What's wrong with conscription?

The conscription is unnecessary in many countries. In the U.S., there are already very many people in the armed forces even without a draft. The military here offers to pay for people's college education and gives good health insurance and retirements, etc. Why would we have a draft if we don't need to have one? Maybe if World War III ever broke out, then we would have to revert back to having a conscription military.

I am not trying to be personal here but I can't believe I am hearing this. I am a victim of conscription. I served 2.5 years in the army and have to be called back every year for weeks to months in all. All because of the barbaric, uncouth, deplorable practice of uncivilized slavery. From the government's point of view, conscription is a thumb-up. I agree with the many merits it brings. But how about the victims who don't have a choice? Not everyone is sheep who like to be led around like a cheap w-hore who pays to be whored. Pardon my strong language for I have the most abject disgust for this sub-human policy. I am a victim by birth and having suffered the days of hell, I have every right to say what I said.

Hello 4thfingers, It would seem that we are actually talking about mandatory community service, rather than a military draft. I will gladly share a USA perspective on this question. I support mandatory community service, as long as serving in the military remains a voluntary option to fulfilling one's obligatory service. There is no question that an all volunteer military is a superior choice. If I were 'in the trenches', I would definitely want a volunteer covering my 'six', rather than a draftee. Viet Nam taught us unforgettable lessons about the dangers of a draft. Among "The Greatest Generation", or WWII era folks, many were emotionally prepared to marry & begin raising a family in their late teens. I don't see that so much today. In fact, our daughter & son-in-law are 20 & 21 respectively. They've been married for over two years, and have a three month old son. Yet, they face great challenges with their marriage and parenting, not because they're unfit, but because our societal norms are 'out of synch' with life's important values. Our daughter is beating herself up trying to figure out how she can: go to college, work, and raise her young son, all while our S.I.L. is deployed on an aircraft carrier. She might be able to accomplish all of her goals if there were 48 hours in a day. Short of that, she's going to have to establish her priorities and focus her energy. Yet, she's struggling with the reality that she cannot have 'it all' -- right now. Yup, that's the immediate gratification thing that plagues so many of our youth. Today, teens have an unlimited array of choices, that many are not equipped to make. They're also growing up with very little structure. Case in point: USA High School administrations have undertaken (over the last five or so years) to adjust the daily academic schedule to meet the unhealthy sleep patterns of undisciplined, unfatigued teens. In years gone by, kids would have been exhausted by 9pm. They would have woken up early to perform chores, walked to school, played, then done more chores & homework before retiring to bed. Today, they barely make the school bus because they stayed up too late watching t.v. or playing video games. They get very little exercise, because too many childhood games have been deemed 'a risk to their self-esteem', they have few chores to perform because we have tools to do the work -- like dishwashers, clothes dryers, and vacuums (not that I mind these fabulous accouterments). Yet, the point remains that our comfortable lifestyle has left a void in too many young peoples consciousness about hard work, how it builds character, and offers a real sense of satisfaction when one lays their head on the pillow each night. There is an unwavering truth in life. It is: Sometimes it's easier to figure out what you do want to do by first learning what you don't want to do. Many 18 yr. olds head off to college without having any practical idea about what they want to do for the rest of their lives. A mandatory one or two year community service program would probably be a great aid to young people today. There's little doubt that they would garner some ideas about what they don't want to do -- and they would also learn that genuine success requires learning lessons that can only be obtained by starting at the bottom.

"Forced labor"! OMG! 4ftfingers, you did not suggest such a thing! You do not want to take us back to Capek's "RUR" - "Rossum's Universal Robots", which indeed mimicked social realities in the 1910s Soviet Union!

I agree, 4ftfingers, that all young people need to be directed toward having a goal in life. This comes easy for some, but it is almost impossible for others. When they had the draft, I don't think it was necessarily a bad thing. Many went into the armed forces and made successful careers from it. Among those who did not wish to choose it as a career, they were assisted in improving their lives once they left the service. It is important that young people live a life of purpose.

The youth in your country get benefits? How does that all work out? That's a new one for me.