To have said that women should be drafted equally to men??

[Pukkajones]

Chatting to a group of friends about the state of the world etc and while in theory I’m against conscription and forced national military service I did say that I think it’s right that there is more equality in girls/women being treated the same as boys/men in the countries that have service.
One friend who has 3 teen girls really had a go at me and got very upset. I have a teen boy and teen girl. While I hate the idea of EITHER being forced to enter the military I think they should be treated equally ( roles allowing - ie some combat roles aren’t open to women) if it came to it. ‘it’ being an actual war with Russia and/or its allies.

it got VERY heated, even though I and another friend pointed out that there are many non-combat roles in the military. And that if we did end up in a World War we’d likely have a role in it regardless of sex or age.

YABU - only men should be drafted
YANBU - in the modern world both sexes should serve in the military.

The bravery and professionalism of our female and male officers is incredible. I was visiting Sandhurst ealier this year and was given a tour; the men and women all 100% train together, nothing is a 'woman's role' or 'man's role', they all complete exactly the same rigerous training.

There's a road near me named after Capt Lisa Head.

Daft? It’s not 1 on 1 unarmed combat in a ring. It’s POWs injured, disarmed at the mercy of their captors.

In general, I would agree. But if there is a war then yes, there should be conscription. A war that threatens us directly, that is.

Well its pretty obvious her argument was that SHE has daughters. Yes I have young sons. I wouldn't want ANYONE conscripted but someone else's child is not more valuable than mine simply because they are female.

My sister lives in a country with conscription. Girls are conscripted but:
a) it’s easier for them to have a desk job or a national service type job eg working with deprived children or in a hospital
b) it’s easier for them to get out of it altogether
c) the length of the service is shorter

Yabu

Yanbu that men and women should be treated equally.

However, I would have a fundamental problem with the idea of politicians - who are typically middle-aged and older - having the power to decide that younger people - of either sex - should be forced to go and fight in a war against their will. How could anyone think that it is ethical for an older generation to decide that younger people should be offered up for sacrifice in this way?

I don't think we'll ever go down the route of conscription again. I hope that people would realise how utterly immoral it would be.

Its not the only type of torture though. Is it worse than any types males are subjected to in war? Im not sure. And men do suffer serial violence. Just much less often.

Oh that’s lovely. She’d be so pleased.

Or indeed raped to death. As in the rape of Berlin. Groups of service men are (not always but often) very toxic.

Anyone who thinks being raped isn't worse than being killed has clearly never been through it. At least if you're dead you don't have to live with a reminder every day that your body no longer fully belongs to you because somebody else took control of it against your wishes.

No. Men won’t fight if their wives are conscripted and their family torn apart. Morale would go through the floor and everyone would refuse. It’s far easier to conscript when the men feel they have something to fight for, usually keeping their family safe and together at home.

You have experience of both I presume?

To give an alternate perspective, whilst I was being raped I was terrified that he was going to kill me and then intensely relieved when he didn't. Afterwards, I even felt grateful that he spared me (how fucked up is that?) Because I had my whole life before me and didn't want to lose it. Was the rape terrible? Yes, Ive never truly gotten over it and it changed me in all sorts of ways. Do I think death would have been preferable? Not for one single, solitary second.

Well that's your experience and opinion - my response was to those who seem to think that it's something you get over. There's no much more I'd like to write here but I won't.

I'd prefer to send older people including myself over young lives, save the best till last, starting at 70, working backwards.

Ditto. But the thought that my life should become worthless because some pos forced himself into me - that makes me very angry.

But yes, maybe we should leave this. Im sorry for your pain.

I don't see an issue with national service, and agree there are some combat roles wouldn't be suitable, conscripted for war would be different, someone has to stay behind and make sure children etc, are looked after.

I think if there was some kind of national service for maybe 2 years post school or university then I'd support both boys and girls doing it. If there happened to be a war at that point then I suppose anybody currently involved would be called to fight.

However, just conscripting all women from 18 to 39 or whatever age they chose doesn't make much sense. As PP have said, a lot of them will have caring responsibilities for children or their own parents or be pregnant. There are a lot of single parent families too - we can't just park their children for an indefinite amount of time while their parents go off to fight. An obligation to do something for the war might be more manageable, but I think that's pretty much what happened in previous wars anyway.

I also take massive offence that you're implying its better to be dead than raped. I don't feel like that at all. It was a terrible, horrofic experience but my life is worthwhile. You dont get to speak for me.

If it ever came to it and conscription happened (or compulsory national service just for the young 'uns, or whatever) anyone who thinks their daughters would be 'safe' is an idiot.

The UK is a totally different place to previous war times. Parents of boys would no longer stand meekly by whilst sons only were rounded up. There would be uproar and outrage. There'd be riots, protests, legal cases. It would be totally unmanageable. Absolute fucking chaos because of the unfairness.

I'm fairly comfortable that anyone in the position to be making such decisions would realise this...it will be everyone if it happened.

There’s people spouting equal rights. Equality does not mean treating people the same . So should women play a role in a war? Absolutely. Does it need to be exactly the same as men? No.
Also from a practical perspective if everyone between 18-40 (or what ever age the limit is) went to war who would look after children, work in factories, shops, hospitals, prisons etc. And if like in ww2 all the men and women are sent off as cannon fodder who’s going to populate society. ?

Can you point me to where I said it's better to be dead? Personally I'd rather be but that's just me. I won't be replying any further as I genuinely didn't expect this to turn into a game of one-upmanship about who has been most traumatised by rape.

Unpopular opinion (will definitely get blasted for it) but I don't think any women belong in the army. Not in combat roles, anyway.

I think YABU to push an opinion on "equality" that disadvantages women when we are still yet to see the advantages of being treated equally to men.

It's a man's game though - as has been pointed out, just as much as more women work for the NHS. If you had half of each sex going to war I am not sure what would be left to come back to. The men left here would probably be raping and pillaging and the NHS wouldn't be functioning...