The Law Conscription/National Service

[eaglespremiers]

An article today on News.com.au suggested that in the event of an imminent war conscription may be utilised to bolster defence numbers.
Without resorting to fearmongering, in what circumstances, if any, would you support or accept the reintroduction of conscription?
Given the connected social media world we live in at the start of 2024 would it even be possible to implement conscription at any meaningful level in Australia? If so, what do you think would be some of the drawbacks of utilising conscription that would need to be overcome?
Is there a way to encourage substantially more voluntary service to bolster numbers in the defence force?

Given the possibility of geopolitical conflict Australia has obviously been taking a number of steps to better defend itself (including the recent purchasing of 72 F35 fighters, the AUKUS pact and provision of nuclear-powered submarines and the implementation of the recommendations in the Defence Strategic Review to name a few). Are there are alternatives to conscription to enable Australia to be better prepared for future conflicts in the region (with the priority being to defend our borders)?

Interested in your thoughts.

 

[Gethelred]

An article today on News.com.au suggested that in the event of an imminent war conscription may be utilised to bolster defence numbers.
Without resorting to fearmongering, in what circumstances, if any, would you support or accept the reintroduction of conscription?
Given the connected social media world we live in at the start of 2024 would it even be possible to implement conscription at any meaningful level in Australia? If so, what do you think would be some of the drawbacks of utilising conscription that would need to be overcome?
Is there a way to encourage substantially more voluntary service to bolster numbers in the defence force?

Given the possibility of geopolitical conflict Australia has obviously been taking a number of steps to better defend itself (including the recent purchasing of 72 F35 fighters, the AUKUS pact and provision of nuclear-powered submarines and the implementation of the recommendations in the Defence Strategic Review to name a few). Are there are alternatives to conscription to enable Australia to be better prepared for future conflicts in the region (with the priority being to defend our borders)?

Interested in your thoughts.

A while ago, I remember reading something from someone reviewing the role of conscripts in conflicts throughout history, saying that career soldiers do not want them because you cannot guarantee they'll hold a line or have your back. They don't want to be there in the same way as a career soldier is, someone who chose to do it; their motivation is personal survival rather than whatever they were sent to war to do.

As a consequence, if you spend time training them some percentage of them won't want to learn to shoot. Some of them will never fire a shot at an enemy, because throughout history 75 percent of soldiers do not engage with the enemy; do you really want the person next to you in that situation to be a person who didn't listen in basic because they didn't want to be there? They'll know how to take cover, use your supplies and eat your food when you need to ration.

You'd have to talk to someone else about methods of recruiting more soldiers. Don't think conscription's the answer, and even if it was the only way I don't know how effective it'd be. There're stories of WW1-2 of mass surrenders of conscripted soldiers.

 

[Gough]

News Corp response to Boris Johnson trying to distract people from the fact his party have totally f***ed Britain. Might as well call for the reintroduction of Imperal measurements for all it's worth.

 

[owen87]

An article today on News.com.au suggested that in the event of an imminent war conscription may be utilised to bolster defence numbers.
Without resorting to fearmongering, in what circumstances, if any, would you support or accept the reintroduction of conscription?
Given the connected social media world we live in at the start of 2024 would it even be possible to implement conscription at any meaningful level in Australia? If so, what do you think would be some of the drawbacks of utilising conscription that would need to be overcome?
Is there a way to encourage substantially more voluntary service to bolster numbers in the defence force?

Given the possibility of geopolitical conflict Australia has obviously been taking a number of steps to better defend itself (including the recent purchasing of 72 F35 fighters, the AUKUS pact and provision of nuclear-powered submarines and the implementation of the recommendations in the Defence Strategic Review to name a few). Are there are alternatives to conscription to enable Australia to be better prepared for future conflicts in the region (with the priority being to defend our borders)?

Interested in your thoughts.

I wouldn't think conscription makes any sense whatsoever unless we were in a situation like Ukraine is. And how another country would be able to mobilise, ship, and land sufficient equipment and manpower to enable that I don't know.

Conscripting people to send them off overseas to fight in a war, especially with the level of weaponry available now? Folly.

 

[burge13]

More chance seeing Lady Gaga line up a full forward for the Crows in 24 than me going overseas to fight in one of the many wars that barely have anything to do with us.

Utter madness.

How did we get to this point where that article could even be posted. Ridiculous

 

[owen87]

How did we get to this point where that article could even be posted. Ridiculous

Older right wingers seem to think military service would fix those young people voting for the left.

 

[burge13]

Older right wingers seem to think military service would fix those young people voting for the left.

I think people struggling to find work/young people/long term unemployed could benefit from joining the reserves or something for skills/discipline/routine etc but this is more than a few levels too far...

I don't think I know anyone who would agree to conscription. I'd sooner flee the country!

 

[owen87]

I think people struggling to find work/young people/long term unemployed could benefit from joining the reserves or something for skills/discipline/routine etc but this is more than a few levels too far...

I don't think I know anyone who would agree to conscription. I'd sooner flee the country!

I've worked with people who've gone off and spent a spent in the military and it's done them good, but also plenty ended up with PTSD or Depression coming out so it's not all positives.

 

[burge13]

I've worked with people who've gone off and spent a spent in the military and it's done them good, but also plenty ended up with PTSD or Depression coming out so it's not all positives.

Agree, far from all positives. None of my mates have PTSD but almost all have injuries affecting them after they've left

I think joining the reserves for additional skills when on the dole for example would have more positives than negatives but that's far removed from what is proposed in the article.

 

[Sphynx]

Older right wingers seem to think military service would fix those young people voting for the left.

The point of the article wasn't conscription used as a weapon to send to overseas conflicts.

It was as a way to bolster national security for a home defence which may be required in the next decade/s. In the same way it's implemented in Israel and Sth Korea. It's certainly the most heightened risk of the last 70 years in that sense.

I'm yet to read an alternative to "resolve things diplomatically" by the naive far left.

What if we are required to actually defend the mainland ourselves, for the first time in our history?

This country has one of the highest standards of living in the world, people love to complain about things, the country has an abundance of natural resources, however, our military is incredibly under resourced in comparison to just about every federally funded industry at the moment, to defend any of the countries interests if required.

Ukraine is a terrible comparison, we aren't anywhere near as well prepared as Ukraine was for a major conflict.

 

[owen87]

The point of the article wasn't conscription used as a weapon to send to overseas conflicts.

It was as a way to bolster national security for a home defence which may be required in the next decade/s. In the same way it's implemented in Israel and Sth Korea. It's certainly the most heightened risk of the last 70 years in that sense.

I'm yet to read an alternative to "resolve things diplomatically" by the naive far left.

What if we are required to actually defend the mainland ourselves, for the first time in our history?

This country has one of the highest standards of living in the world, people love to complain about things, the country has an abundance of natural resources, however, our military is incredibly under resourced in comparison to just about every federally funded industry at the moment, to defend any of the countries interests if required.

Ukraine is a terrible comparison, we aren't anywhere near as well prepared as Ukraine was for a major conflict.

Unlike most countries we’re a highly geographically isolated island.

There’s no chance of just rolling some tanks over the border like in Ukraine.

 

[Sphynx]

Unlike most countries we’re a highly geographically isolated island.

There’s no chance of just rolling some tanks over the border like in Ukraine.

Yep, it’s going to come from sea.

Luckily we have a world class fully manned navy, with cutting edge ships, anti ship missiles and long range missile batteries to protect that island.…..uh oh…

 

[owen87]

Yep, it’s going to come from sea.

Luckily we have a world class fully manned navy, with cutting edge ships, anti ship missiles and long range missile batteries to protect that island.…..uh oh…

We’ll have some sweet nuclear subs in about 20 years time or so

 

[Cmarsh]

In this age of AI - just use war robots.

 

[barreness]

The point of the article wasn't conscription used as a weapon to send to overseas conflicts.

It was as a way to bolster national security for a home defence which may be required in the next decade/s. In the same way it's implemented in Israel and Sth Korea. It's certainly the most heightened risk of the last 70 years in that sense.

I'm yet to read an alternative to "resolve things diplomatically" by the naive far left.

What if we are required to actually defend the mainland ourselves, for the first time in our history?

This country has one of the highest standards of living in the world, people love to complain about things, the country has an abundance of natural resources, however, our military is incredibly under resourced in comparison to just about every federally funded industry at the moment, to defend any of the countries interests if required.

Ukraine is a terrible comparison, we aren't anywhere near as well prepared as Ukraine was for a major conflict.

Blessed with (almost)no oil though, in the great irony of geopolitics

 

[Taylor]

Conscription would only be peacefully accepted by the population if the home island is attacked or under attack or threatened or the home island army is strictly for deployment within the island.

They've tried holding votes to allow that home guard to be deployed overseas, failed. They tried a vote to have that guard deployed to assist our allies, failed.

It's really the only just position in a war, defending the ground under the homes of your family and community.

I do not think society will stomach the reality of training and equipping all able bodied and of mind men under forty with semi automatic rifles. I think there will be a scare campaign against it, because they don't like the idea of deployed and distributed firearms in the community.

There would be a big shift once enough people have been through the process of screening, training, safely securing and then returning to normal life to wait - but I think it would forever change our culture here.

The idea of forcing young men into service to travel overseas to war would fail in the first vote the people have a chance to deliver their voice on.

...unless there is an attack on Australia, then the media will be able to drum up plenty of nationalism. All the people who dare question whether it was as it is being told will be called all the usual names. I look forward to the rational left suddenly agreeing with the rational conservatives about maybe taking a moment to be sure is better than definitely escalating things.

Let's kill 40,000 Australians to avenge 300 Australians!! - Stupid maths.

 

[barreness]

Conscription would only be peacefully accepted by the population if the home island is attacked or under attack or threatened or the home island army is strictly for deployment within the island.

They've tried holding votes to allow that home guard to be deployed overseas, failed. They tried a vote to have that guard deployed to assist our allies, failed.

It's really the only just position in a war, defending the ground under the homes of your family and community.

I do not think society will stomach the reality of training and equipping all able bodied and of mind men under forty with semi automatic rifles. I think there will be a scare campaign against it, because they don't like the idea of deployed and distributed firearms in the community.

There would be a big shift once enough people have been through the process of screening, training, safely securing and then returning to normal life to wait - but I think it would forever change our culture here.

The idea of forcing young men into service to travel overseas to war would fail in the first vote the people have a chance to deliver their voice on.

...unless there is an attack on Australia, then the media will be able to drum up plenty of nationalism. All the people who dare question whether it was as it is being told will be called all the usual names. I look forward to the rational left suddenly agreeing with the rational conservatives about maybe taking a moment to be sure is better than definitely escalating things.

Let's kill 40,000 Australians to avenge 300 Australians!! - Stupid maths.

Yeh little bit conspiratorial but mostly agree.

As stated up top of thread, volunteer soldiers hate conscripts, fragging goes nuts, and a armed and trained populace scares the s**t out of internal security forces. Doesn't make sense unless you're actually defending your family home and by that stage almost everyone is a volunteer.

The articles/comments by generals in OP are manufacturing consent. Just warming the public up for the constant war that will be running over the next few decades

 

[Taylor]

You won't need to worry about this until the next US action results in a mainland terrorist attack that signs the public there up for more direct action against Iran. We are two steps away still.

 

[Rob R]

Older right wingers seem to think military service would fix those young people voting for the left.

I know quite a few older right wingers including veterans and it is near unanimous that they don't support conscription into the military as it would just create a burden for our already under resourced military. They do like the idea of some mandatory SES training and for long term unemployed to have to do SES or charity work

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[burge13]

I know quite a few older right wingers including veterans and it is near unanimous that they don't support conscription into the military as it would just create a burden for our already under resourced military. They do like the idea of some mandatory SES training and for long term unemployed to have to do SES or charity work

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I hate this. We spend billion upon billion on defense force and waste god knows how much on subs and s**t

How many resources does it really need...

 

[Taylor]

I hate this. We spend billion upon billion on defense force and waste god knows how much on subs and s**t

How many resources does it really need...

Should be okay with bulk early warning radar stations, multiple distributed aircraft squadrons with long range anti shipping missiles. Then a submarine counter.

Unfortunately those are the most expensive things.

 

[rank and file]

No need,just need drone operators and the cadets are already on to it.
https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2024-01-30/cadets-put-drone-skills-test

 

[Rob R]

I hate this. We spend billion upon billion on defense force and waste god knows how much on subs and s**t

How many resources does it really need...

Probably a lot less if we streamlined the Canberra bureaucracy but look at the recent DSR, first action cut people doing work to create more Canberra crats and senior positions.

And of course if we stopped paying billions extra just to have something built here or modified eg. Hunter, MRH90, French subs


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[Malifice]

An article today on News.com.au

Lol. The cesspit of 'news' in Australia.

suggested that in the event of an imminent war conscription may be utilised to bolster defence numbers.

If it's needed, it's needed. In the event of a major global conflict where Australia's sovereignty is under some kind of existential threat, then sure.

At present, it's not needed.

 

[mr bagcroft]

Yeah Good luck with young people today, it would fail dismally.
Even if they wanted to, and the majority certainly would not...
They dont have what it takes.