is conscription a good or bad idea?

Answer 1

BAD!!
War itself is a bad idea in the first place. If governments are so keen to fight another country, they should send only their sons and go fight themselves until the death. It'd be over quickly and a world with a few less autocratic politicans might be a better world.
Conscription is essentially a very poor choice by a government. Countless young and innocent men are marched off to war, ill-equipped, ill-trained and psychologically unprepared. They become cannon fodder for those who are well-trained, perhaps for years as opposed to months, as well as emotionally unstable returned servicemen.
I think we're past the days where war it was seen as noble and honorable to die for your country, now it's just a sad waste.

Answer 2

I remember the effects of conscription during the Vietnam war to both the conscripts and their families.
I believe that if someone wants to enlist, they will do it. Forcing someone into a war environment against their will is inhuman and the after effects can be catastrophic and quite often are.

Answer 3

Conscription is a damn good idea, and not just because of our current involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Americans are spoiled babies. They drive from comfortable homes to nice, clean offices in air-conditioned leather-seated cars. They never have to worry about where their next meal is coming from--every imaginable item is waiting for them at the corner grocery store. They don't worry about car bombs, suicide bombers, or secret government agencies dragging them off to prison in the middle of the night.

I think if every young person served a short tour in the military it would do wonders for your country. Get more people outside of their gated communities and into third-world countries to see what real oppression is.

God bless America!

Answer 4

Viet Nam proved that in this modern era, forced participation in an active military only gives your critics ammunition to undermine you if and when you engage in war.
The current war is demonized by both national and foreign press...can you imagine how much worse it would be if those soldiers were draughted, not volunteers?

Answer 5

Amen Anonymous!

Answer 6

Pro (+):
- in a professional army low-income persons defend interests and assets of few whealty ones. It isn't so100%, but it's anyway. This results in not balancing political decisions with the cost of these decisions.

Against (-):
- Today armies are used in international missions; you need professionally trained forces

Answer 7

It is a better idea than opening our military to foreigners, which is what Bush is suggesting. Isn't that what happened to Rome?

However, it will also make people look more carefully at the wars we fight, and Bush doesn't want that.