Should Canada have mandatory military service

[Mr Deeds]

A lot of countries such as Switzerland, Israel have mandatory military service and it seems be not only good for the country but also good for the individual. Right now recruitment is plummeting in Canada and we not only can't meet our NATO obligations and if we needed to defend our selves it would be a slaughter. Mandatory service gives an education, a chance for travel, not to mention direction, and discipline. Please discuss

 

[dirtyharry555]

Absolutely.

A good way to encourage physical health, discipline, respect for firearms, sacrifice, allegiance/pride in country, and many other values.

 

[Leimonis]

yeah let's take hundreds of thousands of young productive people out of the economy and pay to house them and feed them! excellent!

 

[richaceg]

They should....too much ground to cover...Service doesn't mean going overseas and fight for someone's conflict...put some bases on NW Territories, Nunavut and Northwestern passage....

 

[Mr Deeds]

yeah let's take hundreds of thousands of young productive people out of the economy and pay to house them and feed them! excellent!

The people we're talking about are 18 to 21 years old, they serve 2 years minimum and at that age just how much are they contributing

 

[Olololo]

As someone who served in the Israel Defense Forces, I think this is a terrible idea.To keep compulsory service, you must rework the entire Canadian military.Furthermore, Canadians, particularly youth, have diverse life goals and dreams.
A professional army, along with a few paramilitary clubs or organisations, is more than enough.

 

[SchlongConery]

As someone who served in the Israel Defense Forces, I think this is a terrible idea.To keep compulsory service, you must rework the entire Canadian military.Furthermore, Canadians, particularly youth, have diverse life goals and dreams.
A professional army, along with a few paramilitary clubs or organisations, is more than enough.

And making military service more attractive. Military is more than only soldiers.

 

[Leimonis]

The people we're talking about are 18 to 21 years old, they serve 2 years minimum and at that age just how much are they contributing

it doesn't matter what age. Their total career would become 2 years shorter no matter how you calculate it.

It will also fuck up immigration to some degree because some people would not want to come.

The country simply will not be able to afford it.

 

[escortsxxx]

We need mandatory service for women. Not enough women or joining the military. Where are the gal gadots Of Canada?
Plus it's women's turn. A female military will end sexism.

How many USA already uses their military To encourage immigrants to come. If you can't make it the normal way you can join the army.

 

[Mr Deeds]

it doesn't matter what age. Their total career would become 2 years shorter no matter how you calculate it.

It will also fuck up immigration to some degree because some people would not want to come.

The country simply will not be able to afford it.

Canada's gdp in 1.6 trillion, Israelis is 870 billion. Switzerland is 860 billion and they seem to get along just fine. In the long term people come out of military service with both academically and have better life skills and therefore more productive.

 

[onomatopoeia]

It's real easy to support an idea like compulsory military service when one is beyond the age to which it applies. Maybe if it was applied selectively, like to young offenders convicted of major felonies, sort of like with that guy wearing the Smokey the Bear hat that frequently appeared on The Jenny Jones Show:



I agree with @Olololo, the days of armies being composed of huge numbers of conscripted infantry are over. Highly trained specialists who volunteered do a much better job than those who are forced to enlist.

I don't think any of the Canadian Federal political parties have the stones to even propose legislation to that effect, unless Canada was first invaded by a foreign army.

The draft dodger of today would likely consider gender change, because they wouldn't be able to escape TO Canada.

 

[dirtyharry555]

As someone who served in the Israel Defense Forces, I think this is a terrible idea.To keep compulsory service, you must rework the entire Canadian military.Furthermore, Canadians, particularly youth, have diverse life goals and dreams.
A professional army, along with a few paramilitary clubs or organisations, is more than enough.

The Canadian military has to be reworked anyway. It's floundering in its current state.

Service would promote those diverse life goals and dreams.

 

[Mr Deeds]

Enlistment doesn't mean going off to war, there are plenty of other things the CFs do, like snow plowing in Toronto (just kidding) seriously though they assist domestically with floods, fires, maritime policing and rescue etc. On top of that there are so many young people looking for some kind of direction, this could be a way to get that.

 

[saxon]

Would never work, can you see all these immigrants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia wanting to participate? Not a chance.

 

[Leimonis]

Canada's gdp in 1.6 trillion, Israelis is 870 billion. Switzerland is 860 billion and they seem to get along just fine. In the long term people come out of military service with both academically and have better life skills and therefore more productive.

And Canada's population is 40 mil, Israel 10 mil and Switzerland 9 mil.

Did they academically teach you math in the army?

Quite apart from it, Canada cannot fight the US and all Canada needs geopolitically is for Russia to have their teeth knocked out which is best to do economically right now anyway.

What's the real purpose of the service, to train children to be obedient monkeys? Good old fashioned conservative values?

 

[JohnLarue]

Maybe if it was applied selectively, like to young offenders convicted of major felonies,

Highly trained specialists who volunteered do a much better job than those who are forced to enlist.

do you not see the disconnect between two of your statements ?

young offenders convicted of major felonies ??

while the discipline of military training may be very beneficial to the odd misguided youth, the idea of platoons of gang bangers armed with automatic weapons is not a pretty picture

 

[krealtarron]

No. Regardless of the costs involved, Canada does not have an existential need to have a bigger army or spend more on the armed forces, or the need to have mandatory military service.

 

[escortsxxx]

Would never work, can you see all these immigrants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia wanting to participate? Not a chance.

And how does that matter?

 

[krealtarron]

Would never work, can you see all these immigrants from the Middle East and Southeast Asia wanting to participate? Not a chance.

Exactly. Why would someone immigrate only to serve in the Canadian military? The country is also old, average age 41, so if you wanted young people, most of them are going to be new immigrants. Not a good idea to stick a new immigrant who hasn't had time to integrate into the Canadian military with traditional Canadian values.

 

[Fun For All]

Bad idea...people with no interest or no qualifications would only fuck things up.