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

[Lardychops]

Ive been thinking about this a lot lately in a thought experiment/abstract way since Ukraine invasion and having lived years ago in Israel where young people do national service from 17 as a matter of course with frequent refreshers- obviously now for them being put to the test .
So, my question is -
In terms of the ‘barbarians at the gates scenario which of your children/neices /nephews /siblings parents would drop everything to defend their country/ city/town/ village and family if they needed to ? And do you think their lifestyle/career path impacts on this?

I have 1DD single mother of 3 - she would have been first in the queue pre kids and if I looked after them she would be first to front line

3x DS - all tradesmen- without hesitation- 1 has a child but a partner - he would be first on the front line after his sister. One of them would be terrified but his pride would make him follow his brothers to protect his family rather than any bigger picture

1xDSD - works in retail -No doubt she would pick up arms and fight to the death.

1xDSD- left Uni-just got back from travelling - nothing in hospitality- no chance.

I did. Mine would.

In reality two of them can’t on medical grounds but if that wasn’t an issue they would.
Although I don’t know I’d want them to. As my eldest creeps closer to adulthood I’m beginning to understand the fear my parents must have felt.

So many people say they wouldn't fight for their country. That's with an intact Govt and the resources to fight.
Then complain when men from other woman torn countries flee their homeland, with no real access to weapons, armour and about 4 waring sides, pick the a losing side, youre in trouble afterwards.

More people would fight than they say, once they realise the reality of having another army running the country, Badly. Looting shops, killing innocent people. As that's generally what happens.

Because most are economic migrants mot fleeing war. France, Germany etc are not at war and are therefore ‘safe’ countries- they want to come here because we give them everything for free. I work in the nhs and 3 days after a local hotel was filled with 300 boat migrants, one was booking in for a hospital appointment whereas I’ve been told I have to wait 55 weeks just to see a consultant. Another one of these men told me they have their own doctor at the hotel, ie private health care.

And you believed him?

"they" want to come here because we speak English.

If the populations of Britain and France swapped places, "they" wouldn't get past Marseilles .....

I'm born and bred Northern Ireland person and lived through the Troubles. Saw the devastation it caused and some terrible atrocities still live with me to this day and feel like they only happened yesterday. Really feel was all the loss of life including you soldiers worth it? No way I'd want my children fighting for ANY cause.

Versus rapist murdering kidnappers in Hamas mode, probably all. Versus Russian invasion, all. Versus....well it's hard to know versus who, because we feel very safe in the UK. But everything is so terrible at the moment it's not possible to predict who's going to declare war on who is it? Probably we'll all be wiped out in a nuclear holocaust before making the decision. What on earth can we do to create a saner world?

It’s a myth that it’s ‘good and right to die for one’s country’. It’s what the elite told the working class knowing those proud men would be killed fighting a pointless war.

I will always honoured those fallen; and so will my children, but I’d not think that the country would unite in the way of the first or second world wars again.

Having said that, both my sons study history and are 100% aware of the futility of war, yet I’ve no doubt they’d both sign up,

Which hotel and which NHS area?

War isn’t futile though is it, if there hadn’t been an organised resistance against the Nazis Europe may look very different today. The americans fought a war of independence against the British. It can change the course of history.

I don’t get this, I’m a second gen immigrant, probably could go to my country of origin and definitely have family across several countries that would put me up but I wouldn’t want to be forced from my home, I wouldn’t want to be subject to an occupation. As much as I may despise the government of the day at least I can vote them out. Becoming an occupied peoples sounds shit.

I can empathise with this comment.
Wars are generally started/declared by a country's leaders, (usually men), who have no intention whatsoever of actually putting their own life on the line. Oh no - they order their "subjects" to do their dirty work for them.
I don't agree with enforced National Service or conscription.
Putin decided to invade Ukraine, but remains heavily protected and living in luxury, whilst "mobilising", (meaning forcing), ill-equipped and poorly-trained Russian men to be used as cannon fodder and to be literally slaughtered for the sake of his pathetic ego. They have no choice. Putin does.
Yes, warfare is conducted in many forms, but the bottom line remains that it's ordinary men who are conscripted by their country's leaders, and ordinary men, women, and children who suffer the consequences.
So no - I'm not of an age where I'd be called on to fight or do anything, but if I could stop my young adult kids from being forcibly conscripted, I would.
Selfish? Maybe.
And when asked the inevitable question as to who should, in that case, be forced to defend me and my kids if they refuse to fight and hope that someone else will do it, I accept that I don't have the answer. It really is a dilemma when you are totally opposed to war which you have no say in and disagree with.
I would like to see all countries devise and belong to a convention which would make it absolutely mandatory for mediated peaceful negotiations to take place when war is threatened.
I think the NATO Alliance already espouses this issue, but not all countries are in NATO - Russia isn't.
And I realise that's a naive and idealistic suggestion......

Ridiculous hypothetical. If I had children, they would 'fight for their country' over my dead body.

One of my adult DC and my adult DN would genuinely rather go to prison than fight if it was for a cause that they didn’t agree with. My DSC both have medical issues that would prevent them from seeing any kind of active service.

I doubt I would be much use even in a ‘Dad’s army’ type of scenario. I would have difficulty lifting, using or firing a weapon due to disabilities. I’d have to bite their knees or something! 😂

Hopefully none of them.

Same here. Go through me first. Not to fight wars which are none of our concern and not for Starmer and his government, they can sign up their own kids. We need to mind our own business. My kids wont ever be used as cannon fodder.

You're a piece of work arnt you, atleast if there was a war and they were defending we would atleast stand a chance, not with most pathetic liberals which we would be absolutely screwed.

In the Ukraine example, all of us. I don’t see why DH, me, and both DSs would do less than my grandparents and great uncles did in the 1940s.

In the ‘let’s fight in Iraq’ case - none of us.

If you look at the war in Ukraine its been a very automated affair with drones and similar so would there even be a front line next time aroung? Here in the UK we're in Russian scope to be nuked for assisting Ukraine and now Iran has vowed revenge on us for helping Israel. My point being even warefare has changed and the chances of anyone being asked to repel invaders from our borders probably wouldn't be relevant. On a possitive note, I would fight for the freedoms we enjoy in the UK. My youngest son can't and my oldest would have to make a choice. Nobody would be fighting for the people who won't even stay and fight for their own families and arrive here illegally.

Not a chance. Not until Starmer and the rest of the politicians put their grown up children forward.

Starmer doesn’t have adult children. They’re both still at school.

While drone warfare has developed massively in Ukraine its still very much a boots on the ground conflict and there's no reason to believe the next invasion won't be.

If it were a case of defending our country, such as in WW2. Then, yes, we would all do our bit. My father flew in bombers during war, my uncle died in conflict. But if it were a futile political one such as the invasion of Iraq. Absolutely not.

None of them I hope, although it’s their choice. And I wouldn’t either. Don’t get me wrong, I would do ANYTHING I could do to help except take up arms. I only have two hills I’m prepared to die on and this is one of them.

I mean they are 7 and 3 so I’m not sure they’d be that useful although my 7 year old would certainly give a good go of talking any potential invaders into submission

I would literally do ANYTHING I could possibly do to prevent either of my sons from fighting in any war. It would absolutely kill me to see them taken for national service I would leave the country first, if that wasn’t possible they would have to come through me to get to my children.

i am extremely proud that my grandparents fought a war so my sons don’t have to.