48% of Britain's would refuse to fight for their country

[cakeorwine]

So a new headline today

Daily Telegraph
Half of Britons would refuse to fight for their country

Half of Britons say there are no circumstances in which they would go to war for their country, a poll has found.

While the pollster Ipsos found strong backing for increased defence spending, some 48 per cent said there was no situation in which they would take up arms.

One in two Britons would never fight for their country | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

It was not that easy to find the data set but I've linked it below and shown the data from the question

Original data here

Despite rising support for increasing defence spending, half of Britons say there are no circumstances under which they would take up arms for Britain | Ipsos

War-trends-final-weighted

Would be interested to hear your opinion on the survey results

As would Sir Humphrey

Theoretical situations are very different to real situations.

I'm in Scotland and yes I would fight for her esp. against the SNP who are bit by bit trying to destroy her. 😥
Half joking aside, yes I would take up arms if we were under attack.

This.

Rather different if loved ones have been killed or taken prisoner in attacks by an aggressor.

Also very different when your society expects you to fight and turns against you if you won't.

I doubt the numbers are much different from 1939. People then remembered the horrors of WWI and Flanders. They weren't in any rush to enlist, but they still did, when it became necessary.

Yeah I think if someone actually mounted a land invasion people would probably actually fight. I know everyone in my family would join a war effort if Britain was at war.

I was surprised about that.
It's very uncomfortable thought.
What idiots.
I could never date, and definitely not have a child with someone with that attitude.

I’d be interested to see what the answer would be to: “If you were Ukrainian and called up to defend your country, would you serve or desert?”

They had conscription in May 1939 which meant there was no choice.

I also wonder what Ukrainians would have said before the Russian invasion. Whilst recognising that it's obviously no equivalent and in fact Russia has always been a near and recognisable threat to Ukraine. But I'd still bet the numbers of young people willing to fight changed as the level and type of threat changed.

I think it somehow depends on the situation and alternatives…if my country gets invaded and it would lead those I love to be imprisoned, excluded from opportunities, oppressed, etc, then yes, that’s worth fighting against. If life would continue as before but now X runs the country rather than Y, then I’d prefer for me and my loved ones to just get on with it rather than us risking to die on the battlefield.

Just wondering if anyone's read the attached survey question at all

Especially Yes Prime Minister fans

TBH I don't really believe this. Polls can be made to say anything. What is the purpose of the commissioner of this poll, is probably more interesting to ask.

Whenever I discuss this with people, everyone who starts off saying they wouldn't fight is imagining another totally optional US style war like Iran or Iraq. Abroad somewhere for obscure purposes.

As soon as you say would you defend your children if the soldiers are coming down your street, they change their view.

I don't understand the stats. Why don't the statement A and B add up to 100%? (Only 88% for the men). Was there a 'don' t want to say' option and why isn't that included? I do only have GCSE maths nearly 40 years ago but I don't get it!

The stats are attached and are the exact response to the attached question

48% of Britain's what?

Ooops

Bad snip
Good catch

I’d suggest that figure is higher.

Very depressing. A country needs to be socially cohesive enough to want to defend itself.
That, or be overthrown if the situation arose.

Absolutely no circumstances? I take it 48% of those polled have no imagination.

Somebody bombing their house and 48% would just be fine with it?

I think if there was an actual threat of invasion, people might be more willing.
The problems with world politics at the moment means that we could be dragged into a war engineered by Trump for his own agenda, or we could be lied to by politicians about the causes (weapons if mass destruction?!) etc. Would we actually be fighting for/defending our country?

People might enjoy this scene from Yes Prime Minister about surveys

I think that's the point a PP made earlier about theoretical being very different to real life. Most people struggle to imagine a run down house looking nice and realising its potential.

In real life, if a group is under attack they will naturally become cohesive. When we're all comfortable we look for division.

Maybe if people had the guarantee that politicians and their families would be on the frontline they might be more agreeable. As it stands we all know should the situation ever arise it will be the working class sacrificed first.

As shown on Yes Prime Minister

This thread is very interesting. Sir Humphrey would be proud

Those who say that if the worst happened they all would I suspect are thinking wishfully. I would take the results as accurate rather than hope or persuade myself that they aren’t really.