National Service

[metagirl]

So Mr Cameron wants to bring back national service as a way for us all to have a shared cultural experience. I'm curious, has anyone out there experienced national service first hand?

 I remember a guy from Singapore had to return after University to do his stint and I think everyone has to serve if they're from Israel...so would it be good for Britain? Get some of those Youths that were hanging out in front of my house something constructive to do!

[jake-the-peg]

ROTFL

I can see some Generals choking on their cups of tea at the MOD today!

Say you don't suppose Cameron is trying to play to the Tory faithful ahead of the final leadership vote do you?

What exactly would an old Etonian know about a "Shared cultural experience"? 

[Oneeyedvic]

Firslty, I am fairly confident this couldn't happen wihtout withdrawing form the Human Rights Act (boo, hooray, boo hooray).

I am pretty much against this. Whilst I would say there is a problem with yob behaviour (and I am concious that this may be perception down to the tabloids), I don't believe it will be solved by national service. By 16,17 or 18, I think it is too late to really change someones ethos.

I also doubt that many teenagers would actually see the world or culture.

Am curious as to two things: firstly, has Cameron been in the armed forces. Secondly, are there any facts showing that yob behaviour has increased since the 60s with. the mods and rockers.

[derekpara]

Bringing back National Service would never work today. In the first place the military chiefs of Staff are dead against it because the GB armed forces  VERY  professional - as anyone who has had any dealings with them will know - and any injection of disaffected youth would ruin military efficiency. Secondly, you have to look at the reasons NS was abandoned in the 1960s. There were so many (mainly) soldiers that there wasn't enough to keep them occupied - even with the Korean War etc, so they were made to polish or whitewash coal, paint rocks and do all sorts of mid numbing things. This had the effect of producing generations of very proficient skivers - skivers who in a couple of years would be back in civvy street manning the docks, rebuilding bombed cities etc. No, the government of the day saw the dangers of that and abolished National Service in the UK. The Royal Navy managed to keep itself relatively untainted during the NS years by accepting only a very small number of NS men each year. I was lucky enough to be one of them !  No, keep the British Armed Forces professional.

[metagirl]

understand everyone's points, but maybe we could have a different version of national service? a type that focuses on community service, maybe? or environmental service? kids will still get to wear uniforms but not necessarily learn how to shoot a gun!

[Ward-Minter]

Bring it back good and proper. Spit and polish.

[Grunty]

Whilst there are a lot of bad people about, the vast majority of young people who are subjects of complaints are good but thoughtless.  For example, they do not understand that when they are just running around and shouting, elderly people can be so frightened that they will not go out after dark.  There are good reasons why all young people cannot do national service in the police, but it would be helpful sometimes for them to see the results of their actions.

Incidentally, there was another reason for the end of national service.  During the cold war, we wanted to demonstrate that we had no belligerent intent (even if we had).

[Chessman]

Its a good idea, but it wouldn't work unless values change in civilian life,

[goldenboy]

all my male cousins in singapore had to do national service and its not restricted to the army, navy or air force. you can join the police or theres a civil defence option that go around fixing public buildings etc. you do learn a lot. when one of my cousins visited the uk, he regaled us with tales of how to get prisoners to talk under mild torture, that he learnt in the police. so i'm not sure if we should be teaching the asbo filled youth of today methods of killing.

[surfer mike]

Its a myth that todays young people are much worse than previous generations, individual incidents of yobbish behaviour by a kid are used to generalise the young as louts but every youth generation since the war have had their share of louts, the mods and rockers rioted in the 50s and 60s for example and so on...we all need to scapegoat somebody for society ills and the young are always the ones to cop it..but basically the vast majority of kids are well behaved, but that does not get in the papers...

[Chessman]

I can appreciate what surfer mike says, its true, young people are no worse than they've ever been, The difference between the 50's and 60's though, is that the parents backed the authorities, and if their little darling had broken the law, or misbehaved in some way, they were punished, not given free holidays or other treats.

[jno]

hmmm, be any better if the kids outside your house had been trained in the use of weapons? Unemployed soldiers have always been a source of violence and banditry

[Trotbot]

In Germany (10 years ago, maybe still) you had the choice of National Service or Community Service, and all those I know that participated in Community Service found it worthwhile and rewarding.

[kaktus]

In Denmark we have National Service so I've known quite a few young lads who have either been in the army or conscientious objectors. In my opinion a waste of time and money.

Those who, for more or less political reasons to not wish to be part of the military get to work in Kintergardens, work in a museum or whatever they're good at - on the militarys expense, when they could be working or studying. Those in service run around for a period between 3 and 18 months with a gun boring them self to death. The young men in service are almost always the worst "gang" in town because the gang up on people, do drugs and they don't learn anything useful for society. I mean thankfully it is not those in national service who is sent on peace keeping mission or to Iraq/Afganistan. I say thankfully because it my opinion it would be totally and utterly disgusting to send people who didn't chose a military carreer on tours of duty.

It is true though that being in the military creates a strong bonds between those serving but if you take a look at rasicm and discrimination in general in militaries in the EU I doubt you'll see much evidence for "a common cultural experience"

I'm very much against national service and I at least think women should be included if it can't be abolished...