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Can Germans elaborate on this? I have heard some stories but I don’t know the truth of them.
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Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
101–110 of 465 posts
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
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Something tells me that the only people wandering the streets at 2:00 PM on a weekday are vacationing from other countries. Next you'll tell me that whi- I mean, "good, old-fashioned Americans" are disappearing because you went to Times Square and couldn't hear any English. Please don't do this here.
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Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#103To offer a bit of context, the same government just voted to raise current pensions at the expense of steep taxation hikes for current workers, made massive cuts to social services, and is now discussing military service. This generation is rightfully feeling like they're getting a sore deal.
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Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#104> "We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill," the organisers of the protests wrote in a statement posted on social media. "War offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods." Is the idea that it’s better for your livelihood to just start learning how speak Russian now?
Why not, at that guy cares about his country
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#105> "We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill," the organisers of the protests wrote in a statement posted on social media. "War offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods." Is the idea that it’s better for your livelihood to just start learning how speak Russian now?
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Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
Of course, it's just a question of Ukraine knowing what's good for it (and the poor Russians) and folding so that all of the dying stops! Nice one, аноним29; I hope you made your day's quota!
You must have missed my comment about opposing the war. But this kind of bad faith accusation is really disappointing to see on HN. The caliber of discourse here is usually much higher - people engaging with the actual merits of the points being raised, not reverting to attacking strawmen that only exist in their head as if this was Facebook. Ordinary Russian and Ukranian people are both victims of this war. It is be…
> You must have missed my comment about opposing the war.
You're opposing the war in the same way Russian propaganda "opposes" it: if only Ukraine stopped fighting, so many lives would have been saved!
But Ukrainians don't have that choice; if they stop fighting against the Russian aggression, they will be fighting as part of it in a few years when Russia invades the next country over. Not to mention losing their culture in the cultural genocide that Russia is committing in the occupied territories.
On the other hand, Russians can stop fighting and go home any time you guys feel sufficiently "opposing the war". But that option is clearly not what you're advocating here with your posts.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#107Leon Trotsky: "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you."
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#108“The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.“ - all men have to fill out and return a form, I suppose this will work to increase recruitment. Doesn’t seem very controversial.
The problem here that this probably is only part of a larger society militarization plan. The guaranteed next step is to offer the volunteers a long term paid contract at the end of their term. This would probably be well above what they would be paid elsewhere (young men with no university degree, desperate enough to volunteer in the first place). Run the scheme for a few years, and you will have a large number of,…
At least as of now Germany has a robust enough social safety net and decent path for non-university careers that make a "poverty draft" system as it exists in the US not viable.
On top of that there is a large dislike in the society against military system. To break that you won't just need "a few years", but likely ~2 generations of compulsory military service for both men and women (e.g. how Isreal does it), that forces a personal connection with the military for everyone.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#109Earlier quoted context omitted.
Why do they have to fill it in and return it just to say no? Could this be used against them at some time in the future? And why women instead can just ignore it? Usually HN is very wary of the consequences of the state collecting data about its citizens and restricting freedoms in small steps. Is it not the case now?
When push comes to shove, men and women aren't equal
The hand to hand combat, super common in modern warfare, should probably be left up to the men. Great point.
Re: Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds
#110To offer a bit of context, the same government just voted to raise current pensions at the expense of steep taxation hikes for current workers, made massive cuts to social services, and is now discussing military service. This generation is rightfully feeling like they're getting a sore deal.
Classic move: make the kids struggle, then offer them a lifeline if they just put on a uniform. The GI bill is great, but you shouldn't have to step on an IED to go to college.
Nah... That's a cute idea but here's some actual data:
https://www.bundeswehrkarriere.de/downloads/mannschaften/936
tl;dr: Okay but it's not golden by any means.