what say ye?

No.

One of the reasons we have what is probably the most effective military in the world is because it is 100% volunteer.

Everybody in the military wants to be in the military.

If you bring back a draft, then you will get a large number who do not want to be in.  That brings down morale and efficiency.

No.

One of the reasons we have what is probably the most effective military in the world is because it is 100% volunteer.

Everybody in the military wants to be in the military.

If you bring back a draft, then you will get a large number who do not want to be in.  That brings down morale and efficiency.
Agreed. Plus, if they reinstated the draft, then whenever a buck private gets disgruntled (and they all do, from time to time), their sergeants could no longer say to them, "No one twisted your arm behind your back when you signed the papers!"  (God, I hated that!)  ;D

No.  My reasons are along the lines of Mushroom's. 

Not no but HELL NO!!!




Cat

No, definatley not. As a draft age Male you wouldn't even see my ass as i got the hell outta here.

As Mushroom said, everyone in the Military wants to be there. If you want a larger Military, make it more appealing.

A draft wouldn't work, the infrastructure isn't there and we're a different generation, Loyalty to one's country is not what it was 30 years ago.

It would be interesting to see how fast the Neo Con's could get their kids out of service though  ;D

well, i'll play devil's advocate (and maybe surprise some people who already know of some of my somewhat radical proclivities) and say yes. i think it's really important that everyone in society feel like they're invested whenever we go to war. if we reinstated conscription i don't think we'd go to war so easily as we do now, because there wouldn't be so much armchair generalism.

having said that, i think it's important to have lots of options. i hate to bring up the trip to germany again but when i went there, they have obligatory "military" service but it's very flexible, you can substitute various kinds of community service etc., one of the guys i met was an avowed antiwar pacifist so when his time came to serve he trained as a medic. and that made a lot of sense to me. but i gotta be honest with you, i think a lot of the problem with society today is that we don't perceive ourselves as being invested in any sort of collective enterprise as a nation or as a society and some form of conscription -- a mix of military and civilian, is how i envision it, possibly a two-year stint in the peace corps might suffice too! -- would really help to put that back in people's minds.

plus i was a little punk when i was 18 and i could have used somebody making me do a few pushups! lol.

plus i was a little punk when i was 18 and i could have used somebody making me do a few pushups! lol.

How would you like to end up having no arms and legs with which to do push-ups!

As long as we're fighting wars of imperialist venture for the profit of fatcat capitalists, I can't support a draft.  No way!

How would you like to end up having no arms and legs with which to do push-ups!

As long as we're fighting wars of imperialist venture for the profit of fatcat capitalists, I can't support a draft.  No way!


i guess i'm thinking that a draft would make imperialist ventures less likely, because the public would be a lot more likely to hold the government accountable for the conflicts they get involved with. but if i'm wrong i'd be the first to admit that that would, um, really suck.

i guess i'm thinking that a draft would make imperialist ventures less likely, because the public would be a lot more likely to hold the government accountable for the conflicts they get involved with. but if i'm wrong i'd be the first to admit that that would, um, really suck.


Uhh, I am sorry...  but you are dead wrong.  And history proves that out.

One of the things that made World Wars I and II possible was the large armies available because of universal conscription.  If you have a large number of troops sitting around, you have to do something with them.  After a while, they get disgruntles, and morale drops.  One good way to ensure they are kept busy is to have a war.

Look at some of "Victoria's Little Wars" for a good example.  Did you know that she had a war for ever year of her reign?  She kept her troops busy fighting things like "The Crimean War", "The Boer War", "The Opium War", "The Afganistan War", and many others.

Even more recently, look at Argentina and Iraq.  Both were controlled by Military Dictatorships.  Both had domestic problems.  Both had universal conscription.  Both countries started wars to try and improve the morale at home (Iran and Kuwait for Saddam, Island Malvinas conflict for Argentina).

I do favor a form of conscription, but not into the military.  I would love to see a form of "CCC" (similar to what FDR did in the 1930's).  Make it mandatory to youth from 18-22 who do not have jobs, attend schooling of some sort, or enter the military.  In otherwords, the lazy and unemployed.  Run it as both work and job training.

There are a lot of things in this country that such a group can do.  Maintenance in our state and national parks, urban clean-up, school renovation, cleanup and conversion of closed military bases to other uses, etc.  This may also help give direction to some of the youth of today which just languishes, with no work available and no skills.

But such an organization must be kept "non-military".  We do not need a modern version of the "Hitler Youth".

well, if you look at what i said above, i was suggesting something similar to what you're talking about. a variety of civilian and military options from which one could choose.

and what you're talking about with victoria's little wars sounds a lot like the problem we have in this country now, more or less constant wars embarked on in this very facile way, one after another. that's been going on in this country since at least the interventions in central america in the 80s. and we don't have a draft, but we DO have a military sucking up something between 300 and 500 billion dollars a year, which has much the same effect -- if you put all that money into something, you have to use it. i think the problem is more inherent in late-stage empire, that the powers-that-be start looking to endless war to try and solve problems that are actually internal. so it's a much more complicated problem than just having a bunch of draftees sitting around doing nothing. again, the germans and the israelis, i know off the top of my head, both have some form of obligatory conscription and they're not expansionist -- well, in israel's case they've got some other problems but i don't think they spring from the fact israel has a draft! it would be prospammersite to suggest that.

so once again, guess we gotta disagree on something. lol.

hell, no....killing people should be a voluntary act, I personally, couldn't go out and kill some stranger, have you ever killed anyone? if not, have you ever really, really thought how that might feel to do it? gee, I even have trouble killing roaches....only people that don't mind killing should be in the military  >:( let there be Peace on Earth & let it begin with thee...can't we learn to be civilized, learn to settle differances without a fight? sigh.

and what you're talking about with victoria's little wars sounds a lot like the problem we have in this country now, more or less constant wars embarked on in this very facile way, one after another.


This is a very different situation.

Victoria was trying to hold onto and expand the "British Empire".  Most of the wars were in her colonies, or in an attempt to expand her colonies.  The US is more into nation building, with the hopes that once we leave, the country will take care of itself.


the germans and the israelis, i know off the top of my head, both have some form of obligatory conscription and they're not expansionist -- well, in israel's case they've got some other problems but i don't think they spring from the fact israel has a draft! it would be prospammersite to suggest that.

so once again, guess we gotta disagree on something. lol.


Israel is a special situation.  It is hard to live without universal conscription when your neighbors are constantly trying to destroy you.  And every time it looks like they can relax, another country (or group) steps up and calls for their destruction.

Just this week, the President of Iran called for the destruction of Israel.  This is sad, because every time it looks like we can normalize relations with Iran, they get another psychopath in charge.  And every time Israel thinks it can relax, they get shown why they have to keep themselves in a constant state of war readyness.

The only problem Israel has with it's neighbors is that it exists at all.  And if Israel dissapeard tomorrow, they would just find somebody else to hate.

well, i'll just say the "nation-building" rhetoric can pretty much be dismissed out of hand. actually the british always said similar things, though tuned to the values and language of the time -- they always invaded and conquered in the interest of selflessly bringing god and civilization to the unwashed heathens in whatever country they happened to be interested in at the moment, and if they happened to stumble upon and plunder the country's natural resources in the process of their selfless endeavors, well, wasn't that an interesting coincidence?

and now the US gov talks about nation building and this whole bit about, well, we prop up the country and then once they're on, we leave... but i couldn't help but notice that the leaving part seems to take a long time happening...

the comments coming out of iran recently are completely unconscienable. i DO remember, though, that when the iranian elections were coming up there was a moderate running against one of these religious extremist guys, bush says, hey, you guys should vote for the moderate, and the religious extremist promptly has a jump in the polls. so it's a dicey situation, the perception of the US as meddling unfairly in middle eastern affairs is so ingrained in that region that it's difficult for the US to have any beneficial effect there right now.

i think saying "'they' will just find someone else to hate" is a bit sweeping, to say the least. there are many intelligent moderates in iran but unfortunately they're being marginalized, largely because of a belligerent US stance toward the country. and i think bitterness over the iran-iraq war, in which a million people died and in which the US funded and aided both sides -- that's an anger that's going to last for generations i'm afraid.

This goes well with the "favorite beer" thread.

"Draft beer, not boys!"
As they used to say in the Vietnam era. Now you'd have to say "Draft beer, not soldiers!"  Not as catchy, but gender neutral.
:-\\

No, definatley not. As a draft age Male you wouldn't even see my ass as i got the hell outta here.

As Mushroom said, everyone in the Military wants to be there. If you want a larger Military, make it more appealing.

A draft wouldn't work, the infrastructure isn't there and we're a different generation, Loyalty to one's country is not what it was 30 years ago.

It would be interesting to see how fast the Neo Con's could get their kids out of service though  ;D


I'm a con, and if I was told I had to fight I'd say, "ok hand me a gun".

Send me off to a foreign land to go and kill the "    "  man.

And even though I wouldn't be thrilled to death about it, notice the pun,  you wouldn't hear me constantly bitch about it either. 

I'm a con, and if I was told I had to fight I'd say, "ok hand me a gun".

Send me off to a foreign land to go and kill the "    "  man.

And even though I wouldn't be thrilled to death about it, notice the pun,  you wouldn't hear me constantly bitch about it either. 


So, you would happily serve in Iraq even though it's pretty much beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no reason for us to be there other than profit.
Now, if we were involved in a conflict akin to either of the great wars, you wouldn't need a draft, i'd sign up. I'm not fighting for any CEO though, which is all war is nowadays. Hostile Takeovers.

another reason to bring back conscription (and i'm really not that adamant about the idea, i just thought it would be fun to play devil's advocate since i figured no one else would argue for it  :P) is that there would at least be a hope in heck of getting congresspeople and administration folks and their sons and daughters to pony up when they start all these wars. i couldn't help but noticing there's not a lot of direct consequences for these guys now when they start all their splendid little wars.

No.  The draft is a form of involuntary servitude.  If the people of the United States think that we need more people in the armed services, we should compensate them better, and then more people would enlist.

So, you would happily serve in Iraq even though it's pretty much beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no reason for us to be there other than profit.
Now, if we were involved in a conflict akin to either of the great wars, you wouldn't need a draft, i'd sign up. I'm not fighting for any CEO though, which is all war is nowadays. Hostile Takeovers.


If Uncle Sam came over and grabbed me and told me, "look son, you got a choice.  You can either go over seas and fight for your country or you can flee to Canada like a coward or go to jail like a coward."  I'd choose my first option. 

I don't agree with War, regardless of the reasons.  So it doesn't really matter.  A draft is a draft.

If Uncle Sam came over and grabbed me and told me, "look son, you got a choice.  You can either go over seas and fight for your country or you can flee to Canada like a coward or go to jail like a coward."  I'd choose my first option. 


Why would i be a coward if i moved back to Europe?

In my eyes a coward is somebody who won't stand up for their principals.
If they came and said to me... "Look son, you got a choice, you can go over to Iran and fight a bunch of guys who haven't hurt you, haven't hurt me and haven't hurt our country, or you can go running back to Mommy." ...My mumma would be a happy lady.

Now, if they said "Look son, the White House was just bombed, The Iranian Navy (as if they have a one  ;D) is on it's way and they're sending 2 million troops over, watcha gonna do?" Gimmie a gun and write my Death Certificate, cus i'm fighting.

That's the difference. I'm not fighting a war for Big Business, i'll fight to protect my country(s). Yeah it's nice to know i could be drafted by two countrys  ;D

If Uncle Sam came over and grabbed me and told me, "look son, you got a choice.  You can either go over seas and fight for your country or you can flee to Canada like a coward or go to jail like a coward."  I'd choose my first option. 

I don't agree with War, regardless of the reasons.  So it doesn't really matter.  A draft is a draft.

Will you be a man, or will you be cannon fodder for the imperialist aggression of the rich?  Not much of a choice if you ask me!  Just because some wicked old man get greedy and start whipping up lies about our national security doesn't mean I have to become roadkill on the Baghdad highway.
The sonsofb!tches who started this war, their country isn't really America.  Their country is international capital.  Thus, I say, my country is the international proletariat.  I have more in common with a Mexican immigrant or an Iraqi date farmer than I do with Dick Cheney!
::)

Why would i be a coward if i moved back to Europe?

In my eyes a coward is somebody who won't stand up for their principals.
If they came and said to me... "Look son, you got a choice, you can go over to Iran and fight a bunch of guys who haven't hurt you, haven't hurt me and haven't hurt our country, or you can go running back to Mommy." ...My mumma would be a happy lady.

Now, if they said "Look son, the White House was just bombed, The Iranian Navy (as if they have a one  ;D) is on it's way and they're sending 2 million troops over, watcha gonna do?" Gimmie a gun and write my Death Certificate, cus i'm fighting.

That's the difference. I'm not fighting a war for Big Business, i'll fight to protect my country(s). Yeah it's nice to know i could be drafted by two countrys  ;D



Back and to are two different words.  I was born in USA and I'll most likely die here too. 

Drafted by two countries....lucky you don't live in Korea, you have to do military service over there. 

Will you be a man, or will you be cannon fodder for the imperialist aggression of the rich?  Not much of a choice if you ask me!  Just because some wicked old man get greedy and start whipping up lies about our national security doesn't mean I have to become roadkill on the Baghdad highway.
The sonsofb!tches who started this war, their country isn't really America.  Their country is international capital.  Thus, I say, my country is the international proletariat.  I have more in common with a Mexican immigrant or an Iraqi date farmer than I do with Dick Cheney!
::)


hear hear.

http://www.junknugget.com/forum/images/smiles/headbang.gif

Will you be a man, or will you be cannon fodder for the imperialist aggression of the rich?  Not much of a choice if you ask me!  Just because some wicked old man get greedy and start whipping up lies about our national security doesn't mean I have to become roadkill on the Baghdad highway.
The sonsofb!tches who started this war, their country isn't really America.  Their country is international capital.  Thus, I say, my country is the international proletariat.  I have more in common with a Mexican immigrant or an Iraqi date farmer than I do with Dick Cheney!
::)


;D Once again Max, you hit the nail on the head.
I can't think of a single individual i know.. that any member of the current administration would 'Have over for dinner'  ;D

We're just the workers, even those we consider rich are just the workers. The guy in the office on the floor above earning $150,000 a year. Peanuts when these guys are concerned.


Drafted by two countries....lucky you don't live in Korea, you have to do military service over there. 


And Afghanistan and Albania and Algeria and Angola and Bolivia.. the list goes on

;D Once again Max, you hit the nail on the head.
I can't think of a single individual i know.. that any member of the current administration would 'Have over for dinner'  ;D

We're just the workers, even those we consider rich are just the workers. The guy in the office on the floor above earning $150,000 a year. Peanuts when these guys are concerned.

And Afghanistan and Albania and Algeria and Angola and Bolivia.. the list goes on


Sorta like the beat.

Going to jail for refusing to kill people is not being a coward.  People talk principle, but they aren't willing to pay the price.  When Rosa Parks knowingly broke the law, the bus driver told her he'd have to call the cops and her arrested.  She basically told him, "then do that".

I vote yes, not yes but hell yes, and the first to be drafted should be the Bush twins.  The demographics of the military make it clear that there are 2 types who enlist, gung ho white kids and minorities.  I opted out of Vietnam (like Ceney, Bush, Wolfowitz et al) because I believed it to be an immoral and illegal war, as this one is (although as I understand it I missed out on lots od good mary jane and lots of sex), but it might just be the case that, as during Vietnam, a draft army would engender more opposition from military families than this one is, which tends to legitimate the pacifist movement.  And, as in Vietnam, the draft gave lots of poor kids the opportunity to frag lots of snobby 2nd lt rich kids.  Now that was class warfare.

NO WAY.


Actually, in my Clinton foreign policy class we discussed brining back the draft...the whole class said no, except for one......his reasons: "Im not an American citizen, so I dont care what happens to you guys".  yeah

Yeah it's nice to know i could be drafted by two countrys  ;D



Same here. Thankfully, Canada doesn't require compulsory military service and neither does the US (yet).

You know, a lot of us dual citizens get into a lot of trouble with their other country where they aren't holding residence when they come of age. A friend of mine is a dual citizen of US/Italy, and has to be very careful upon entering Italy when he goes (which is every year) because he could be arrested for not having served in the military.

I found this on Wikipedia.  It is a list of courntries that have a mandatory draft:

A number of countries have mandatory military service:

Austria
Austria has mandatory military service for fit male citizens from 18 to 35 years of age. Service lasts for 8 months but will be shortened to 6 months in 2006. Conscientious objectors join the civilian service (Zivildienst) for 12 months (reduction to 9 months in 2006).

Belarus
Belarus has mandatory military service for all fit men from 18 to 27 years of age. Military service lasts for 18 months for those without higher education, and for 12 months for those with higher education.

Bermuda
Bermuda, although a dependant territory of the United Kingdom, still maintains conscription for its local force. Males between the age of 18 and 32 are drawn by lottery to serve in The Bermuda Regiment for a period of 38 months. The commitment is only on a part time basis, however. Anyone who objects to this has the right to have their case heard by an exemption tribunal.

Brazil
Brazil has mandatory military service for men from the age of 18 to 30. However, conscientious objection is allowed.

Bulgaria
Bulgaria has mandatory military service for male citizens from 18 to 27 years of age. Currently (2004) the duration of the service depends on the degree of education. For citizens studying for or holding a bachelor degree or higher the service is 6 months, and for citizens with no higher education it is 9 months. During the last 10 years the duration of service has rapidly dropped (from 2 years in 1994) and as Bulgaria adopts a professional army mandatory service is expected to be replaced with voluntary service.

Chile
Chile has mandatory military service for all citizens between 18 and 45. The duration of service is 12 months for the army and 24 months for Navy and Air Force.

China (PRC)
The People's Republic of China has conscription for both men and women. Women who are conscripted go into the army for two months and learn to use firearms. In practice, military service with the PLA is voluntary; all 18-year-old males have to register themselves with the government authorities, in a way similar to the Selective Service System of the United States. The main exception to this system applies to potential university students, who are required to undergo military training before their courses commence. An exception is also made for Hong Kong and Macau, whose residents are exempted from conscription as they are restricted from any military service.

Croatia
Croatian law prescribes military service for male citizens from 18 to 27 years old. The duration of the normal military service is six months (as of 2004), while conscientious objectors can apply for civil service which lasts for eight months. Conscription is regularly postponed for students until the end of their studies, as long as they apply before they turn 28 years of age.

Over the last decade or so, the duration of military service has been halved and civil service was introduced together with the streamlining of the professional army. Should this trend continue, the mandatory service may eventually be completely replaced with voluntary service.

Cyprus
Cyprus has compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot men between the ages of 18 and 50. Military service lasts for 25 months. After that, ex-soldiers are considered reservists and participate in military exercises for a few days every year. Conscientious objectors can either do 33 months unarmed service in the army or 38 months community work. See official pages by the Greek Cypriot National Guard. In North Cyprus there is compulsory military service for Turkish Cypriots. The Annan Plan for Cyprus that was rejected in the 2004 reunification referendum mandated the demilitarisation of the island and the disbanding of both Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot forces.

Denmark
Denmark has mandatory service for all able men of the age of 18 to 27. It lasts four months, however, some special service will take longer. One will typically receive a letter around the time of one's 18th birthday, asking you when you will graduate, and some time later, depending on when, you will receive a notice on when to attend to the draft office, where you will be tested physically and psychologically. However some may be deemed unfit for service and not be required to show up.

Even if a person is deemed fit, or partially fit for service, he may avoid having to serve if he draws a high enough number randomly. Persons who are deemed partly fit for service will however be placed lower than those who are deemed fit for service, and therefore have a very low chance of being drafted.

Conscientious objectors can choose to instead serve six months in a non-military position, for example in Redningsberedskabet (dealing with non-military disasters like fires) or foreign aid work in a third world country.

Egypt
Egypt has a mandatory military service program for males between the ages of 18 and 30. Females of comparable age serve in a civilian program. Conscription is regularly postponed for students until the end of their studies, as long as they apply before they turn 28 years of age. By the age of 30 a male is considered unfit to join the army and pays a fine. Males with no brothers, or those supporting parents are exempted from the service. Males serve for a period ranging from 14 months to 48 months depending on their education; high school dropouts serve for 48 months during which they finish their high-school education. College graduates serve for lesser periods of time, depending on their education, and college graduates with special skills are still conscripted yet at a different rank and with a different pay scale with the option of remaining with the service as a career. Some Egyptians evade conscription and travel overseas until they reach the age of 30, at which point they are tried, pay a $580 fine (as of 2004), and are dishonorably relieved of their obligation to serve in the army. Such an offense, legally considered an offense of "bad moral character", prevents the "unpatriotic" citizen from ever holding public office.

Eritrea
Eritrea has a mandatory military service program for both men and women aged 18 through 40. The term of service is 18 months. There is no alternate service. The Eritrean government is well-known for hunting down and torturing suspected draft evaders. Draft evaders often flee the country to nearby countries.

Finland
As of 2004, Finland has mandatory military service for men of at least six months (180 days), depending on the assigned position: those trained as officers or NCOs serve for twelve months (362 days), specialist troops serve for nine (270 days) or twelve months, and other rank and file serve for six months. Unarmed service is also possible, and lasts eleven months (330 days). Since 1995, women have been given the option of voluntary military service. During the first 56 days, women have an option to quit the service without having to provide a reason. After serving for 56 days, they fall under the same obligation to serve as men.

Non-military service of thirteen months (395 days) is available for men whose conscience prevents them from serving in the military. Men who refuse to serve at all are sent to prison for up to 6.5 months (197 days). On principle, male citizens from the demilitarized Ã…land region have to serve in customs offices or lighthouses, but since this service has not been arranged, they are always exempted from the service. Jehovah's Witnesses' service is postponed every two years until they, at the age of 28, are exempted.

Military service has been mandatory for men throughout the history of independent Finland since 1917. Soldiers and civil servicemen receive a daily salary of 3.60 € (days 1-180), 5.75 € (days 181-270) and 8.25 € (onward from day 271).

After the training part of the service is done, the soldier enters the reserve. The reservists can be called to mandatory refresher exercises. Rank and file serves 40 days maximum, specialists 75 days and officers 100 days. For this, a salary of about 50 euro per day is paid. The service is mandatory; it is not possible to refuse an order to attend the refresher exercise.

The length of non-military service has been criticized as being punitive by Amnesty International because it is over twice as long as the most common alternative, six-month military service. Several motions to shorten it have been made in the Finnish Parliament but none have passed.

Germany
Main article at Conscription in Germany
Germany has mandatory military service of nine months for men. Women may volunteer and are allowed to perform the same jobs as men. A conscientious objector may petition for permission to do civilian "alternative service" (Ersatzdienst) or "(alternative) civilian service" (Zivildienst) instead for nine months, which is usually accepted. A third option is to become a foreign "development helper" (Entwicklungshelfer) for at least eighteen months. Overall, however, during the past few years, the number of men being drafted has declined significantly.

Save for a few exceptions, military service is compulsory for all men between the ages of 18 and 23 years. Those who are engaged in educational or vocational training programs prior to their military assessment are allowed to postpone service until they have completed the programs and can be called upon to perform their national duty at any time thereafter.

Greece
Main article at Conscription in Greece
As of 2004, Greece (Hellenic Republic) has mandatory military service of 12 months for men. However, it is developing a professional army system, and it is widely expected that the mandatory military service will be cut to 6 months by 2008 or even abolished completely. Although women are accepted into the Greek army, they are not obliged to join as men are. Soldiers receive no health insurance, but they can receive medical support during their army service, including hospitalization costs. They receive a symbolic salary of approximately 9 euros per month for privates, 12 euros for the rank of draft corporal and draft sergeant, and 600 euros as a draft cadet. The wages are not sufficient to sustain a draftee serving his tour away from his place of residence and most draftees depend financially on their parents to support them financially while they are on their tour.

Israel
Israel has mandatory military service for both Jewish men and women not married by the conscription age; some ethnic and religious groups are exempt. Typically, men serve for 36 months, women serve for 24 months. See also: Israel Defence Forces.

There are growing numbers of refuseniks who resist military service, particularly in the West Bank, some of them serving prison terms as a result. See also: Refusal to serve in the Israeli military.

Lebanon
Lebanon previously had mandatory military service of one year for men. On the 4th of May 2005, a new conscription system was adopted, making for a six-month service, and pledging to end conscription within two years. See Official Information from Lebanese Army.

Malaysia
As of 2004, Malaysia has mandatory national service of three months for a selected group of both men and women. Twenty per cent of 18-year-olds are selected through a lottery system to join this program. Trainees are not trained to use firearms. The first training date was February 16, 2004. See Official Information from Malaysia National Service Training Department.

Mexico
Currently, all males reaching 18 years of age must register for military service (Servicio Militar Nacional, or SMN) of one year, though selection is made by a lottery system using the following color scheme: whoever draws a black ball must serve as a "disponibility reservist", that is, they must not follow any activities whatsoever and get their discharge card at the end of the year. The ones who get a white ball serve in a Batallón del Servicio Militar Nacional (National Military Service Battalion) composed entirely of one-year SMN conscripts. Those with a community service interest may participate in Literacy Campaigns as teachers, or as Phys-Ed instructors. Military service is also (voluntarily) open to women. In certain cities, such as Mexico City and Veracruz, there is a third option: a red ball (Mexico City) and a Blue ball (Veracruz), which entails serving a full year as a recruit in a Paratrooper Battalion in the case of Mexico City residents, or a Infantería de Marina unit (Navy Marines) in Veracruz. In other cities which have a Navy HQ (such as Ciudad Madero), it is the Navy which takes charge of the conscripts, instead of the Army.

Norway
Norway has mandatory military service of 18 months for men between the ages of 18 (17 with parental consent) and 44. The actual draft time is 6 months for the national guard, and 9-12 months for the regular army and navy. The remaining months are supposed to be served in annual exercises, but very few conscripts do this due to lack of funding to the Norwegian armed forces. The decreased funding and greater reliance on high technology in the armed forces has resulted in only a third of the male population completing the service (since the late 1990's). The remaining two thirds have mostly formally been dismissed after medical tests or obtained deferral of the service due to studies or stays abroad. Many norwegians consider it unfair that they are the "unlucky" 1/3 that have to complete the compulsory military duty when so many others are dismissed. The Norwegian armed forces will normally not draft a person who has reached the age of 28. In Norway certain voluntary specialist training programs entail extended conscription of one to eight years. Pacifists can apply for non-military service, lasting 13 months. Women can volunteer for military service in any part of the armed forces.

Poland
Poland has a compulsory service term of 12 months for all mature men. However, many of those are considered unfit for mandatory military service during peacetime. Effectively, many ten of thousand men are drafted each autumn. Alternative service can be requested, e.g. in the police force.

Romania
Romania still has conscription. In 2003 an amendment to the Constitution allowed the Parliament to mark the military service facultative and the conscription will end in January 2007. Men serve for 12 months (6 months if they have graduated a form of higher education). As of 2004, conscripts no longer serve in the Romanian Navy.

The Romanian parliament voted in October 2005 to end the draft after the October 2006 "class" of draftees reports for duty. Beginning in January 2007, 20 year-old Romanian men will have to register with the government but the men will only be liable to call up in the case of war. The parliamentary vote formalized one of many military modernization and reform programs Romania agreed to when it joined NATO. By 2012, the age to require to be is 17 year-old Romanian men l have to register for the government.

Russia
As of 2002, Russia (Russian Federation) has a mandatory two-year draft but most Russians avoid it. See Only 11 percent of Russian men enter mandatory military service.

Singapore
In Singapore, the NS (Amendment) Act was passed on 14 March 1967, under which all able-bodied male citizens of 18-21 years of age are required serve a compulsory military service of two years. Upon completion of full-time NS, they undergo reservist training cycles of 40 days a year for the next 10 years.

Singapore, which currently has a mandatory service period of 24 months, used to have one of the longest mandatory military service periods for males, at 30 months. It also has special policies for ethnic Malays, because of possible conflicts in allegiances with neighbour Malaysia. Some of the Malays are drafted into the police or Civil Defense. Further conscription liability in the form of reservist training extends annually for another 10-15 years. From 1 December 2004, it has been shortened by 6 months.

See National Service

South Korea
As of 2004, South Korea has mandatory military service of 24 months. See: .

Sweden
In Sweden military service is mandatory for men only. As of 2002, Sweden's government asked the army to consider mandatory military service for women. Less than one third of the country's eligible 19-year-olds are actually drafted each year. See Sweden considers mandatory military service for women. Men may choose to do unarmed service, for instance as a firefighter. Generally, unarmed service is longer than armed.

Switzerland
Switzerland has the largest militia army in the world (220,000 including reserves). Military service for Swiss men is obligatory according to the Federal Constitution, and includes 17 weeks of basic training as well as annual 3-week-refresher courses until a number of service days which increases with rank (260 days for privates) is reached. Service for women is voluntary, but identical in all respects. Conscientious objectors can choose 450 days of community service instead of military service. Medical deferments and dismissals from basic training (often on somewhat dubious grounds) have increased significantly in the last years. Therefore, only about 33% of Swiss men actually complete basic training.

Taiwan (ROC)
The Republic of China has had mandatory military service for all males since 1949. Females from the outlying islands of Fuchien must also serve. In October 1999, the mandatory service was shortened from 24 months to 22 months. From January 2004, the mandatory service was shortened futher. At this point, the duration of mandatory military service is 18 months. Beginning Jan 1, 2006, the duration will decrease to 16 months and by 2008, it will be shortened to 12 months. ROC nationals with Overseas Chinese status are exempt from service.

Turkey
In Turkey, compulsory military service applies to all male citizens from 20 to 41 years of age (with some exceptions). Those who are engaged in higher education or vocational training programs prior to their military drafting are allowed to delay service until they have completed the programs. The duration of the basic military service varies. As of July 2003, the reduced durations are as follows: 15 months for privates (previously 18 months), 12 months for reserve officers (previously 16 months) and 6 months for short-term privates, which denotes those who have earned a university degree and not have been enlisted as reserve officers (previously 8 months).

For Turkish citizens who have lived or worked abroad of Turkey for at least three years, on condition that they pay a certain fee in foreign currencies, a basic military training of one month is offered instead of the full-term military service. Also, when the General Staff assesses that the military reserve exceeds the required amount, paid military service of one-month's basic training is established.

Although women have in principle no military service, they are allowed to become officers.

Refusing the obligatory military service due to conscientious objection is illegal in Turkey, and punishable with imprisonment by law.

Ukraine
The options include officer of reserve training for two years offered in universities as a part of a program, or one year regular service.

Venezuela
In Venezuela, all citizens over 18 should report to the local military authority for evaluation. If the citizen can provide enough proof that they should not serve (They are college students, or have medical reason not to) they are exempt. However if they cannot prove this, they are conscripted and must serve up to 2 years of mandatory military service.

Raids are usually made in night clubs and other nocturnal entertainment places to check whether or not men inside are 'registered' as reservists.



*****

Here is the full text of the article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription