Jusal on 29/10/2009 at 20:42
I was doing the very same civil service earlier this year, in January, though I only participated in the training period for two weeks until having it postponed. The medical side of it leaks terribly, Kuuso, so if you don't mind having the papers for depression or some minor mental disorder it's not difficult to get freed from service. Met some pretty interesting personalities during the training though, particularly as I was assigned to a room housing ten people, of which, to further highlight the leaking system, only half stayed there all the way until the end of the training.
I'll never forget the handful of heroes who smuggled us beer from the nearest store (which is located some five kilometers away or so) in the midst of the coldest winter!
Adam Nuhfer on 29/10/2009 at 20:42
Quote Posted by Kuuso
...Finland doesn't have any chance against Russia, they far more superior air-control, meaning they could bomb the fuck out of Helsinki, meaning the loss of our main electricity supply. Finnish air forces have been estimated of holding the Finn airspace for 1,5 minutes in case of Russian attack. GG, I'd say.
I as an American have read up on and seen historical footage related to the Finns. During WW2 your fore fathers kicked ass and held their own. Russia for the first couple months got their asses KICKED! Your country also payed off their WW2 debt. Kudos to the Finns!
I've served in the US military on several occasions, it was by my choice. Forced conscription I feel is the wrong way to achieve military requirements.
When it comes to forced conscription of time portal phone booths, well then... "San Dimas High School Football Rules".
Phatose on 29/10/2009 at 20:48
700 guys in 100 days, then got half his face blown off and lived? Goddamn. This guy sounds like he should be the star of the next call of duty.
From this, I assume the Finnish army does in fact give you more sniper ammo provided you kill people with the first 10 rounds?
Ostriig on 29/10/2009 at 20:58
Quote Posted by Ulukai
Knowing what you want, and experiencing things that you might not otherwise have done are two different things though.
In the UK, there's a whole generation who thinks that intimidating people on council estates with flick knives and committing other delinquencies of various seriousness is what they want to do, because they've never experienced anything else of note.
Oh, you're right, we should totally submit entire throngs of youths to dick around under the command of a sweaty sergeant to compensate for the horribly lacking education in
some families, because countries with compulsory service totally don't have fucktards. You know, if you think the military could straighten out some shits, fair enough, that's not unreasonable, but then you could just institute compulsory military service for first-time "delinquencies of various seriousness" as an alternative to jail time.
Quote Posted by Ulukai
I think it makes a difference, yes.
It shouldn't, unless you're notably behind on growing up. Not everyone's like that, and to some people compulsory military service means nothing else than a year of their life they'll utterly waste doing something they'll hate.
suliman on 29/10/2009 at 21:14
..well, faking clinical depression could possibly get you out and is a rather easy thing to do, if you're willing to. It worked for me, but then again we're talking about two completely different armies here. You should definitely find what the possible consequences of it are, though.
Sulphur on 29/10/2009 at 21:23
Quote Posted by Ostriig
Oh, you're right, we should totally submit entire throngs of youths to dick around under the command of a sweaty sergeant to compensate for the horribly lacking education in
some families, because countries with compulsory service totally don't have fucktards.
I don't know. You've got to look at (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxbnIWC288E#t=18s) the big picture too. I mean, what if Russia decides to invade?
SD on 29/10/2009 at 22:09
Reintroducing national service in the UK is an idea that gets trotted out by the usual rightwing rent-a-gobs every time something bad happens and youths are involved.
Never mind that 99% of young people are eminently well behaved, and shouldn't have to suffer for the sins of a small minority. Sadly they with their myopic worldview always seem to miss this, preferring instead to tar all with the same brush.
Unfortunately our government appears to be headed firmly down the fascist path, with the minimum school leaving age being raised from 16 to 18, and no doubt further encroachment on our civil liberties is to follow.
In my view, to have compulsory service perverts the relationship between the state and the individual: the state should serve its citizenry, not vice versa. It's honestly as simple as that.
Muzman on 29/10/2009 at 22:22
Quote Posted by Aerothorn
And that's what I'm missing here. Get invaded by whom? Russia? Now?
I looked at this once ages ago and funnily enough there was almost perfect correlation between countries who have national service and countries that were invaded in living memory.
Everyone else kinda dropped it in the sixties
(Not invaded: Australia - check; New Zealand - check; Great Britain - check; USA - check; Canada - check. Most of Europe; national service still going. Not too sure about France though. Germany we'll let off. The Swiss have been defense bonkers for, like, ever. Most of South East Asia still has it as well).
Ostriig on 29/10/2009 at 23:06
Quote Posted by Muzman
Most of Europe; national service still going.
Um, excluding the British Isles to keep with your premise, at a quick glance I (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service) counted 19 European countries listed as without mandatory service versus 15 with. Dunno where the rest of 'em are, but at any rate I don't think you can say "most" of Europe still uses conscription.
Muzman on 29/10/2009 at 23:20
Well the British Isles hasn't been invaded for about a thousand years. edit: wait, no, I get it now. But it's true, elsewhere is looking pretty thin. Recent democracies and/or people who've thrown off dictators aren't too fond of it either it seems (those being my similarly slight guessplanations).
Historical invasion is a good explanation for why many countries took it up and kept it in any case; Singapore, Netherlands, Norway etc
