Would you join the Army if conscription was introduced?
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Original post by Drewski
Think it would be more likely the case that the vast majority of people wouldn't be physically capable these days. So many now suffer from asthma, hayfever, allergies or are just horrendously unfit that they'd never make it through the selection.
Even those being conscripted had to meet medical requirements. This day and age, most wouldn't.
Even those being conscripted had to meet medical requirements. This day and age, most wouldn't.
My dad had asthma and they turned a blind eye in 84. I get hayfever bad, didn't think it was a problem. The main problem are the fatties. But still army, 10 1/2 mins mile and a half, navy 11.20 and raf like 12.30? I could walk it in that time..
I've never met a era on who did national service who hated it. They all look back on it with a generally positive point of view.
Original post by Michaelj
We're not gonna conscript if there wasn't a serious threat are we? (We're currently making soldiers redundant) We wasn't invaded in ww1 or 2 (apart Battle of Britain) but the danger was there. Nowadays it'll be to prevent a nuclear war.
It's hard to say for definite because maybe I would feel differently if it was happening to me live, but all I can give you is my honest belief of what I'd do. If I was around in WW2 I would have volunteered to serve in the Home Guard units. As a fit and able-bodied male of 20 years old, I would probably be conscripted into the army but I would refuse on the grounds that I was only willing to fight a purely defensive war. I would willingly surrender myself to the authorities when they announced conscription and state my willingness to go to jail for my beliefs. However I would state that I was willing to serve in a Home Guard unit.
But yes, I accept it's easy for me to say this behind a computer screen when there isn't a World War, and maybe my opinion would change at the time. But that's what I THINK it would be.
I would enlist as I was required to do, but I would not be very pleased about having to do so if it was to some pointless conflict similar to the Vietnam War or the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. If it was defending Britain against invasion from an evil United States of Europe, or worse - an Islamic Caliphate, then I would enthusiastically desire to defend my nation.
I'd object. Britain is not under threat from foreign armies at present, there is no need for me to be a soldier and I don't feel its unpatriotic to refuse to fight underequipped tribesmen in Afghanistan for no apparent reason.
Original post by Michaelj
You honestly think millions and millions of people are going to refuse?
Yes.
I wouldn't be able to. I have flat feet 
Original post by JulietheCat
I wouldn't be able to. I have webbed feet
Yup.
Original post by PerArduaAdAstra
I'm pretty spineless, but would gladly do codebreaking/engineering work to support a war effort.
Code breaking is not spineless may I draw your attention to the great Mr Alan Turing who gave his service to his country and was then post war treated hideously for being homosexual. Code Breaking requires as much mental effort than being in the front line you also often have to be bilingual.
Original post by Rational Thinker
Code breaking is not spineless may I draw your attention to the great Mr Alan Turing who gave his service to his country and was then post war treated hideously for being homosexual. Code Breaking requires as much mental effort than being in the front line you also often have to be bilingual.
Much more mental effort, but much less danger. I agree that code-breaking isn't spineless though. Seeing as your average mathematical genius is going to be considerably more useful in GCHQ than the armed forces, it'd make no sense to send him/her to the front line
Original post by Rational Thinker
Code breaking is not spineless may I draw your attention to the great Mr Alan Turing who gave his service to his country and was then post war treated hideously for being homosexual. Code Breaking requires as much mental effort than being in the front line you also often have to be bilingual.
I'm a big fan of Mr Turing; I'm also practically bilingual, so I guess I'd be able to do my bit haha
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