On 30 May 2001, at 23:25, Robert Shaw wrote:
> From: "Gautam Mukunda"
>
> > Britain still exists, too. There is probably a cause and effect
> > relationship between that fact and its use of conscription. Had it
> > failed to use conscription, it would be nothing more than the
> > conquered province of either Wilhelmine or Nazi Germany - take your
> > pick.
>
> Conscription during war is an unfortunate necessity of modern times.
> It didn't really start till the napoleonic era.
>
> Conscription in the face of threatened war is an acceptable evil.
>
> Conscription in times of true peace is unnecessary. Conscript armies,
> which can rarely be trained to the same standards as fully
> professional armies, are only really useful as a last ditch defence.
> Any minor social benefits are more than outweighed by the economic
> costs, and if there's a sudden demand for an army one can always be
> called up within a few months.
In the west, I agree. Israel is a different story.
Socially, I should add, army service is VERY important in Israel.
Dawn Falcon
