"I have an 18 year old granddaughter, will she be forced into YOUR National Service?"
Paul1405 & Yuyutsu,
This is a typical parasite question. No, she won't be "forced' just as she is not "forced" to eat, drink, study, listen to music or any other activity. She'll be participating in community-building character-mentality development & if she has more sense than you than that is a bonus she can share with those whom she participates with. The smarter can teach the not so enlightened & the respectful can teach the indisciplined. All this is for a cohesive society living in harmony rather than what is happening lately & now.
She'll learn to identify the present shortcomings, learn that a well-functioning society is a multi-sided symbiosis not an entitlement factory for non-performers & hangers-on because they have a BA. Above all, she'll learn that having a mentality such as you have is what's destroying communities.

I hope that we can replace “won't be forced” with “would not be forced”, because there is no indication conscription in the future is a ‘given’.

But, of course, the very word ‘conscription’ means forced. People do not volunteer if there is conscription. Volunteering is very rare in modern society, anyway; and why would any young person volunteer to have a couple of years ripped out of their lives?

I'm not sure that females would be conscripted. Apart from not knowing what a woman is, Australian politicians are just as cowardly with feminism as they are with Islam and hate preachers. Males are the docile drones they can push around.

I hope that conscription, or whatever other name is given to it - it would be forced - never raises its head again in this country.

The right people to educate and train young people are loving parents, not politicians, most of whom have never volunteered or done anything for nothing in their mean little lives.

I'm reminded of the ancient Incas, who sacrificed the young to their Gods to improve the weather. It's a wonder that the lunatic Chris Bowen hasn't thought of that.

Dear Ttbn,

Thank you for your support.

«Volunteering is very rare in modern society, anyway; and why would any young person volunteer to have a couple of years ripped out of their lives?»

I actually see many young people volunteering, I see much good will around, I cannot even discard the possibility of young people volunteering some years to help society in ways they are inspired to contribute, but nobody of course would volunteer to be placed in a helpless situation where they can be bullied, shouted at, be forced into bad company and sometimes ordered to do things even against their conscience without being able to leave.

...to have a couple of years ripped out of their lives?»
ttbn & Yuyutsu,
12 months is now a couple of years ? I do agree with the term & nature of conscription not being a good thing. I think I've stated that a number of times already.
"to educate and train young people are loving parents" again I agree but the evidence over the past 5 decades since removing MNS suggests such parents hardly exist now.
To mollycoddle is not the love of a parent, it's instilling an indisciplined, selfish mentality. Again, I can only go by evidence.
In the hopefully never occurring event of the need to defend this Nation, how do the opponents of discipline propose social & inevitable economic mayhem to be prevented ?

There are many young people who suffer from adversity
for a variety of reasons. While we can't change all
of their conditions - such as non-caring disinterested
parents, parents with drug problems, and so many other
factors including poverty - we can encounter and
educate people into how childhood adversity impacts us
throughout our lives and by integrating solutions into
our education, healthcare, justice and economic systems
we just may end up with healthier, inclusive, and
contributing society.

Don't knock it 'till we try it.

Indyvidual,

As usual, the thread has strayed away from the original topic, as everyone puts in their two bob's worth.

The thread that I started was about military conscription, with young people only, and only young men so far, being the victims of conscription for military purposes.

Now, however, we seem to be talking about a Communist-style re-education of young people whose parents , according to some people, have not done a very good job of raising them.

Well, we have the Communist-style government in the Albanese gang, but I sincerely hope that we never get the re-education package.

You might be overlooking the fact that the people doing the re-education would be the same sorts of people who have encouraged the kids to be the way they are now? Parents, people with no children of their own, unaccountable bureaucrats, progressives etc. - all the types that you and I don't like and wish didn't exist? And the cost would be enormous, as with everything the government does.

It is not the government's place to usurp parents - unless we wish to end up like Communist China or one of the Islamic states. Freedom and democracy is more important than stressing out over kids not being like we were, who will have to grow up pretty quickly away from Mum and Dad and have to compete in the real world. If they don't grow up, they will reap what they sow - or don't sow - and we will be long gone.