To put it in perspective: the USA has it (but dormant as it was last used in the 60s) now, instead part of an automatic register. I’ve heard that last year Germany for example proposed to impose a mandatory, volunteer-focused military service model on boosting defense against threats like Russia but would you really enlist in the German Army (Bundeswehr) or refuse instead of adhereing to politicians interests?
I’ve heard a similar thing in France with them introducing a new voluntary 10-month military service program for 18-19 year olds starting this summer 2026, but would guys there be willing to enlist or outright refuse? What ever the case is, would guys in Europe either accept voluntary military service imposed by their nation or refuse to enlist as they know that politicians are the ones who instigate wars in the first place?
For EU nations that still have the draft enforced (mandatory conscription): what happens if guys refuse it? Do they end up in jail? In that case, would you rather be imprisoned for refusing or comply? I know that some countries have alternative service (civic) rather than conventional military service, but what happens if the individual refuses either? I mean, is it a criminal offense for simply refusing conscription?
This seems to be more of a gripe with your government honestly. I was speaking about countries with strong protection for minorities. I still think its better to have some protection than to have to fend for yourself again the masses. I definitely reject anarchy from an ideological standpoint. I get the appeal but don’t think things would be better for most people. I have gripes with many things regarding politics but I still stand behind that for the number of people we have the state is also needed from an organizational standpoint to apply rules for all, even if that not always happens perfectly. Orderly society wouldn’t exist in the same way without it
I understand your position, despite disagreeing with it, as it was once mine as well. Would you mind answering two questions on a related, but different topic, closer to OP? First, when a more authoritarian party comes to rule in your country, are you confident they’ll keep conscription more-or-less volunteer, or will one of the first things they do, besides stripping minority rights, be making refusal punishable, canceling alternative service options, widening the recruitment age range and making most people with disabilities not “serious” enough serve as well? Second, since the war on Europe has been ongoing for twelve years, why wait until your country is invaded, and not go here to help defend so that it doesn’t get to the point when your state or a neighboring state of yours is invaded?
For Question 1: I believe there is the possibility for them to try. Technically our constitution says that you’re able to be refuse service (I’m german). But they could certainly try to move against the law. In this position if things got really bad I’d probably try to leave my country.
For Question 2: I would not wait for my country to be invaded. I would not go to a foreign country by myself without like being drafted and sent by my country. I certainly stated before that I would defend my country, and if I served the EU and NATO. But before the 2022 with the Russian attack barely anyone knew or talked about Ukraine. In that regard I do wish to help them with more military aid but I’m not willing to fight myself for Ukraine. If a war from Russia with NATO were to happen I would at least have my country and the entire alliance behind me making strong war efforts to fend of Russia, whereas now the aid is in part slowly and reluctantly sent. I’m not as willing to risk my life for Ukraine as I am for my country or even the EU directly. I certainly think arming to be able to defend makes sense but I don’t think Russia will go immediately attack NATO once the war with Ukraine ends and in a direct confrontation I don’t think Russia would outperform NATO, as economically Russia is no match. I don’t know where I’m going or if I lost my red thread. I don’t want to die but I’m willing to put up a fight and take a risk if I feel threatened enough. The fact is european leaders keep saying “the fate of ukraine is the fate of europe”. I don’t believe that to be fully true. When the war started washington offered to evacuate Zelensky, not send arms. Europe is on the side of Ukraine, but a partial Ukrainian loss will not mean the end for the EU and our collective freedom, even if it was a dark overcast. Many expected Ukraine to fall in the early days of the war. So I guess I can say I would do the task to serve if I was drafted as a duty, I would maybe serve in peace time and fight when demanded of me or serve to rather fight than die as civilian casualty if my side had a legit reason to fight and was not the aggressor or fighting a random war overseas. But I’m not willing to go to a foreign country to volunteer as the brutality of war is very much apparent for me. Even if the fate of Ukraine matters for Europe, the EU will not automatically crumble with it and a partial loss for Ukraine is more problematic for Ukraine than for the EU.
Thanks for a detailed response. It feels weird that in a globalized world an attack on a people isn’t felt by others as an attack on someone they know, with whom they or their friends directly talk online, whose loss would personally affect their projects and friend circles. I admit I also don’t know many names from African countries, for example, or from Palestine, or even from some EU regions. Inequality of recognition and, as a consequence, a lack of personally felt solidarity, is definitely a weakness of the world-system we live in; well, not for the system itself but for the invaded peoples.
I feel strong solidarity, just not to the extent for where I would put my own life on the line is the sad reality. I’m not eager to fight and risk life in war I guess but would do so if I felt it was my duty. You know you wouldn’t cry really if you heard some stranger die as if your own relatives were affected from. The world would be a lot better if we cared more about the suffering we cause on others in the world inadvertently. Like how often do the news talk about war and suffering in Sudan compared to other more economically important regions (straight of hormus)