Poll: Mandatory national service, yey or nay

[Things change I've changed]

Surely yey ?

Spurred on from another thread, should national service be made mandatory in the UK ?, I personally think 'yes', or at the very least repeat 'young offenders' put into a national service programme that would help discipline them and potentially offer them education and job/training opportunity's in the services.

From my own experience I've had many older friends that were Portuguese citizens that had to go through national service and all of them said it made them a better person, they all seemed very balanced and polite individuals, most said they dreaded it before they went in but glad they did it, which I think is the problem, of course a lot of people would be opposed to the idea but you speak to people that have had experience of national service and many compliment it.

What say you all ?

 

[Glaucus]

nay

although something similar to national service without the weapons for young offenders. Boarding school with lots of strict regimes and exercise.

 

[Knubje]

Nay!

Although turning the scum of society into Cannon Fodder isn't such a bad idea. Might also teach them a thing or two about being a reasonable person.

Who knows, on the whole I'm against Conscription though. Choice ***.

 

[platypus]

Yay from me, although certainly not to theatres of operations.

 

[Dracata]

Yey from me, I think national service is an excellent idea

 

[LordSplodge]

Yes.

 

[britboy4321]

no way. When I was 17 I did nothing wrong to anyone. Yet you'd have me forcibly do national service as some kind of 'mandatory punishment' just so I knew how horrible punishment could be so therefore somehow turned into a nicer (read 'more passive') human being?

nightmare ..

??

How can you be so 'nanny-state'?

 

[The Dread Pirate]

May-be

 

[Liquidfox]

Yes, although not for the young offenders, just a good beasting would probably be better for them

 

[Col_M]

Our army is one of the best trained in the world, having to constantly train and retrain new recruits constantly don't sound like a good use of resources, that and the inexperienced conscripts could well bring down the professionalism of the army as a whole.

However something similar that won't burden our armed forces but will be a kick up the arse for the scum of society would be good, maybe something like a division of the army that does all the hard labour in warzones and places hit by national disasters, something like the military equivalent of Navvies under the command of the Royal Engineers.

 

[shifty_uk]

no way. When I was 17 I did nothing wrong to anyone. Yet you'd have me forcibly do national service as some kind of 'mandatory punishment' just so I knew how horrible punishment could be so therefore somehow turned into a nicer (read 'more passive') human being?

nightmare ..

??

How can you be so 'nanny-state'?

Same.

Despite being brought up in a rough area, I like to think I avoided and turned out alright.

 

[Efour]

no way

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

YES - FOR EVERYONE
Its not about punishing anyone. National Service is to prepare all citizens for the day that they might get called up. It does have a side affect, that it often helps straighten some people out, and often points people who would never have worked into career in the armed forces.

Could not be a more resounding yes from me. I would gladly do it now if it became law!

 

[Rich_L]

No. It would have been a complete waste of time for me personally, and of the few Swiss people I met at Uni, they thought it was a complete waste of time as well.

 

[Tefal]

Yay from me, although certainly not to theatres of operations.

Yey from me, I think national service is an excellent idea

Yes.

You lot willing to do it or just everyone else?

Although yay for teaching chavs unarmed combat.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Yes, but it doesn't have to be in the army or anything, just in something with the strict discipline of the army, but could have course be used to do constructive things like construction projects for the good of the country.

And I just know someone is going to compare my thought to that of Nazi Germany, but that's fine. It worked out really well for them before they went nuts and tried to stomp all over Europe.

And yes Tefal, I'd be happy to do it myself.

 

[Glaucus]

YES - FOR EVERYONE
Its not about punishing anyone. National Service is to prepare all citizens for the day that they might get called up. It does have a side affect, that it often helps straighten some people out, and often points people who would never have worked into career in the armed forces.

Could not be a more resounding yes from me. I would gladly do it now if it became law!

except as said it will damage our armed forces, cost loads of money the country doesn't have and in general is a bad idea.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

except as said it will damage our armed forces, cost loads of money the country doesn't have and in general is a bad idea.

They don't have to be used on the Army, or given weapons training.

 

[Tefal]

but could have course be used to do constructive things like construction projects for the good of the country. f.

And all those construction workers you put out of work will do what exactly?

 

[DampCat]

Yes.

Although to think that it would reform repeat offenders is a bit silly, in my opinion. They don't behave for the police, not sure why they'd suddenly change their ways for a shouty man.

If repeat offenders are initiated into national service they should be driven to occupations outside of infantry, away from weapons and fun obstacle courses. Engineering, Mechanics, maintenence, that sort of stuff.

I'd have been happy to do a couple of years in the army. I regret not doing it when i was younger.