military is seriously under strength, not just underfunded. They do need to be in a position to build up numbers, and that will require money for training.

I don't get the "let other people do it" mentality on this.

Do you mean yes to yield or are you thinking others will fight and not your family

@Shadowsindarkplaces
AIBU- teacher shouted at DS, should I complain

Sure make fun of this but you're perpetuating cliches.
In your hypothetical scenario, is it a primary or secondary teacher who is shouting at the pupil? Is it a one off expression of frustration or a culture of intimidation and abuse of power? My dc prefers the shouty mean secondary school teacher who actually manages to teach the subject well (but he is hated by all). Not happy that he's shouting but dc seems fine with it.

Would I have accepted a teacher shouting at my 7/8/9 year old every day? Hell no. Quality primary teachers are able to control a class without having to constantly shout at young children. Admittedly this is harder in secondary schools, for too many reasons to list but bad parenting is part of it, as is a lack of genuine opportunities for youngsters to let off steam, many are shockingly sedentary from age 10+ acting up in the classroom.

This was exactly what sprang to mind when I started reading this thread! I remember distinctly because I was one of the earlier worried people, I started getting stressed in Feb 2020 and yet Mumsnet (which at the time just had a coronavirus thread rather than designated topic, with lots and lots of new threads because it kept filling up) was full of people sneering and scoffing that it wouldn't be that bad and being really harsh and laughing at folks who were concerned. Once the shit hit the fan they seemed to melt away.

For what it's worth, I don't think they are priming us for conscription, as much as I think they are priming us for war in general. And normalising it so it isn't a huge shock if/when it happens. I have no clue what war would look like for our country but I'm not complacent about it.

We could form a Mumsnet army! We're the better sex in any event, have years of practical experience and would know how to make our rations last. Besides which, facing off with the Russians is probably easier than dealing with toddlers all day.

Unfortunately there’s truth to this. I am gobsmacked by the entitlement on here some days. To think the primary caregiver DF asked what would happen if working mum died! Grandmother cant be Nona unless she’s Italian-ladles our futures are bleak! Se lose even the right to be addressed as we like! Just two recent that come to mind. To think we’re not the center of the universe!!

Stop being so bloody patronising. Yes we do know what it means 🙄 but presumably the people that are championing it are those that won’t be a part of it like Doubletwin here who seems to have gone very quiet now.

Yeah, I think there is some truth to this. I notice it somewhat with my kids and their peers. Even when they don't agree, they seem to be very hesitant to step up and question.

At one point the schools here went back to masking, and all the kids really hated it. I suggested to my niece that if they really disagreed maybe they should have a petition, or protest or something. I was basically trying to suggest that sitting around complaining was useless, if they think something is wrong they should engage.

Anyway, the response was, no, we can't do that, they might think we are anti-vaxxers.

They will step up and protest for certain causes, but they seem scared to speak up about anything that might bring any real social opprobrium. Which kind of is the point, I thought.

Here here!

Naptrappedmummy · Today 11:40

MrsSkylerWhite · Today 11:38

DoubleTwin · Today 11:14

To those who are physically and mentally able saying they/their dc wouldn't fight in a war, what do you think should happen if Russia invaded another NATO country or the UK? Who should defend us? Or do we just yield?”

Presumably you will be signing up, @DoubleTwin ?
**
Do you understand what ‘conscription’ means? This is getting quite tiresome.”

Of course I do. I also understand how easy it is to call for others to fight to defend you, from the very comfortable position of knowing that you will probably not be called upon to do the same. Now that really is tiresome. And disgusting.

Perhaps don’t get too complacent, as you urge others to fight on your behalf. Look to Ukraine, where the over 50-s are in uniform, too.

I think you responded to wrong post. Know what what means?

Yes. Tried to edit it but wasn’t possible.

This thread has led me to do an advanced search on the word coronavirus during Jan and Feb 2020. Its interesting how blasé some posters were about others worries back then.

I definitely side eyed the posters who knew it was coming months & months in advance & the ones who thought it would be similar to China & we would be locked into our houses.

And then some of us are a little blasé because in some circumstances it’s not worth giving yourself anxiety over something you have no power over.

I’m in my early 30s.

😂how about you answer the question my post first? Or am i supposed to infer yield to Russia in between the lines? To the other poster asking if i'd sign up, you missed answering my question? In any case, who should in actual fact defend us? We need a strong army so there is no need for subscription but you will have to pay for it from your salary via taxes. Anyway, signing up is kind of the opposite of subscription but who cares about such minor details, right? I think there'd be some great cannon fodder on this thread.

People who keep mentioning "the Russians invading the UK" are ridiculous - even at the height of the cold war the Soviets had no plans for that!

Cold war going "hot" was planned by the west out as few days of conventional fighting. NATO tries to absorb assault and defend in depth. Start of tactical nuclear exchanges then strategic exchange. There were no real assumptions or expectations about a limited conflict.

@sheetsoflux and I wouldn't mind but just from the general age of people on here I can guarantee hardly any of them will have fought in a war/done national service etc of any kind.

But they'll happily send the younger "useless" generation off. You know, the ones they raised 🙄

I think it's all fairly hypothetical. But interesting to see the me me me and mine posters, i hope they are happy to contribute a chunk of their monthly salary to pay for our army if they find the idea of conscription unappealing.

We should be self-sufficient in many fruit and veg but we're not. No one will pick the stuff so it is imported. That's why you are paying £3 + for a single cauliflower at the minute. Almost all of our apples and pears are imported- yet 40 years ago we produced dozens of kinds of apples and pears in southern England. No one can be bothered to pick them.

Because the pay & conditions are shit.