Tuesday, July 3, 2018

The Draft Is Returning To Europe

Making a comeback. (Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier)

Quartz: European countries are quietly bringing back the draft

The draft is slowly coming back in vogue in Europe.

Last week, France joined the growing number of European countries reintroducing mandatory national service. Following through on president Emmanuel Macron’s election promises, the government introduced a national service requirement for all 16-year-olds that will be divided into two phases.

The first phase is mandatory, and involves a month-long placement that focuses on civil culture. Young French citizens can look into teaching or work with charities, or take part in traditional military training with the police, fire service or army. The second phase is an optional placement of between three months to a year, where young people can work defense and security, or in social care, the environment, or heritage.

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WNU Editor: I expected more opposition .... but no .... there seems to be public support for this policy.

12 comments:

fred said...

sheep?
bah to thee
some of us who know history recall their big contribution to American independence

Unknown said...
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Caecus said...

It's a good idea in theory, until you realize that there are tens of thousands of young Muslims in French cities who will inevitably use their basic training for jihadist purposes, like the thousands of Muslim men who joined the Islamic State. Don't expect the hapless European authorities to be able to distinguish them from Muslims who sincerely wish to serve their country.

Anonymous said...

Smith runneth over as usual...and has not yet even begun to gorge on dogs and beer...note: less is more

fred said...

“The past is never dead. It's not even past.”
faulkner

fred said...

Lieutenant General Raoul Magrin-Vernerey, better known under his nom de guerre, Monclar, Inspector of the French Foreign Legion and a hero of World War II, supported Chief of Staff of the French Army General Clément Blanc's decision to form a volunteer force and agreed to command the new unit, accepting a demotion back to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. The French Battalion arrived in Pusan, South Korea on November 29, 1950, and was placed under the operational control of the 23rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, 2nd U.S. Infantry Division. Despite initial fears about French forces being "on the rout",[1] the battalion carried out several successful early actions and earned the respect of General Matthew Ridgway, commander of the U.S. Eighth Army.

War News Updates Editor said...

My father always believed the French Foreign Legion had the best soldiers in the world.

Unknown said...
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fred said...

Dear Heart:
your dumpster, which you empty daily at this site, will not be picking up on 4th July.
ps: stop eating French bread and stay with Wonder bread and pj

Unknown said...

Wonder bread is crap.

Stick with good German dark rye bread or good French bread.

DAR said...

The Europeans with enough financial strength are forced to milatarize. Enough of their publics understand Putin's strength--and natural gas stranglehold. They realize the USA is isolating; Trump possibly is dividing up spheres of influence. France still has a nuke deterent, so France is the key. Germany has allowed their armed forces to decay, as has Great Britain. All 3 will have to sacrifice social programs to advance defense. Trump supporters love the situation. Would Trump "give" Putin the Baltic States in exchange for some assurity? That's a situation Western Europe would rather avoid.