In a very unlikely scenario they decide to drsft me, I would happily refuse.
this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2026
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I'm pacifist and anti militaristic so no. But I would join the civil defence if we came under attack.
The problem is when you come under attack the training takes too long to be fully effective.
I'm a fan of the Swiss model personally. Rig all your bridges with explosives and live in the most mountainous land possible.
I'm French, and I'm also a trans woman. I have a feeling that if a draft was to come into effect, my legal status as a woman would be bizarrely revoked in a heartbeat, for some reason. However, this country can get fucked, and I would rather die on my own terms than die for it. it. As for your question of imprisonment, as I said, I'm a trans girl and I know what will happen to me in a men's prison, so, as I said, die on my own terms.
I'm not being sent to the slaughterhouse just because one dude's ego was so massive that he decided that he wanted to be remembered in history and therefore thought that starting a war would be the best way to do so or to further the interests of a bunch of dickheads protecting a system that should have died decades ago and of some corporation benefiting from it.
Depends on the reason. If it is to protect my loved ones and fellow citizens from losing their freedom from a violent conquering foreign power then most likely I would show up for the draft, still scared shitless though. If it was for a deranged, debauched, degenerate leader who wanted to cover up some of his crimes then no, I'd be on my way to Montreal.
I think it really depends on the foreign policy of the country you live in. I would argue most European countries are unlikely to start offensive wars but would rather be defending against Russia for example. European countries are especially weary of offensive wars after what the US and UK pulled in order to make them join the Iraq War.
In this light, yes, I do believe it is the right choice to bolster our armies in Europe. I wanted to join myself but it seems my shoulder is too fucked for that.
But it is also a risk, since it could always happen that right wing extremists, like the afd in Germany, could come into power and then you're stuck working for a military at the behest of fascists.
I believe we have to take that risk in order to protect European democracy. We just need to also do everything in our power to not let the fascists win elections in Europe.
In short: I'd refuse, oppose it and campaign against it.
I owe politians nothing. The rethoric about patriotism, duty and all the other arguments commonly used to carry forward pro-draft, pro-defense, pro-rearmament, etc, are hollow.
There are bad actors in this world but politians still confuse public office with unbridled authority and people allow for it like sheep.
Draft as been talked about in my country (Portugal) a few years back, by people that never served as military, from a "conservative" sector of society, using arguments gravitating about ingraining "values" about patriotism, discipline and sacrifice to the younger generations.
Translation: you are to be braiwashed, forced to obey, never question and die where and when ordered.
I risk most will defend their home and family at the risk of cost of their health and life if a bad actor arises. But that in no way leads to the logic for need of a standing army.
Peace is peace. Armed peace is a veiled threat.
I risk most will defend their home and family at the risk of cost of their health and life if a bad actor arises. But that in no way leads to the logic for need of a standing army.
You say "...if a bad actor arises." But we already have those bad actors at our doorstep, they don't need to arise. I don't think we would be able to defend against Russia if we didn't have standing armies. A quickly mounted militia is no match for a standing army, so I would say there is a pressing need and logic for a standing army.
Admittedly, Portugal is at the other end of Europe and not really threatened by Russia, but arguing against standing armies in general because it would be other nations fighting for you is a bad argument imo.
But I actually agree. Armed peace is a veiled threat. A threat against Russia (and other hostile nations) to leave the European Nations and democracy in peace.
Many people in the world will disagree with that view.
A standing army is a lumbersome beast. It requires supplies for both machines and soldiers, space, infrastructure.
A loosely organized resistance can severely hinder or even cripple such a force with assimetric warfare.
People fighting for a belief fight with resolution.
Many people in the world will disagree with that view.
I mean, yeah sure, but a lot of people in the world would also agree with me. Neither of those things make a point though.
A standing army is a lumbersome beast. It requires supplies for both machines and soldiers, space, infrastructure. A loosely organized resistance can severely hinder or even cripple such a force with assimetric warfare.
It may be more cost-effective, but definitely not human-life-effective. I guess it depends on what you value more. Money and and materials or human life? Because I can guarantee asymmetric warfare costs a lot of lives. I mean just ask the Vietnamese if they would rather have had an army capable of fighting the US. Or the Iraqi. Or ask the Ukrainians if they prefer their army fighting Russia or having to fight civilian asymmetric warfare. You don't want to have a civilian fighting force against a foe that has invested in a modern military with Anti Air, tanks, missiles, drones, trained personnel.
I personally prefer paying the price of war in money and materials than in the lives of my fellow citizens.
People fighting for a belief fight with resolution.
I don't disagree but are you implying that this is not true for a standing army?
Plus whoever organises these resistances will end up as an Organisation akin to an army anyway. So you just end up with what you didn't want but only weaker and less able to defend against an attacker.
It can be risked, with a fair degree of confidence, considering what is transpiring from the ongoing wars that what is considered conventional warfare is changing at a tremendous speed.
Air superiority, conventional artilery, mobile armour, highly sophisticated and expensive weapons systems are being rendered useless, powerless or at least less than superior, by cheaper, often disposable solutions.
This entire combat landscape change, in my view, is the early warning of a deeper trend where human resources will be much more valuable than machinery and conventional armies are a liability, not an asset.
Small, highly mobile, capable of underground, covert operation groups - guerrilla warfare - will be a game changer.
I'm hypothetically in favor of abolishing war machines as well, but this can only be achieved if workers organize internationally to overthrow their and every other state everywhere in the world simultaneously. States are literally war machines funded by taxes; everything else they do is done to the extent it helps pacify the people who'd otherwise organize themselves and rise against borders, conscription and being governed rather than governing ourselves. I also understand that fighting against states will probably be comparable to a war in terms of bloodiness and chaos, and will have to repeat whenever a new gang appears and tries to become a state.
A state is a necessary organism within a country. What is unnecessary is the ease with which polititians move into a space where they think themselves as untouchable, unaccountable and unquestionable.
To occupy a position of responsability is exactly that: a position of responsability. This implies the appointing must be short, highly supervised and the actions must be transparent and easily auditable. It is not a life long appointment, with unchecked and unlimited reach and power, as we see commonly done today.
The very notion of state must change. The state is the sum of all individuals contained within a country's borders. They all must enjoy the same rights and protections in and from the law and be capable of actively intervene on the governance of the nation, with a government assigned to do the general management.
To use a quote I find very much enlightning: people should no fear their governments; governments should fear their people.
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I'm in the USA and am medically unfit for service.
Hunter Thompson was a famous american iconoclast and no friend to the oligarchy. He served in the Air Force and said that the draft was a good thing, because it forced all kinds of people to interact and work together.
Another Vietnam era draftee once wrote that a professional army is full of lifers who will obey any order, no matter how illegal. A drafted civilian who doesn't care about their military career will stand up for what's right.
Swede here, we had conscription when I came of age, so I was called to muster.
I went, and promptly failed the first test, the hearing test, I got a pass and didn't have to do it.
At the time I was glad, I was scared, I didn't want to do it, these days I think it would have been a valuable experience.
Anyway, I believe Sweden is worth fighting for, should we come under attack, I would get in touch with the civil defense and do my part.
As a Finn, it's good to hear that you've got our back.
It was a sad day for us when Sweden switched from a conscription army to the much smaller version it is today.
Interesting tidbit, it was explained to us in the military as a move made because you felt safe with us as the defending wall between you and the eastern aggressor.
Now as part of NATO, I hope you'll come to our aid none the less.
Interesting tidbit, it was explained to us in the military as a move made because you felt safe with us as the defending wall between you and the eastern aggressor.
Well.. Sweden is Swedish until the last Finn falls as the saying goes.
Oh, it was an absolute shit decision to get rid of conscription here.
We don't have the resources to provide enough benefits to attract enough people to join the military on their own, so conscription is the only realistic way forward.
I am a strong believer helping our neighbors if they come under attack, even if the government won't, and I know I am not alone with that viewpoint.
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Mandatory military service breeds corruption and violence, there's a reason many countries abolished it. You are putting hundreds of dumbass teenage boys, whose parents weren't rich enough to afford a waiver, all together governed by people who intentionally went into service (often not the brightest kind to say the least) and expect good things to happen. Countries that have immediate concern for invasions from neighbours should invest in an actual paid standing army, if they can't - too fucking bad.
We already have military conscription here in lithuania, along with the voluntary service
I did get conscripted to it (and didn't have to do it, on account of failing my medical exams), but prior to that, my opinion on military service was more or less that I wouldn't join the military if the call was for some war in the middle east, but if russia ever started throwing more than illegal planes and spy drones over the border and something had to be done about it, then I would've been more likely to, I suppose Β―β \β _β (β γβ )β _β /β Β―
If they tried to draft me I'd tell them to eat all of my shit and hair, I'd rather go to jail.
Switzerland: my dad had to go to prison for a limited time for refusing military service and had to do an alternative service as well.
I was able to opt-out military in a normal way (just filling a form) and do the alternative service without going to jail, as this was changed in the time between
But the alternative service are 1.5x times the days you have to serve
I think I would, unfortunately. There's no choice. I'm Romanian and I know plenty of history to know what happened to our military in the last two WWs, but if there's a demand, then I would go for it.
Peoplle in my country all say that "oh, I wouldn't join, which corrupt politician do you see me to defend? I'd rather move out of my country" etc. (You usually hear this from the most right wing people out there).
The reality is that you're not fighting for the asses of the corrupts only. You're also fighting for the relative freedom that you have, the safety of your land, so that your dear ones don't have to be forced to learn another language or subject to a culture they don't want etc.
And no, if there will be any mission involving America, I don't think there will be a draft. They're usually just sending a bunch of people in the conflict, mostly sitting on the side and that's it. It's mostly Russia that I'm afraid of.
You can be "lucky" and not seen as fit for the military. Or you can apply for civil protection. Should you be in the military they will try to keep you and i personally dont know of a way out. Maybe if youre wealthy and have top lawyers.
They have an Achilles heel tho; If you start mentioning extreme backpain you might be out soon. They dont want to pay for crippling you/chronic backpain.
As for the jail part. You were drafted and refuse?--> straight to jail
You are a recruit/soldier or whatever and you dont follow orders?---> straight to militaryjail
Militaryjail is full so you are lucky right? Wrong you go straight to jail.
Jail is full? Preparations are on the way for extracells.
You feel like a tool for the state? You are.
I live in Japan and can't be drafted as a non-citizen. Living here, I'm not sure what either of my citizenship countries could do to actually draft me. Also in my mid-40s, colorblind, and with several parts of me held together by screws and plates, so I'm not exactly at the top of any list.
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I did participate in my mandatory military conscription. Was excited for it. Learned some habits that I'm sure have helped me since. Alternative would've been jail, which sounded like an overall bad idea.
There are pacifist roles (medics, firefighters, ...) for those that don't want to handle a gun.
Welcome to Greece, where once you turn adult(18-19), you have to go to army. If you don't show up, police or stratonomia searches for you, and if you fully never show up, you are called insubordination, and you get fine around 6k and you go to military court. You get to serve 12 months on mainland, 9 in boarders. The only way to avoid it is if you have some kind of medical situation, pay for it or have someone to move the strings, and still they will accept you, but unarmed. Apart from it, the worst part, is the training, they teach you old stupid stuff, and the weapons are so bad that you can't even hit target, no matter how good you are! I did 9 months, and the training was the worst thing I ever done on a WW2 machinery. The thing is that training will probably change, as army is doing changes lately(Bless Niko Dendias). Will see.
What's the public opinion regarding Greek politicians? Is it worth fighting for the government? Speaking of that, I've heard that Americans who refused the draft back in the 60s crossed the Canadian border. I mean, can people in Greece just enter and hide in neighboring countries to avoid conscription?
Of course it's not worth fighting for a government that can't stop scandals going on and on IMO. I forgot to mention that we where used to get paid 8.50 euros per month, which a year after was raised, but still, what they expect us to do with 8.50??
You can leave the country, but after a while they call you deserter, and coming to Greece will be limited, I think max 3 months of stay.
Greek politicians have a bad reflection.
8.50 euros Is that after taxes? WTF? Might as well consider it a "slave" wage.
Senior year I told a recruiter my medical history and they never called again. I still have that medical history and I'm not 18 anymore. If they raise the age of the draft I'll drag out that old chestnut. If things get so bad they still want me to serve I'd probably stop taking the medicine I have to take as a result of my past and let them deal with the mess. I won't be my problem I'll be their problem.
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Oh one more thing about Sweden.
We have a concept called TotalfΓΆrsvar, Absolute Defense, which means that everyone living in Sweden between the ages of 16 and 70 may be required to serve regardless of gender.
Foreign citizen may even be included depending on the situation.
This also include service after say, a nuclear accident, you may required to help with the cleanup, refusal can be punished with up to four years of prison time.
Yes, refusing draft is punishable by jail. I knew people that were hiding from MP for years. It's not like they had to hide in some basement but they definitely couldn't just live under their registered address. The risk of getting arrested was always there. There was some statue of limitations on it so you only had to hide until you're 28 or something like that.
As for your question, for me it depends on the war. If someone would try to draft to invade other country I would refuse. If other country invaded Spain I would defend it (well, not Catalonia or Pais Vasco obviously but other communities for sure).
depends on the war
When referencing from the American perspective: A LOT or often - it involves the MIC (complejo militar-industrial) which in their case is the collab between defense companies (i.e. Lockheed Martin) & the government on making the big bucks (basically making money by arms trading). I'm not sure about Spain though...
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