This question was inspired by a post on lemmy.zip about lowering the minimum age to purchase firearms in the US, and a lot of commeters brought up military service and training as a benchmark to normal civilians, and how if guns would be prevalent, then firearm training should be more common.
For reference, I live in the USA, where the minimum age to join the military is 18, but joining is, for the most part, optional. I also know some friends that have gone through the military, mostly for college benefits, and it has really messed them up. However, I have also met some friends from south korea, where I understand military service is mandatory before starting a more normal career. From what I’ve heard, military service was treated more as a trade school, because they were never deployed, in comparison to American troops.
I just wanted to know what the broader Lemmy community thought about mandatory military service is, especially from viewpoints outside the US.
forcing military service in the US would only make Nazis. anyone who didn’t do their service because of any number of reasons would be considered less than American. we already see it today from the far right. they look for literally any reason to belittle anyone for any reason. and you’re fooling yourself if you think the far left wouldn’t do the same exact thing.
no, we need less forced differences and more forced acceptance, we do that by forcing people to be emersed in the environments they fear the most.
put that loudmouthed racist redneck in the ghetto to rehab homes of the community.
put that bankers son in the soup kitchen, or shelter, or building shelters to help the less fortunate.
put that poor black kid in the rich white neighborhood for community and political outreach programs.
ram this shit down Americans throats long enough and we’ll get the picture in 10-20 years. it won’t stop, never stop, until we all accept each other for who/what we are.
and if ANYONE unreasonably attacks these people, they are charged with federal crimes and serve a sentence that…you guessed it, puts them into the same service regardless of position or power. and depending on the violence of the crime may need to serve time in fedpen.
All Americans treated equally under liberty and justice for all. 🫵