Prompted by another thread about conscription in Ukraine.
When you’re being invaded.
When everyone is being drafted. Including the children of the oligarchs and political class.
Otherwise it’s never right. It’s just feeding the poor to the war machine.
So if for example every person’s name goes in the hat, and then conscripts are drawn at random? I only clarify because in a situation where every able body is fighting you’ve already lost, there needs to be logistics, maintaining utilities, growing food, etc
Drafts usually are of young men for the logistic reasons you mentioned.
So, if all men ages 18-24 are being drafted, the President’s kids should be first on the list.
In other words, if you’re going to send my son to war and you are president you need to send your’s first. Otherwise I’m telling my kid to dodge because his life isn’t worth less than some rich assholes.
I only clarify because in a situation where every able body is fighting you’ve already lost, there needs to be logistics, maintaining utilities, growing food, etc
Conscription is actually a way to ensure that. In the Ukrainian War, as well as at least the US during WW2 (I’m less familiar with other countries’ conscription systems during WW2), conscription is used to prioritize those with skills which are not economically vital during wartime - during WW2, even, some skilled workers weren’t even allowed to volunteer, much less be conscripted, for military service.
Rich people are humans too and also have rights.
Subjecting rich people to the same violations of their rights doesn’t make the thing okay.
When the existence of your countries sovereignty is threatened.
I used to be against the draft or conscription, but someone made the argument that people are far less war hungry when they or their loved ones might end up on the front lines. In that case, I’m all for it as long as the rich, politically connected, and otherwise privileged are treated like the rest of us. Otherwise the next best option is an all volunteer military.
But without conscription, everyone involved in the war is there by choice.
It’s only okay when the alternative is “your entire population is killed.” If you’re not fighting a defensive war with high stakes, then it’s just a way to kill poor people and political dissidents.
