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THE ECONOMIST says Ukraine's defeat "looms large", conscription "under discussion" in Europe
The Economist ^ | April 21 | The Economist

Posted on 04/21/2024 4:30:20 AM PDT by RandFan

Mandatory military service is under discussion once more in Europe. The reasons? The possibility of Ukraine’s defeat looms large, as does the threat of a future president Donald Trump abandoning nato. Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defence minister, says that Europe must be ready for war before the decade’s end. He describes dropping a one-year period of service for school-leavers in 2011 as “a mistake”. Britain’s army chief, General Patrick Sanders, has called for a “citizen army”.

Compulsory stints in the armed forces can take several forms, including the conscription of civilians of any age, call-ups using lotteries and a standard period of military service for young people after they leave school. Compulsion is being considered because many rich countries struggle to recruit enough people for their all-volunteer professional forces. Some countries look admiringly at nato’s Nordic and Baltic members, all of which have some form of mandatory service which enjoys high levels of public support. Sweden ended it in 2011, only to resurrect it in 2018.

(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; Russia; Ukraine; War
KEYWORDS: beggarofkiev; europe; killkillkillforpeace; mic; neoconshateamerica; welfarewar
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Talk about lambs to the slaughter? No life is precious to the Military Industrial Complex.
1 posted on 04/21/2024 4:30:20 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: RandFan

Conscription?
Britain?
France?
Sweden?
GERMANY?


2 posted on 04/21/2024 4:45:55 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Proudly Clinging To My Guns And My Religion)
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To: Gay State Conservative

All of the above


3 posted on 04/21/2024 4:48:54 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: RandFan

Thank goodness we’re send A PILE of cash🤣🤣🤣


4 posted on 04/21/2024 4:49:16 AM PDT by The Louiswu (Pray for Peace in the world.)
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To: RandFan

Well well, it takes the fear of Trump to get these EU grifters to beef up their own defense.

Something they should have been doing for years instead of spending on the nanny state.

I have no pity for any of these governments and they only fear the russians, who are a long way from invading them, to the point of still wanting to do trade with them and doing it in spite of the stupid sanctions.


5 posted on 04/21/2024 4:51:25 AM PDT by dforest
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To: dforest

Perpetual war is the goal


6 posted on 04/21/2024 4:53:50 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: RandFan

Europe doesn’t have the will to spend the money to support conscription. The entire British army can fit into Wembley Stadium and have 14,000 seats vacant.


7 posted on 04/21/2024 4:58:45 AM PDT by kabar
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To: RandFan
Perpetual war is the goal

Is defending Taiwan also a "perpetual war"?

Feel free to explain how allowing our enemy, a totalitarian Putin to invade and subjugate a neighboring country is beneficial to long term US interests.

House Speaker Mike Johnson:

“I’d rather send bullets overseas than American boys.”

8 posted on 04/21/2024 5:08:37 AM PDT by tlozo ( Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: RandFan

Let’s see if the euroweenies have what it takes to defend themselves.


9 posted on 04/21/2024 5:11:30 AM PDT by ComputerGuy (Heavily-medicated for your protection)
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To: kabar

Socialism is amazing when you have the taxpayers of the United States funding your security. Cut the cord, or at the very least, pull the troops from Germany and relocate them to Hungary or Poland.


10 posted on 04/21/2024 5:16:25 AM PDT by MTBobcat (The “rank-and-file” are as corrupted as their leadership.)
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To: RandFan

11 posted on 04/21/2024 5:17:38 AM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT ELECTION is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: dforest

And as an added bonus, if all the white men in Europe are killed fighting Russia, then the third world immigrants can have what is left.


12 posted on 04/21/2024 5:28:59 AM PDT by nonliberal (Z.)
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To: MTBobcat

“”””or at the very least, pull the troops from Germany and relocate them to Hungary or Poland.””””

When President Trump was rebuilding our European defenses against Russia, one the things he did was bring back V Corps and move its European Headquarters closer to the front against Russia, he put it in Poland instead of Germany where it had been during the Cold War.


13 posted on 04/21/2024 5:36:58 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: RandFan

I doubt this will go over well. These crazy leaders in the West with their perpetual wars need to be reined in. Conscription might work in the Baltic countries but most of Europe especially Western Europe won’t go for this. What are they gonna do kidnap people off the street like Ukraine is doing?


14 posted on 04/21/2024 5:41:15 AM PDT by jimwatx
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To: tlozo

You can sign up to fight if you want but the rest of us don’t care about your sh*tty little countries.


15 posted on 04/21/2024 5:43:00 AM PDT by jimwatx
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To: RandFan

What a waste of aid...


16 posted on 04/21/2024 5:45:46 AM PDT by Freeleesy
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To: tlozo

—> Feel free to explain how allowing our enemy, a totalitarian Putin to invade and subjugate a neighboring country is beneficial to long term US interests.

This regional conflict has little to do with the USA, nor in our interests.

It is a European regional issue and they should handle it.

We are in charge of the world’s problems.


17 posted on 04/21/2024 5:49:07 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: RandFan

“We have always been at war with Eastasia”


18 posted on 04/21/2024 5:49:52 AM PDT by dynachrome ("God grant I don't outlive my wits.")
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To: RandFan

Wait a second Russia can barely beat Ukraine and they think it will invade Europe or is this part of their world government crap


19 posted on 04/21/2024 5:57:10 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: The Louiswu

The grammar of this sentence doesn’t make sense.


20 posted on 04/21/2024 5:58:39 AM PDT by exinnj
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