Are people who favor conscription really humans?

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dktekno
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27 May 2007, 9:34 am

I was exempted from military service thanks to my Aspergers Syndrome. Yet, I have a very strong hatred to forced labor, be it in the military or in any other institution.

I have so much hatred towards forced labor that when people who I have been knowing for several years and have considered a good friend, have revealed to me that they think compulsory military service or any other forced labor is "a good idea", it makes me hate that person, even if I don't want to hate that person.

To think forced labor is a good idea is worse than believing in the shariah-law. It is worse than killing. It is a serious sin. I cannot understand why some people think forced labor is a good idea. Have they no morality? Don't they think humans should be free to choose their occupation without imprisonment if they do not pick a particular occupation?

I can accept people who believe in the death penalty.
I can accept people who believe in torture.
I have difficulties with people who believe in the shariah-law or islamic law.

But if you believe in forced labor (i.e conscription) you stop being recognized as a human being in my eyes!



Awesomelyglorious
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27 May 2007, 10:02 am

But what makes the usurpation of liberty any better if it were for the purposes of torture? What makes it alright for the death penalty? Why draw the line where you do draw it? What makes you assume that your morality is the only one in existence? After all, many people have various forms of morality and some will support conscription, others won't just as some will allow for consumption meat and others won't. Non-vegetarians are not by definition evil people even though I could view a cow as my ancestor or believe in animal rights incredibly strongly. Really though, past defenders of liberty have been willing to allow for conscription.



pbcoll
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27 May 2007, 10:28 am

I think war should really be a last resort, but if you do go to war, someone must do the fighting. If there aren't enough volunteers, then there must be some form of conscription. The Allies would not have won WWII without conscription. It is a lesser evil thing in certain conditions.


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dktekno
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27 May 2007, 11:40 am

I am not talking war. I am talking peace-time draft.

Like the one that is used in Denmark, Greece, Singapore and Germany.

In Germany it is not much military service, many people serve in civilian areas and the whole industry in Germany actually rely on forced labor. This is what I will call slavery!

If an economy cannot run with voluntary labor, it deserves to crack.



pbcoll
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27 May 2007, 2:05 pm

Yes, in that case I agree with you. Forced labour should be something reserved for those convicted of a crime, as part of their sentence, or in case of a real national emergency when it is absolutely necessary (not just as soldiers, conceivably in war mandatory labour in munitions factories or something could be required). But in ordinary peacetime circumstances, I do not think it is justified for the general population.


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I am the steppenwolf that never learned to dance. (Sedaka)

El hombre es una bestia famélica, envidiosa e insaciable. (Francisco Tario)

I'm male by the way (yes, I know my avatar is misleading).