| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| Future German Defense Minister Reopens Conscription, Deployment Debates |
| 2005-10-20 |
| Germany's defense minister-designate, Franz-Josef Jung, wants to introduce general conscription for the armed forces, paving the way for conflict with his SPD coalition partners, who are against such a plan. Although conscription currently exists in Germany, it only applies to young men and does not necessarily affect all of them, since the numbers called to service changes annually depending on the need. The system is however generally considered as being good for the German armed forces and good for German democracy. But now Franz-Josef Jung, the Christian Democratic (CDU) politician who has been designated Germany's future defense minister, has said a general conscription should be introduced that would apply to all young men and women and would call upon them to serve in either the armed forces or a social institution... ...The union bloc of parties has also expressed its desire to allow the armed forces, or Bundeswehr, to be deployed in the future within the country in the case of a terrorist threat. Germany's current constitution prohibits such domestic deployments and to institute such a policy, lawmakers would have to amend the country's "Basic Law," something Jung and his union colleagues have said they will pursue... |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #3 Actually, it would be a good thing, I think. The last time I looked, an awful lot of the young men called up chose to do social work (working at nursing homes, that kind of thing) instead of military service. And they were snotty about living their anti-war principles. And of course, most of the girls, who weren't called up, had anti-war priciples as well. And then they all went on to spend 10-15 years at university, because they hadn't been taught to grow up, and because there weren't enough jobs anyway. With universal conscription, the Germans youngsters wouldn't have this classist social work nonsense, both boys and girls would learn to make their beds and handle some responsibility, and people would have to be hired and paid to do the social work. Win-win-win as I see it. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-10-20 22:25 |
| #2 Actually, I say wait and see -- what compromise will be needed to let this slip through? |
| Posted by: Edward Yee 2005-10-20 22:07 |
| #1 The system is however generally considered as being good for the German armed forces and good for German democracy. Hmmm...when Germany was limited in the size of its armed forces [without the Americans or Soviets sitting on them], they were rather peaceful. Then someone reintroduced conscription again and it wasn't good for democracy, Germany or Europe. Somebody is forgetting his history. ...that would apply to all young men and women and would call upon them to serve in either the armed forces or a social institution... Ah, that's it, National Socialism. Ein Volk! BTW, France - we're not coming back again. Learn to speak German. |
| Posted by: Omegum Angigum1719 2005-10-20 21:13 |