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.

My first thought was that I wouldn’t want to defend this shit hole of a country.

Then thought well, I could shoot a few people I really don’t like and call it “collateral damage”. I’m in!

He isn’t just bombing Hamas though. He seems determined to create more instability across his neighbours.

You do know that Hamas is funded by Iran?

But happy for other people and their children to die for you and yours?

What makes your lives more valuable than anyone else's?

If our country was being invaded then it is the responsibility of everyone who is physically able to help defend it. Both to keep our country for future generations, but also to try and stop the crimes that happen during invasions like rape and the killing of children.

What would we be defending?

I only have one 18yo and she’ll be more likely painting protest banners for Stop The War rallies than join the Armed Forces. For OPs though experiment she’s a creative type who will start a Documentary Photography and Film-making degree this autumn if she gets the right grades. I think she’d document the rallies and protests over going to Warzone, too.

None.

They’d all refuse. I’d be extremely proud. We need to break the cycle of violence in this world.

It would depend on who we were fighting & what for. Little chance on any of mine being called to the front line though, they have skills that'd be more valuable elsewhere (house full of drones in various stages of development/modification).

I’d actively try to dissuade any family members.

If the whole world turns into anarchy then there's not really anything left to fight for anyway. If they did manage to claim asylum in a country that could offer them a decent life I would then encourage them to fight for that life/country.

I just don’t see how dragging young people in to ‘defend’ is fair. These wars and flashpoints are being started by men in their 70s who are no longer relevant and are acutely aware of their own mortality and seem to want to leave some sort of misguided and narcissistic legacy. There’s no way I’d have my precious dc involved.

That's a lot of "first on the front lines!"

I wonder who would be first first 😂

Agree

id have them sectioned , chain them in the basement or deported before id let them go into battle

I take it you are not from a military family , trust me having someone you love in a war zone is horrific dealing with the loss of their comrades and the aftermath if what they have seen and done leaves a lasting mark

weird day dreaming …, please god no more wars

Hopefully our language skills would come in handy, so might be 'fighting' in a different manner.

It would depend entirely on the reasons for war and who the aggressor was. Knowing how much we already interfere with other countries to their detriment, there’s a good chance that none of us would agree with our own country’s actions, so we’d emigrate before risking our lives for an unjust cause.

I live in Finland which operates under the system of Total Defence so it doesn't matter whether or not anyone would want to defend their country, we all have to anyway. Not all taking up arms, that's only for those in the reserves, so the vast majority of adult men and a proportion of women - the rest have to help in other ways like logistics I suppose, anyone with medical training being deployed as medics. I expect I would have to do maintenance on military aircraft.

I have two children, a teenage DD who I can't imagine choosing to do the voluntary military service that women can do, and I doubt conscription will be mandatory for women by the time she's 18 but in a war situation I am fairly confident she would want to do what she can.

Other child is my DS, only 7, so of course no opinion yet, but he'll be called up when he's 18.

And of course any war in Finland would be Russia invading, so its a choice between defending or being raped and/or murdered by the Russian army so its an obvious choice to defend our country.

You don’t have to though. I was reading yesterday about some young Israelis who refused and were jailed. I’m assuming the same would happen in Finland if service was refused? More people need to say no. We don’t need to have more wars.

Please tell me this is satire..

Exactly this. The country I was born in is merely a matter of chance - I'm not going to die for it thanks, and neither is anyone else in my family.

I'll do useful jobs if necessary, will use my brains to try to escape or help others escape, but I'm not taking up arms against someone else's child who probably doesn't want to be there either.

Hopefully young Russians realise that they don’t have to fight either. I assume they are told they have to and are threatened. Again by a leader in his 70s hell bent on going out of this world firmly in the history books because he’s yet another insecure narcissist

All these lost troubled teens -a spell of training for a reserve army would do a lot of good imv -it’s great being physically fit and having to mix with a random mix of people is probably good for you.
I know one lad in the army and he seems to enjoy it.

DCs are probably a bit old as settled in careers but would if they had to and DGcs too young

I’d be hoping they prefer to keep their lives how they are maybe the generation of lost and troubled teens will hopefully break the cycle as they can’t/wont fight.

Men can choose civilian service, they don't have to do military service but they would still have to help defend the country if we are invaded, just not with weapons. Men that choose to reject both options do get jailed, I would not advise that for my children, it'll fuck up their futures. I also wouldn't recommend them not serving - we are a vulnerable country that needs to be able to defend itself, which requires all of us. Finland isn't starting wars of its own, we're not adding more wars to the world.

DD definitely not, DS yes 100%.
5 nieces, 2 would, tough all ireland gaa champions, they'd use a hurl for hit molotov cocktails.
4 nephews, 3 of 4 would.

This has crossed my mind too. I would, probably wouldn't be much use, underweight mid 40.

Growing up, defending your country was talked about a lot so it is in my mind that someday it could happen.

What could you do. No whereas to run or hide.