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German army struggles to get Gen Z recruits ‘ready for war’
skynews ^ | 03 15 2025 | Peter Sanders

Posted on 03/16/2025 7:55:11 AM PDT by yesthatjallen

As a podcaster and freelance journalist, Ole Nymoen admits he enjoys freedom of expression and other democratic rights in his home country of Germany.

But he would not want to die for them.

In a book published this week, Why I Would Never Fight for My Country, the 27-year-old argues ordinary people should not be sent into battle on behalf of nation states and their rulers — even to fend off an invasion. Occupation by a foreign power might lead to a “sh*tty” life, he told the Financial Times. “But I’d rather be occupied than dead.”

Nymoen, a self-described Marxist, does not claim to be representative of Generation Z in Germany. But his stance — and his striking honesty about it — taps into a wider questions facing Europe as it re-arms on a scale not seen since the end of the cold war.

Berlin has poured close to €100bn into new equipment for the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has announced plans to allow unlimited borrowing to fund defence spending as he promised to do “whatever it takes” to protect freedom and peace in Europe.

SNIP

(Excerpt) Read more at skynews.icu ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; germany; military; readiness
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1 posted on 03/16/2025 7:55:12 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
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To: yesthatjallen

Get them into uniform.
Get them through training.
Get them to the front.

Just wait until they get shelled by Russian artillery.
I don’t think it will go well at all.


2 posted on 03/16/2025 7:57:27 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: yesthatjallen
"democratic rights"

That's a new one. Not God-given rights. "democratic rights". This kid will get his wish and live on his knees.

3 posted on 03/16/2025 7:59:11 AM PDT by TimSkalaBim
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To: yesthatjallen

The self described marxist will get his shitty life and also probably a beheading. So carry on Fritz.


4 posted on 03/16/2025 8:02:53 AM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Long live The Great MAGA Kangz!)
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To: All

When you change your nation into an economic zone you won’t get a lot of people willing to die for it. I doubt a lot of Coca Cola employees would be willing to fight to death with Pepsi employees either , especially at their pay rate


5 posted on 03/16/2025 8:05:06 AM PDT by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: yesthatjallen

Hey, they have Gen Zeros over there also? How nice.


6 posted on 03/16/2025 8:05:51 AM PDT by antidemoncrat ( )
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To: yesthatjallen

They are doing it all wrong. They need big parades, big rallies, and Boogyman to hate, uniforms with flashy symbols.
And especially a figure head to shout and scream about how the world is oppressing them and that they need more living space for their future.


7 posted on 03/16/2025 8:09:40 AM PDT by CapnJack ( )
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To: yesthatjallen

The parents that made those snot nosed brats were nom better.


8 posted on 03/16/2025 8:10:31 AM PDT by CodeToad ( )
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To: escapefromboston

“People are vulnerable, they cry easily,” he said. “They talk about work-life balance.”...

They cry easily?!! I hope he doesn’t mean literally!!

That army is ####ed!!


9 posted on 03/16/2025 8:13:40 AM PDT by dp0622 (Tried a coup, a fake tax story, tramp slander, Russia nonsense, impeachment and a virus. They lost.)
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To: HYPOCRACY

Better Red than Dead was never a good option anywhere.


10 posted on 03/16/2025 8:14:00 AM PDT by epluribus_2
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To: yesthatjallen

This young man probably speaks for many of his 30 and under generation, in Europe AND in the USA.
Why? Mostly because many of these people have literally been schooled to not be patriotic and to not be particularly concerned about borders that separate their country from any place else.

Most are very likely unchurched, so they don’t know what it’s like having faith in powers outside of what your five senses can perceive. Most don’t connect with the idea of having a ‘Soul’ that makes you unique and irreplaceable.

Thankfully, not all 30 and under people are that way.
Some appear to have been brought up with the proper influences. So there is enough hope to be built upon over time.


11 posted on 03/16/2025 8:14:03 AM PDT by lee martell
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To: yesthatjallen

“But I’d rather be occupied than dead.”

You would think a person from a country like Germany would have a better understanding of what occupied means. How many people in Germany were murdered during WWII that were just as much citizens as he is. And with the deveatist attitude he portrays, how long is it going to be before the occupiers get sick of his simpering and just shoot him? Is one death less death than the other if that’s his barrier?

wy69


12 posted on 03/16/2025 8:15:15 AM PDT by whitney69
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To: yesthatjallen

“But I’d rather be occupied than dead.”

You would think a person from a country like Germany would have a better understanding of what occupied means. How many people in Germany were murdered during WWII that were just as much citizens as he is. And with the deveatist attitude he portrays, how long is it going to be before the occupiers get sick of his simpering and just shoot him? Is one death less death than the other if that’s his barrier?

wy69


13 posted on 03/16/2025 8:15:16 AM PDT by whitney69
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To: yesthatjallen
The number of conscientious objectors has soared.
They need to tell them; "You will be going into battle.
You can have either a rifle or a paint ball gun."
14 posted on 03/16/2025 8:15:37 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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To: yesthatjallen

That’s because their real enemies are in Berlin.


15 posted on 03/16/2025 8:18:26 AM PDT by mrmeyer (You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him. Robert Heinlein)
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To: yesthatjallen

Nihilism, hedonism, globalism, crushing any sense of nationalism (considered bad by many Germans) = 18% of the population is willing to fight for their country for any cause.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/15y2cyr/map_of_the_percentage_of_respondents_who_said/#lightbox

It’s not even pacifism. It’s the rejection of ones nation as a legitimate authority, it’s not seeing any cause worthy of fighting for.


16 posted on 03/16/2025 8:18:31 AM PDT by Red6
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To: yesthatjallen

Gott Nicht Mit Uns


17 posted on 03/16/2025 8:19:32 AM PDT by larrytown (A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do. Then they graduate...)
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To: yesthatjallen

What refreshing honesty. Germany is not really worth fighting for. Well said, young man.


18 posted on 03/16/2025 8:21:31 AM PDT by nwrep
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To: yesthatjallen

I worked with a German national, I asked why did he come to the US? His reply, ….our nation is finished , families were all fatherless, no men left to raise us up, the woman ( whom went through constant rape, hunger, joblessness) raised us all up as pacifists and weak men.

He spoke of the two decades after WW2, and explained that was the root of today’s Germany ( our conversation was about 10 years ago).


19 posted on 03/16/2025 8:23:03 AM PDT by delta7
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To: ClearCase_guy
Europeans think Americans should protect them, pay for that protection and send OUR young to die for them. And pay their tariffs.

They are delusional.

In the mean time European 'elites' are squashing freedom of speech for their citizens and running open borders for their greed.

Europe needs to wake up

Americans are not going to die for - or protect them when they're running corrupt little hellholes because ONCE UPON A TIME THEY WERE ETHICAL DEMOCRACIES. Defend your own hellholes. Eff NATO.

20 posted on 03/16/2025 8:23:13 AM PDT by GOPJ
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