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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Sweden brings back military conscription |
| 2017-03-09 |
| The decision to require all 18-year-olds ‐ men and women alike ‐ to register for the military draft beginning next year is a direct result of Sweden’s increasing nervousness about Russia’s aggressive behavior in Ukraine, and lately, in and around the Baltic states. Like the United States, Sweden has, since 2010, relied on volunteers for military service. But of late, it has been unable to fill its quota, prompting its defense ministry to re-introduce the draft. Of the estimated 13,000 Swedes born in 1999, about 4,000 will be selected to serve for up to a year. Swedish officials make no bones about the reason for the change. Russia’s annexation of the Crimea in 2014 set off jitters around the world. Sweden, which is just across the Baltic Sea from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, is concerned that Russia may have designs on those three countries, which were once part of the former Soviet Union. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #6 |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-03-09 12:29 |
| #5 Will 18 year old migrants be conscripted? Might be an interesting way to get rid of them, if you dodge the draft you are out. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2017-03-09 12:24 |
| #4 As much fun as it would be to re-fight the Cold War, I suspect BP's explanation in #3 is more accurate than the nonsense Sweden is publicly emitting. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2017-03-09 10:47 |
| #3 The real reason for this is that most of the police are going to leave the force as they're being fucked over by the government covering up migrant crimes. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2017-03-09 08:11 |
| #2 Mohammed may not be that eager to take on the Russians. Why lose more than being lost with a pension for showing up? Damn, I should go to Sweden. |
| Posted by: newc 2017-03-09 02:39 |
| #1 They should be more worried about all the Muslim 'migrants' they foolishly let in. Hope for their sake there's cross-training for domestic riots. |
| Posted by: Raj 2017-03-09 01:33 |