Saturday, April 7, 2018

No One Wants To Serve In The Swedish Military

© Reuters

Carl-Johan Karlsson, Task & Purpose: The Swedish Military Can’t Retain Enough Troops. Here’s Why

As Russian aggression in recent years has prompted Sweden to ramp up military capacity, the country’s widely praised welfare system has begun to pose a surprising problem in the recruitment of soldiers.

In 2010, the Swedish Armed Forces converted to a system of entirely voluntary participation, scrapping a 109-year old tradition of mandatory enlistment. But the experiment turned out to be a failure–six out of ten soldiers starting basic training dropped out before concluding their contract.

So the government this year reinstated mandatory service. The 4,000 men and women who start their training this summer will make up for some of the vacancies. But the issue of keeping soldiers on long-term contracts remains.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:
If you want to have a volunteer military .... you will have to pay a decent wage to keep your soldiers and to give them the respect that they are due. A fact that Sweden seems has chosen to forget.

15 comments:

fred said...

Perhaps...and I am not sure on this...but maybe the Swedish economy is such that wage gaps and benefits leave most people reasonably happy with their lives. I say this because years ago when I was in the military, and there was no draft, I found a vast majority of soldiers from the South, where poverty etc. made serving in the army a much better way of life for those volunteers...after all, the US provides, housing, medical, clothing, food, retirement benefits, etc. and that sure beats a life that many regulars I met had lived prior to joining up. Sweeden perhaps does not have such a problem and thus not many would find it a benefit to enlist

Unknown said...

The military provides the opportunity for a lot of training ... in the U.S.

Perhaps Sweden not having a real military does not provide real training?

Anonymous said...

I enlisted in the Canadian military in the 80’s. I believed in serving my country and it would benefit me later on - leadership etc. Very few, if any employers, really cared and I felt it was a total waste since I was lied to regarding the benefits. I currently work in an institution where there are over 100 people. I am the only one who served and many of my colleagues think I was nuts for every volunteering in the army. Just my own personal account. I would also dissuade my own children from joining as well.. just not worth it.

Unknown said...

The South still has an outsized proportion of military members.

Trouble is with some people's fact challenged thesis. The South has risen. Atalanta has surpassed Chicago or should I say Chiraq. Maybe they do not get the memo? Maybe they can't read.


I remember the articles in the WSJ of people couch surfing in the Great State of Connecticut, because they could not afford an efficiency.

Great State of Despair

Unknown said...

Canada does not have a military.

4 subs (not all working)
0 destroyers
12 frigates

Canada is geographically cul-de-sacced. If it were adjacent to Mexico, the Zetas would have defeated the Canadian military long ago.

When jihadis murder Canadian soldiers, Canada does squat.

fred said...

Connecticut and Despair?

Visit Greenwich and see how many hedge funds now located there and how super wealthy own homes there...Half of the state in poor shape economically, as maufacturing moved South or overseas, but the other half, close enough to NY, is like North Jersey, feeding into the wealth that NY has and which can be found in many of American cities, ie, San Francisco, Boston, etc...

Unknown said...

"Visit Greenwich and see how many hedge funds ..."

So you count the number of rich people, but not the number of poor people?

.. because to get a "complete picture", we just have to look at and report the uppermost quintile.

Let not forget the capitol city of Connecticut is broke.

https://ctviewpoints.org/2018/04/03/opinion-peter-thalheim-2/

Soon Connecticut will be swirling down the ...

Unknown said...

"Hartford has been plagued by political corruption and a disintegrating corporate tax base – most recently exemplified by health-insurance giant Aetna’s decision to move its corporate headquarters away from the city, which was once proudly called “the Insurance Capital of the World.” " -ZH

fred said...

I m fully aware of the economics in Ct and have noted that those places closer to NY, an easy commute, flourish...I am not sure why you focus upon one state of 50 except to badmouth, as is your custom, me, a resident of Ct. Now tell us where you live and then tell us there are no poor people, no folks on welfare, no poverty...nope not your style. Your style is to HIDE, BADMOUTH, heap child-like scorn, and duck behind a fake name so you can piss upon others with what you think is impunity but which really reveals the lowlife you are

Unknown said...

"I am not sure why you focus upon one state of 50 except to badmouth"

I should focus on state with a balanced budget, low crime, or low unemployment?

Unknown said...


"duck behind a fake name so you can piss upon others "

We saw what happened to James Damore & Brendan Eich.

It would be so much easier for you, if everything was known except bad policies.

Great Leap Forwards and 55 million deaths? Oye... ¡No hay problema!

Put everyone in a re-education camp or worse. That is the liberal solution.

Unknown said...

Where I live?

I live in a filthy, disgusting liberal cesspool like CT.

I will be leaving as soon as I can.

fred said...

that should then raise real estate values
just stay clear of my area...fret not: I have a place besides Ct.
I do wish you well, though, kidding aside...and do what is good for you and whomever

Unknown said...

There was a revolt in the Alsace Lorraine region for France about 3 centuries ago. The revolt failed and 4 to 7 of the revolt leaders were executed out of the arrested 2 dozen.

The complaint of the townspeople was that taxes went up and up to pay for 'important' things, meanwhile the nobles exempted themselves.

It is in Wikipedia if you want to look it up.

DDSS (Different Day Same )

Present day politicians raise taxes and then have carve outs (loopholes), which allow politicians and some rich people to escape a higher tax rate if they have the right lawyer, politician, or accountant.

There is a picture from a revolt during the 100 Years War. It shows French peasants cooking the nobles in a big cauldron. Basically, the cogs revolted, because so many clippers died in the wars between the Barons (English/French).

"I do wish you well" The same. Your heart is in the right place, ...

Unknown said...

"Yeah... I dont think so. We might be small but we a very well trained and kick a lot of ass when needed."

Pound for pound I believe you.

But there are not a lot of pounds . There are not a lot of people.

The Godforsaken Left has gutted your country.

https://vladtepesblog.com/2018/04/08/malmo/

Maybe WNU can understand this news report. It is in Russian.

The gist of the report, which is verbotten to air in the U.S., is that Sweden is fvcked and the U.S. is not far behind.