There was talk on National Radio about youth crime escalating again since the COVID restriction were lifted.
To me, this is the most crystal clear evidence to-date that a National Service is not only desperately needed, there is simply no alternative to such a service.
Education is failing abysmally & individual Rights are fertile ground for worsening this trend.
Our Law makers need to have their seats put on fire & their thoughts diverted from Superannuation to the state of our society, crime rates in particular. Unless the present generation puts instilling common sense & a sense of responsibility before their "individual rights" & towards the common good we might actually be better off to invite China to manage this Nation.
Without discipline & a focus on discipline a Nation is not a free Nation !

You have a good point Indyvidual. Kudos

Indy,

You favour the "blow torch" approach, a nation service is not the answer. What is needed is early intervention to stop the progression of children from early juvenile detention to adult prison, caused by antisocial and criminal behaviour at an early age, and then on going. A child needs a rewarding pathway in life, and no quick fix national service late in adolescence is going to achieve that. Early intervention is not only cost effective as a process of realignment, but it is effective in preventing recidivism when early behaviour indicates failure is taking place.

There are many factors that drive children in the wrong direction in life, a poor home environment, social conflict in an unhealthy environment , lack of proper parenting, failure of education, lack of opportunity, many things that need to be addressed to reset a child in life's right direction.

Since the Covid restrictions were lifted. These little thugs put a hold on their activities because of Covid restrictions? I don’t think so.

Has anyone ever heard military authorities - or any authorities paid to see to the running of the country - call for 'national service' to solve crime and bad behaviour?

Punishment is what these little bastards need, and they are not getting it, thanks to our weak courts.

National service is about 'service' and honour; not about punishing scumbags, who should be locked up.

We have boot camps now. How many of these criminals are sentenced to take part in them?

Yes ttbn, rather than wasting our time electing politicians, we should be electing all judges & magistrates. Perhaps if they had to stand for reelection every 4 years or so, they would give sentences more in line with what the paying public want.

Of course most of them have been practicing lawyers, so perhaps have more sympathy with those who have been their clients in the past than the long suffering public.

Meanwhile jails should be places where no one ever wants to go, rather than holiday camps for thugs.

Hasbeen,

I believe that they elect judges in the US, where sentencing is more realistic.

A recent example of the unsuitably of Australian judges for their positions occurred here in SA, where a male, drunk and drugged, killed a young boy while driving a jetski on the Murray. He got a lousy two years. Even then the female judge said, pathetically, said that she 'had no choice but to send him to jail'.

In the past, the Crown Prosecutor would have appealed, often winning. Now, those time serving bureaucrats are too gutless to do their jobs as well.

Then, of course, we have the politicians who should be doing something, but are not.