In what scenario is conscription acceptable? (if any)

LesserAbe@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 58 points –

Prompted by another thread about conscription in Ukraine.

35

You are viewing a single comment

Conscription, at least if you ask me, is acceptable if you benefit from the nation. If you live in a nation with a legal/healthcare system you cannot rely on, a social system that's not equal opportunity, etc. then you could argue it's wrong for them to draft you, but to those people who have their public sector serve them with high accommodations, yeah, go return the favor.

That's an interesting take. What about a scenario where the nation as it stands doesn't meet the requirements you outlined, but there's clear indication the invading country would be worse?

If the country is invading you, doesn’t that make them de-facto worse?

Conscription is a necessary tool for a defense effort. There are countries (Sweden, Norway) where conscription serves more as a mandatory civil service period. Those programs give citizens a much greater understanding of their government and society.

I don't know, to use an extreme example, if I lived in Nazi Germany I would probably resist conscription.

I would still fight injustice but make it clear through my expression of doing so that I don't support the current regime anymore than I otherwise would. Countries should consider themselves gratefully lucky the world accepts their existence and I'm not joining a collective just to be in a one-way relationship.