If there was a war and conscription was mandatory would you go?

[visitingagain]

Do people think the government has the right to conscript people? Should people who won't comply get punished?

Do you care how many the Romans killed? no.

I’m sorry, this is the most idiotic thing I’ve ever seen on here. ‘History doesn’t carry on’ for the millions dead.

No I wouldn’t.

Not a prayer. And none of my children would go either. I'm not putting my life on the line so rich men can have a dick waving competition. The people who start wars are never personally effected. So if op is a journo or secretly polling the public on behalf of boris my answer is absolutely fucking not.

@PainterInPeril

I refuse to kill or terrorise others so I'd be a conscientious objector. And yes, I'm aware that I'd probably be jailed. My late Great-Aunt was a conscientious objector (she was one of Jehovah's witnesses, like me) during WWII and was jailed. I'm so proud of her.

If everybody else refused to do it, though, going by WWII, both you and your late Great Aunt would have been murdered for your beliefs, along with a shedload of other people. Maybe you are fine with that, but it's not right that people who didn't want to be exterminated like cockroaches would meet the same fate.

I think that conscripts would be more of a liability than anything else now.

No, I'd rather go to prison.
I would never comply with a government ordering me to fight.

@visitingagain

It's interesting because there are so many people on other threads arguing that they will never comply with mandatory vaccines *@PearlclutchersInc* that was the Austria thread. Mumsnet at its finest

Ohhhhhhh I see now! It’s the boring old hypocrite argument!

No, I don’t think many people would want mandatory vaccines. I think you’re mad not to get it, but ultimately I think you should have the right to choose.

My grandfather was a conscientious objector, so I was be very ashamed of myself if I didn't take a similar stand. I would happily volunteer to do something that didn't involve killing.

I'm too old

In extreme circumstances, if necessary, I’d do my bit. However, the days of that kind of warfare are pretty much over.

@goose1964

I'm too old

You be Godfrey, I’ll be Jones.

I'm a bit old but have tech skills that might be useful. I doubt they'd ever have wanted fat women on the front line however dire things are.

It would depend on the war. So WW2 I would have (reluctantly cause I'm a coward) joined up to fight. Ww1 no (and IzI think the world would be a better ace if more people had refused to fight it). Gulf wars, no. Falklands, no.

@MaskingForIt

I view conscription as a tax. No-one wants to do it/pay it, but we have to for the good of our country.

I doubt most of those conscripted during WW1&2 wanted to do it, but I am thankful to them that they did so we can live in a free and progressive country today.

OP, is it actually conscription you’re asking about, or did you mean National Service?

WW2 maybe, but what on earth makes you think that fighting WW1 served any purpose at all?

There was no just cause in WW1. No fascist dictators to stand against. Just imperialism muscle flexing on both sides. A waste of so much young life, and a shame full episode of history.

@upinaballoon

Did some Quakers work on the battlefields, collecting up the wounded and so on, but not directly fighting?

Yes, The Friends Ambulance Unit

If there was a war gathering untrained, unwilling people in a haste wouldn't do much good.

I think it'd be a good thing if everyone who is able & willing had basic military training (and those with certain skill sets could do specific courses) so if there's a need there'd be many people who could be utilised on short notice; volunteer firefighters style.
I've no idea if it's already a thing.

Do you care how many the Romans killed? no.

That's more of a straw man argument than our local scarecrow festival. The Holocaust happened in living memory. We have family who were sent to Auschwitz & Buchenwald who were murdered. People our older relatives actually knew and loved.

If you can name one person you knew who was killed by the Romans I'll give you my life savings.

As long as I don’t have to take the toddler with me - probably get more sleep on the frontlines .

@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba

If there was a war gathering untrained, unwilling people in a haste wouldn't do much good.

I think it'd be a good thing if everyone who is able & willing had basic military training (and those with certain skill sets could do specific courses) so if there's a need there'd be many people who could be utilised on short notice; volunteer firefighters style.
I've no idea if it's already a thing.

It is a thing, more or less. Army Reserve (also ones for the Air Force and Navy exist.)

@Mysterian

I think a war should be voted on, and only those who voted for it should have to fight.

But presumably you would be happy to live in the free society that those people who did volunteer fight for though?

My first reaction was…yes, guess I’d have to but wouldn’t be happy. Next thought was about my DC and that made my blood run cold. My GWR train on my commute had a Remembrance Sunday theme and had the names of servicemen who had were ex-employees who had died in various wars….was so sad seeing all the names and their ages.

Why are you asking OP?

depends what the war is for. If we’re raping the middle east again for geopolitical point scoring and fossil fuel energy security then there’s not a chance. If we’re defending ourselves or an ally against annihilation or an existential threat then yes, would. Would also do it on humanitarian efforts too.

My relative was a conscientious objector in WW1 and I am so proud of him. It had so many consequences for him for the rest of his life but he stood for what he believed in. WW1 was a ghastly war with so much unnecessary loss of lives and ruined lives.

It would depends what the war was for.

If a country decided to bomb the shit out of the UK or invading with a plan to overthrow our way of life, then what choice would we have really? We'd have to do something.

But if it were a shitty pointless war (like Iraq, vietnam etc) not a fucking chance.