National Service In France Do We Need It Here?

[gordiescotland1]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44625625
I am very much in favour of national service in Britain what do other abs think ?

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Yes, very much in favour. I can't think of any reason why it would be a bad idea.

[ToraToraTora]

great idea.

[Kathyan]

Yes but for more than a month!

[EDDIE51]

The British armed forces have made it very clear that they DO NOT WANT conscription or national service. They ONLY want those people who have actually chosen to enlist , not those that are forced to join up.

[Old_Geezer]

No. In peacetime no one should be forced into the military. It's not any authorities' decision to control citizens' life like that. This is supposed to be a free country that values it's freedom not some intolerant tyranny.

[Kathyan]

National Service could be kept separate from the regular services and run by those just retired from them.

[gulliver1]

Yes, it would be the Quickest surest way to get immigration down in the UK.
All those young male / children , who arrived by boat, or througth the tunnel would be running like hell to get out. Bring it on. what's not to like about it

[New Judge]

Not a good idea. The armed forces in the UK are made up of professional servicemen and women who want to be there. The last thing they need (especially with the limited resources currently available) is to be lumbered with a load of people who don't want to be there and who will probably treat the experience as an opportunity to try to buck the system. . And the idea of giving such people guns and teaching them how to shoot people? What do you think?

[douglas9401]

I wonder if the surly entitled youth of today would be the end of many an instructor as they tried to cajole them into action without upsetting or offending the precious wee souls.

[ichkeria]

The link doesn’t mention Eritrea which in effect has conscription for life :-)
Not much wonder people try to leave.
It is a good idea in theory if properly manage.
Macron wants all children singing the Marseillaise at 10.
Didn’t the Daily Mirror try that after the Paris attacks of 2015? We were all encouraged to sing it before a football match. Didn’t catch on :-)

[ichkeria]

I agree New Judge but if the military aspect is kept to a minimum (ideally dropped altogether) I think it could work

[ummmm]

No.

[gulliver1]

The youth of today could not take the discipline, too busy with robbing pensioners , and moped crime.

[ummmm]

What a load of rubbish!!

[douglas9401]

^ And that concludes the case for the prosecution.

[ummmm]

Some youngsters are just not suitable.

[Baldric]

/// I think we've evolved beyond war ///

Good grief, the sheer naivety of that statement.

[New Judge]

"I agree New Judge but if the military aspect is kept to a minimum (ideally dropped altogether) I think it could work"

So not really "National Service" in the accepted sense, then. For that matter, neither is the plan proposed by M. Macron:

"The first phase is a mandatory one-month placement with a focus on civic culture, which the government says will "enable young people to create new relationships and develop their role in society".

Voluntary teaching and working with charities are among the options being looked at, alongside traditional military preparation with the police, fire service or army.

The second phase is a voluntary placement of at least three months and up to a year, in which young people will be encouraged to serve "in an area linked to defence and security" - but again, they could opt to carry out volunteer work linked to heritage, the environment or social care."

It actually sounds like a load of nebulous waffle (as one would expect, coming from a senior politician whose grandiose plans - which were not very grandiose at all - have effectively been kicked into touch).

If such a scheme were introduced in the UK it would cost an absolute fortune to administer, it would almost certainly be "privatised" meaning an army of executives would be taking home footballers' salaries, it would face legal challenges, it would achieve very little and would be widely avoided. Complete and utter waste of time and money trying to get people to do things they don't want to do. Far better to spend that money helping people who want to do useful things for the country to do them.

[ichkeria]

Perhaps people should read the link before going into meltdown.
I’m not sure it’s going to work in the U.K. This is very much a ‘French’ thing tho as I’ve said before it’s odd how a country which sets such great store by national identity manifestly fails on the social cohesion front, much more than Britain does IMO