Military conscription

[Donotpanicoknowpanic]

There is lots of talk about if ww3 happens then military conscription will happen

This is basically people who sit in an office safely saying we need to either send ourselves or out children to fight and die in horrible conditions

Am I unreasonable to think that anyone who thinks this is a good idea

They should be the first ones to sign up and to lead by example

Any politicians who think this is a good idea, there children should be the first to go

Russia is literally sending troops in wheel chairs and crunches to the front line

So age, disability and gender will not be a problem for anyone who supports any conscription policy's, they can go first

Also the UK will not be invaded, we are not Ukrainian, If we were more like Ukraine I would be more in favour of this as the country itself is under threat

If there were to be a WW3, I do not think it would be conventional hand-to-hand combat. There are far more effective strategies, such as economic or cyber attacks.
I certainly do not think anyone would want or need to invade the UK, which appears to be seen as a small, over-populated island with few, if any, natural resources.
The days of physically invading other countries (Ukraine being an exception due to its agricultural riches, amongst other things) are long gone, unless you count the stealth invasion across the channel.
I can only assume the the 2 main "willy wavers" have not been removed yet (SAS/SBS could do the job) because their absence would leave a dangerous vacuum.
On the other hand, I do see advantages in giving young people an opportunity to learn self-discipline, skills, teamwork and resilience as well as an understanding of duty, so I would be in favour of some kind or national service, either in a military or a civilian setting. Although whether this is even possible now, thanks to health and safety, is a moot point.

@PandorasSockBox

The days of physically invading other countries (Ukraine being an exception due to its agricultural riches, amongst other things) are long gone,

So you're ruling out any possibility of Russia, maybe having licked in wounds and rebuilt it's armed forces, invading Poland, or more likely for all sorts of reason the Baltic States?

I see this idea of it all being cyber in the future persists on MN...I'm not sure where it's coming from, other than some form of denial, but if people really believe that's the case I've got several bridges to sell.

And we return back to the UKs geography ...

Any invasion of the UK would aim to decapitate the state and takeover government as quickly as possible. That is a direct and sustained attack on London. It's what the Nazis came up with (after a fashion). It's what Napolean wanted to do. It's what William III did (with no resistance) and it's what William the Bastard did.

Britain may not be that much. Except it's really in the way if you don't own it and want to be a power in the Atlantic and North Sea. Look at all the problems Russia is having trying to sneak through the very appropriately named English Channel

unless you count the stealth invasion across the channel.

What stealth invasion across the Channel? Do you mean people taking small boats from France to the U.K.? They do that because they’re fleeing from war or persecution, or because the economy is terrible in their home country. How are they invading the U.K.?

I’m not sure why Russia would invade Poland. If Russia wanted to do that, I think they would have already tried. I think they just want Ukraine because it used to belong to them.

Putin believes he is Peter the Great.

That doesn't actually address point and you've sidestepped the Baltic States (which of course some Russian's still think belong to them.....)

Frankly anyone persisting with pushing the line that there will be no "hand to hand"/close quarter combat in some circumstances or that warfare is now or will imminently be completely cyber is either woefully ill informed with regard to current events or is engaging in something slightly more sinister.

If people don't want to see defence spending increase or even maintained because they have or political or other motives fair enough, but IMO they need to honest...not pretend it's not needed.

Just a reminder, Maduro wasn't removed by use of the internet, and the Russian's aren't turning off power and water in Ukrainian cities, and killing civilians, simply by "cyber"....they're using HE.

The days of soldiers actually fighting may not be the case, as some posters are saying.

But in WW2, there was the atomic bomb.

There's a lot of countries that used to belong to Russia that would like not to be invaded, that Putin has shown an interest in, mine included.

Do you mean by this that he wants to expand Russia as much as possible? I agree, but I think he wants to focus on taking former Russian land (e.g. Ukraine, to start with) rather than just occupying as many of Russia’s bordering countries as possible.

Yes, I did address your point. You said in your post: you're ruling out any possibility of Russia …. invading Poland. I said I’m not sure why Russia would invade Poland. If Russia can’t take Ukraine successfully, why would they invade Poland? It makes no sense. They’d just be setting themselves up to fail.

EDIT: I don’t think Putin will invade the Baltic states either, partly because they’re very prepared for an invasion - which is a disadvantage to Putin - and also because Putin won’t want to spread himself thinly by invading other countries whilst also trying to take Ukraine. If he still hasn’t conquered Ukraine after almost 4 years of fighting, there’s not a chance in hell he can hope to take it whilst also invading Poland and/or the Baltic states.

He’s shown an interest in other countries besides Ukraine, but I don’t think he’ll invade them for the time being because he’s so focused on trying to get Ukraine.

Not convinced but I do know there will be some who will object quite strongly to the idea that Ukraine was ever "Russian land".

I doubt anyone thinks this is a good idea and hopefully it won’t be a necessary one.
If it happens they should start at 60 year olds and move backwards, I’m 46 I’d prefer that my children and other young people were spared.

Most 60 year olds don't tend to wear very well in combat roles.

So you think that if it all kicks off we should send the oldest people, the ones who are least able to fight effectively?

FWIW The latest HMG bright idea of pushing post service reserve commitment out to age 60 has met with howls of "you've got kidding me" (well, actually stronger language than that) by many who have served or are serving.

It might work for some enabling roles - MT driver, medic, admin, if working in the rear echelons but by 60 many peoples' eyes/hips/knees aren't really up to running around for hours on doing end doing the sort of stuff the military, especially the army, sometimes needs doing..

Thank you.
Don't get me wrong I would rather sacrifice my life than see my children slaughtered. But I'm not going to be much use in a fight at 60.

The 1725 version

Scotland was at one point a lot more "English" than it is today ....

For the time being isn't very reassuring when Russia is building up its troops near your border and is constantly engaged in hybrid warfare and keeps cutting communications cables. We're already at war with Russia really, just not a physical one. Yet.

I don't really think 250,000 dead means you are building up troops so much as just replacing them, With lower quality ....

What do you think will happen? Do you think Putin will invade Poland?

In terms of Ukraine being ‘Russian land’, it was of course part of the USSR. That is why Putin can say it was ‘Russian land’ and also why many Ukrainians speak Russian as a first language. I, and plenty of others, don’t agree with Putin that this justifies him invading it now though.

Lots of Scottish people speak English.

@JennyWren5

In terms of Ukraine being ‘Russian land’, it was of course part of the USSR

It was...but of course the USSR doesn't = Russia.

I think in the opinion of many (certainly the likes of historians/regional experts in the west such Timothy Snyder) what Putin is after is a land grab, dressed up as restoring the Russian empire to it's former glory..but I do agree that doesn't justify what he is doing.