The reaction to National Service on here

[MaryMaryVeryContrary]

Many European countries (including Scandinavian countries) have NS. Are they ‘ridiculous’? Or are their much-coveted-by-Mumsnet-users communities better because of their sense of individual responsibility and contribution?

If 24 days (that’s how long it would be in total) of delivering prescriptions or volunteering as a hospital guide has you talking about human rights violations and Nazi Germany, then it’s very clear that you’re so pampered a bit of NS would do you good.

Everyone on here expects the world in terms of a ’village’, generous benefits, a caring society, but wants to do fuck all to contribute to it and think the notion of them having to do ANYTHING for anyone else is insane.

It’s nuts!

There is much much higher likelihood of non-nuclear strikes.

And even with nukes, they do help those who are further from the explosion centre.

On the continent, people are preparing by reinstating military service for everybody. It is not UK idea only. Some form of training has to take place

My favourite one was still having to do it when you work. I worked full time from 17 so that would have been fun

Bunkers and shelters in this country? How do you see this war panning out, it isn’t 1939, we aren’t in the Dad’s Army film set.

No, with nukes, no one will survive for long. It's not the case that everyone is preparing for military services for everyone on the continent but even if they were then they are at least including everyone not just those who are currently too young to vote.

@YourPinkDog I am afraid you are going to have a hard time adjusting mentally to the coming times. Contemporary war doesn't mean mainly land invasion.
Are you aware that UK is just as any country at risk of air strike? In most of European countries, they are preparing the citizens.

@Persimonne72 You are swallowing whole Russian propoganda.

@wombat. Honestly, there are various size nuclear bombs. Not entire Japan evaporated when there was a strike on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There were people outside of those cities who could have survived the blast if they had been in the shelter. The chances depend on the distance. It is not like a designated circle and everywhere the impact is the same. It is gradual as with any bomb.

@Persimonne72 we all know the potential scenarios.
But Russia was expected to win the war in Ukraine in a few weeks. Look how well that has gone. They do not have the military strength they pretend to have.

Weapons have moved on since the second world war. I'm not just talking about surviving the initial impact either. Even in the 80s when people were very worried about nuclear attack and they ran courses on how to survive it was pretty clear that most people wouldn't survive for that long even if they did after the initial impact.

You did say it was "a well thought out service" or have you missed out a word in that sentence?

Either way, what use is a year in the REME etc serving alongside side regular soldiers?
They'd just be a liability, would almost certainly face issues with bullying and teasing, the military can be a tough place, not anywhere people who don't want to there should be subjected too.... there is a reason recruits do 16 weeks basic training first, all in it together, it molds the unit, cyber security etc, they are all soldiers first and could be sent into harms way at a moments notice.

Other countries have long standing national service plans, involving regulars, reservists and most of these countries that have a military element are quite close to Russia.....

That Sunak expects NHS degree students or people on gap years to do this national service tells me everything i need to know about our PM, out of touch doesn't even begin to describe him.

I went to university and needed to work evenings and weekends to just about make ends meet while there. If I had to work a weekend for free every month I'd have been hungry.

Working enough hours to support yourself through university is a massive drain on the time you have to put the work in to pass the course. It's hard going, and this scheme will have a detrimental affect on the careers and attainment of young people who don't have the spare time to give. I say that as a volunteer myself.

Volunteering isn't supposed to be done by people who don't want to do it.

Have you ever thought that they on purpose are making it long? This is not only war with Ukraine. Only a fool may think that 144 million population will not win with 38 million country. You are joking. Ukraine will not survive and is demographically dying. Barely breathing with a drip.

It has never been only about Ukraine, It is a proxy war
And Russia already provoked by changing the border on the water/

NATO prepares direct intervention into Russia-Ukraine war

Exactly, my DD worked as an adult social carer at weekends & holidays.

Sunak wants people like her, already training towards a healthcare degree to go off "volunteering"

@Alexandra2001

You did say it was "a well thought out service" or have you missed out a word in that sentence?

Where, in what context, point me to it. You are making something up. Nonsense. I am Lib Dem voter and said many times here that I would include Defence Preparation to secondary schools for everybody and def I don't support it without courses: first aid, how to cover in the air strike, topography, and many other things

'@wombat15 I am afraid we have every reason to be equally worried now. It is not something of the past. 70 years of peace in Europe was a phenomenon unknown in history. I am afraid it is not a question if the war happens but when. I think it is within the next 2-3 years or sooner.

@Persimonne72

This is the sentence i'm referring too....

I am not a Tories voter neither I think it is a well thought service but I cannot gather why people comment without actually reading what Sunak proposed

a genuine misunderstanding, either by you or me, isn't making things up.

A properly funded and detailed national service plan, such as you suggest, would cost billions.

Europe is no nearer all out war than at anytime since 1945, Russia just hasn't the means, it cannot even defeat a country with no decent air force, plus the risk of nuclear destruction is all too real and no one wants that.

@echt some are. Most are not: what you have posted a link to is not compulsory, is it?

These people have been the most privileged generation ever. For them to have the audacity to say that young people need to give something back would be hilarious if it wasn't so delusional and callous.

And, the rates of volunteering in pensioners are on average actually lower than those for the 16-24 cohort. Here is the graph.

It is people 25-34 who volunteer the least according to the link you posted, which is unsurprising given they will be working all hours under the sun trying to pay mortgages/ rent/ childcare, progress careers and raise young children.

65 to 74 volunteer a lot. This is when people will still be healthy and more likely to have the time. After that you get more people with health issues. Like my friends mother who is 76, volunteered for years, and now has bad rheumatoid arthritis so struggles even to dress herself. She no longer volunteers.

@Alexandra2001

I wrote: neither I think it is a well thought service

"Up" or "out" is missing

@Alexandra2001

Europe is no nearer all out war than at anytime since 1945,
another one who knows better than NATO generals 🤦🏼‍♀️😀

First time I’ve ever seen an AIBU tie!

Ha ha Generals talking up war, now there's a thing!!! its literally what they are paid to do during peacetime.

However, it would be prudent to increase defence spending and not include pensions in the figures, which is what the Tories have done.

You think we are nearer war than during the Berlin Air lift, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Cuban missile crisis (which had its origins in Europe/Turkey) ?

I'm old enough to remember 1000s of tanks facing each other across East and West Germany....

Like i said, Russia cannot even defeat a nation without an airforce and 10th of its size...

However, you ve convinced me never to vote LD, quite a rude lot, if you re anything to go by.

NATO generals🙄

Not like they don’t have a vested interest in warmongering at all. Does anyone pay attention to them? I don’t.

We know that Russia is spreading rumours on social media that Britain is at risk from war. Please do not buy into the Russian disinformation.