Servitude or Fight

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

That was my response to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's promise to introduce national service if re-elected.

Aside from the obvious point that being forced by the government to 'serve the community' isn't exactly volunteering, I wonder why this would be announced right now.

It's not like the UK has suddenly degenerated into a dysfunctional society. That's been underway for decades due to ridiculous migration and economic policies.

If they wanted to mould the youth to help shape better adults, it's a little late.

I see the motivations as two-fold; they both stink of a failing government.

The first is the volunteer aspect. More conscripts are necessary for community service because the government is unable or unwilling to perform its most basic tasks.

They've overextended themselves, meddling in almost every aspect of life, and as a result, have largely crushed the community spirit. Forcing people to participate is akin to saying, 'The beatings will continue until morale improves.'

I'm curious to know how a struggling volunteer organisation will manage the contribution of some unhappy young adults who have been sent to them. It's likely to create even more difficulties for those who are actual volunteers.

Then we have the military service.

Sure, it seems that military recruitment across the West is down. One can conclude that forcing dangerous vaccines, halal rations, pronouns and rainbow days on service personnel is not consistent with why people choose to join their national defence.

Defence leaders have always told me that having people forced into their ranks who don't want to be there can be counter-productive to creating decent soldiers.

I suspect that's especially true for today's youth, who appear to know their rights better than their obligations.

However, Sunak's proposal is not coincidently being replicated in other nations. Conscription is under active consideration in Germany, while Lithuania and Denmark are already extending their draft.

It's obvious that they are preparing for conflict and need a new generation of young men and women to face the consequences of politicians' decisions.