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The Swiss:
once a wearlike people: Swiss guards, Vatican.
The Swiss discovered constant warfare: suffering, poverty Neutral policy: peace and prosperity Rest of world hasn't accwpted this. Most counteies: permanent armies, compulsory military service. First Steps to peace: abolish conscription. Some countries (e.g. Britain): abandoned conscription. Not for idealistic reasons:recognition modern warfare is highly pro- fessional. No stregth in numbers; no need for cannon fodder. Push-button warfare: unskilled manpower redundant. Two years not enough to train consxripts. Leave it to professionals. Personal reasons to abolish conscription. Young men grow up with treat of two years' service; best, most for- mative years. Careers, studies disrupted; even course of lives altered. Useless experience: not valuable even in notional emergency. Men forget what they learnt. Skilled and unskilled men; source of cheap labour. 'Does you good' argument: not true. Young men pushed about, bullied; discipline. Uniformity and con- formity. Many suffer terribly; some: personality disorders. Many wonderful ways of spending two years; armed forces no one of them. |
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Aim of
peacetime conscription: national defence.
Insistence on conventional (not nuclear) warfare. Therefore possibility of nuclear warfare is reduced. Many examples of conventional warfare in recent times. |
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Two years in armed
forces provide valuable experience of men; help
a young man to grow up. Valuable character training: stress on physical fitness, initiative, etc. A man can discover his abilities and limitations. Helps with careers: many opportunities to study. Helps qualified men to gain first experience in their careers (e.g. doctors, teachers, etc.). Helps unskilled men,' to acquire skills (e.g. driving, vehicle mainten- ance, building, etc.). |
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Old-fashioned disciplinary
measures not essential in modem armed
services. Qrcat spirit of cenradeship: rnorale high. Many facilities available to servicemen- for recreation, sports, etc. Opportunities to travel overseas (e.g. UN peace-keeping force, etc.). Present-day defence arrangements are international: irresponsible for individual nations to opt out. |