Europe

I did 20 years ago and I would do again. Can't enjoy living here and when something comes and threatens that put my hands up and let somebody else do the work.

Swede here, we had conscription when I came of age, so I was called to muster.

I went, and promptly failed the first test, the hearing test, I got a pass and didn't have to do it.

At the time I was glad, I was scared, I didn't want to do it, these days I think it would have been a valuable experience.

Anyway, I believe Sweden is worth fighting for, should we come under attack, I would get in touch with the civil defense and do my part.

We already have military conscription here in lithuania, along with the voluntary service

I did get conscripted to it (and didn't have to do it, on account of failing my medical exams), but prior to that, my opinion on military service was more or less that I wouldn't join the military if the call was for some war in the middle east, but if russia ever started throwing more than illegal planes and spy drones over the border and something had to be done about it, then I would've been more likely to, I suppose ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Switzerland: my dad had to go to prison for a limited time for refusing military service and had to do an alternative service as well.

I was able to opt-out military in a normal way (just filling a form) and do the alternative service without going to jail, as this was changed in the time between

But the alternative service are 1.5x times the days you have to serve

In short: I'd refuse, oppose it and campaign against it.

I owe politians nothing. The rethoric about patriotism, duty and all the other arguments commonly used to carry forward pro-draft, pro-defense, pro-rearmament, etc, are hollow.

There are bad actors in this world but politians still confuse public office with unbridled authority and people allow for it like sheep.

Draft as been talked about in my country (Portugal) a few years back, by people that never served as military, from a "conservative" sector of society, using arguments gravitating about ingraining "values" about patriotism, discipline and sacrifice to the younger generations.

Translation: you are to be braiwashed, forced to obey, never question and die where and when ordered.

I risk most will defend their home and family at the risk of cost of their health and life if a bad actor arises. But that in no way leads to the logic for need of a standing army.

Peace is peace. Armed peace is a veiled threat.

I live in Japan and can't be drafted as a non-citizen. Living here, I'm not sure what either of my citizenship countries could do to actually draft me. Also in my mid-40s, colorblind, and with several parts of me held together by screws and plates, so I'm not exactly at the top of any list.

I think it really depends on the foreign policy of the country you live in. I would argue most European countries are unlikely to start offensive wars but would rather be defending against Russia for example. European countries are especially weary of offensive wars after what the US and UK pulled in order to make them join the Iraq War.

In this light, yes, I do believe it is the right choice to bolster our armies in Europe. I wanted to join myself but it seems my shoulder is too fucked for that.

But it is also a risk, since it could always happen that right wing extremists, like the afd in Germany, could come into power and then you're stuck working for a military at the behest of fascists.

I believe we have to take that risk in order to protect European democracy. We just need to also do everything in our power to not let the fascists win elections in Europe.

Under no circumstance am I going to war. If they draft me I will appear there stoned as hell. My drug Test shall glow in the dark.

I also have some medical conditions, mist of which have not really been diagnosed, so I highly doubt that they would recruit a seemingly drug addict with various medical conditions for which they might have to pay.

I think I would, unfortunately. There's no choice. I'm Romanian and I know plenty of history to know what happened to our military in the last two WWs, but if there's a demand, then I would go for it.

Peoplle in my country all say that "oh, I wouldn't join, which corrupt politician do you see me to defend? I'd rather move out of my country" etc. (You usually hear this from the most right wing people out there).

The reality is that you're not fighting for the asses of the corrupts only. You're also fighting for the relative freedom that you have, the safety of your land, so that your dear ones don't have to be forced to learn another language or subject to a culture they don't want etc.

And no, if there will be any mission involving America, I don't think there will be a draft. They're usually just sending a bunch of people in the conflict, mostly sitting on the side and that's it. It's mostly Russia that I'm afraid of.

I did participate in my mandatory military conscription. Was excited for it. Learned some habits that I'm sure have helped me since. Alternative would've been jail, which sounded like an overall bad idea.

There are pacifist roles (medics, firefighters, ...) for those that don't want to handle a gun.

Senior year I told a recruiter my medical history and they never called again. I still have that medical history and I'm not 18 anymore. If they raise the age of the draft I'll drag out that old chestnut. If things get so bad they still want me to serve I'd probably stop taking the medicine I have to take as a result of my past and let them deal with the mess. I won't be my problem I'll be their problem.

I will fight to defend our rights to express ourselves, love who we want, be who we want.

The biggest and most immediate threat to these values are our governments. Implementing surveillance policies under the disguise of protecting children, while failing to bring those to justice that are actually harming them. (Epstein is the current example, the abuse in the church has been known for decades more)

Corrupt politicians are representing the ultra rich and multinationals instead of the people, funneling our tax money into their own pockets and blaming immigrants and asylum seekers when underfunded infrastructure fails. Fueling the fire that enables the political shift to the right without any regard for the consequences.

In short... the answer is NO, there is no government worth fighting for. There is no government that represents me.

Oh one more thing about Sweden.

We have a concept called Totalförsvar, Absolute Defense, which means that everyone living in Sweden between the ages of 16 and 70 may be required to serve regardless of gender.

Foreign citizen may even be included depending on the situation.

This also include service after say, a nuclear accident, you may required to help with the cleanup, refusal can be punished with up to four years of prison time.

I'm pacifist and anti militaristic so no. But I would join the civil defence if we came under attack.

Sure. I'm fit, I'm outdoorsy so I'm used to sleeping in a forest and such, I know how to handle a gun, did some very basic military training years ago, I'm not squeamish or anything. I think I would handle it quite well. I also think my country is worth defending, I wouldn't simply let it fall under the rule of some invaders.

I'm French, and I'm also a trans woman. I have a feeling that if a draft was to come into effect, my legal status as a woman would be bizarrely revoked in a heartbeat, for some reason. However, this country can get fucked, and I would rather die on my own terms than die for it. it. As for your question of imprisonment, as I said, I'm a trans girl and I know what will happen to me in a men's prison, so, as I said, die on my own terms.

I'm not being sent to the slaughterhouse just because one dude's ego was so massive that he decided that he wanted to be remembered in history and therefore thought that starting a war would be the best way to do so or to further the interests of a bunch of dickheads protecting a system that should have died decades ago and of some corporation benefiting from it.

Gladly too old for it.

If I were young now, I would try very hard to avoid it.

Depends on the reason. If it is to protect my loved ones and fellow citizens from losing their freedom from a violent conquering foreign power then most likely I would show up for the draft, still scared shitless though. If it was for a deranged, debauched, degenerate leader who wanted to cover up some of his crimes then no, I'd be on my way to Montreal.

The war around hormuz was started illegally. Not my type.

Not for this shit hole of a country government that has been the USA for a long ass time. I won't go to jail either for evading it.

the USA has it (but dormant as it was last used in the 60s) now, instead part of an automatic register.

The US doesn't

and has never had

mandatory peacetime service of the "one serves six months or a year or something like that to be trained in military stuff during peacetime", but if one is male, one does need to register so that in the event of a war where people are called up, one does need to serve then.

It also means that the US has to train people from scratch in a war where it needs them, so has a relatively-long time until it can greatly ramp up its forces if it needed them.

Hell fucking no. Consequences be damned.

Accept. Any war Canada fights before I'm too old is going to be for a very good reason. (Not technically Europe, but we're trying)

The only draft I would accept is a police instead of a military one. Force some civilian eyes on how cops handle themselves, wash the profession enough so that it has to survive public scrutiny or otherwise get eventually called out on it.

I mean, Finland does have conscription, but I was exempt from it for peacetime for medical reasons and if that hadn't been an option I probably would've done civil service instead. In both cases I'd technically still be subject to draft in wartime, though probably wouldn't be put into a combat role.

That being said, I don't know if I would seek to flee abroad if the draft did go into action. Putting my life on the line to defend the neoliberal world order against an only somewhat worse (Russian) world order is not an enticing prospect, and my faith in the Finnish and European system becoming anything but neoliberal is at an all time low.

I'm quite glad to see that most of the answers are positive here. It used to be the other way around, of course this thread is not representative of the whole Europe, but anyways..

I'm a Finn, so I went. My plan was to do the minimum and get the hell out of there. But after 6 weeks I liked the guys in my group, I actually enjoyed having to actually do something different for a change, not just sit at the computer or go to band practice/gigs. So when the 8 week starting period ended and it became time to choose what you want to "specialize" in, I checked the boxes for NCO and officer training. Didn't get to go for the officer training but got to go to be a NCO. I was in the artillery. My job was to figure out where we were and which direction we were pointing. So I learned a lot of stuff about maps, that was fun because I love maps. I also learned how to take the position and direction from the moon and stars, that was fun because I love stars and space shit. I learned a bunch of other skills as well. If I were a dictator, I'd force everyone to go, at least for 5-6 months. You learn skills that you might not need, sure, but you also learn stuff that you didn't know you needed.

Over the years I've heard people say "I wouldn't go because my country is not worth fighting for." I would understand that if you are from russia or some such place. But so many Germans have said it to me and I'm just baffled by that. Like okay, I get it, the government is shit. But in a war, you are not defending just the government, you are defending your family, friends, your house, the park you walk through, the way you live, the way your neighbor lives. Are those not worth defending? I'm fine if you are a pacifist and wont take up arms, thats fine. But if you say your country is not worth defending and you live in Europe, thats just ridiculous.

I'm a misanthrope and I hate most people, but if someone tries to come to my yard and start some shit, I'm gonna go fight, out of spite, if not for anything else. I want to hate people in my own terms, I want to tell people to fuck off in Finnish in Finland. Not in russia.

Germany had conscription until 2011, men turning 18 were required to be mustered until then, and, if qualified, had to go through a basic military training for a couple of months. Even when qualified for military service, you could pick an alternative in lieu of military service, which was some kind of social service, like helping in an old people's home or hospital, amongst other things.

The law for conscription in Germany is also dormant, not abolished, so it could be re-activated any time... and I for one would welcome it being reinstated, for all genders. Working with people and doing something that is important for society at that age was a grounding experience that me and my fellow Xennials wouldn't want to have missed, even though we were not too keen on the whole thing back when we were 18. There was a palpable delta in maturity between those that went through military or social service and those who went to study right away, especially in those that studied go into some bullshit job, like business administration.

I would only agree to the law being re-activated if there was a compulsory civil service for people after being retired as well though. People become lonely and egotistical when they get old, and I believe that getting people to contribute to society for a year or so (not full-time) after they have focused on themselves and their careers for decades is urgently needed. Might cure the electoral behavior a bit as well (old people tend to lean more to the right).

Croatia recently introduced conscription that lasts two months (three or four months for civil service) and I won't be called because I'm too old but I am seriously considering volunteering because I believe I could learn some skills (working with stress) that will help me in life.

People can refuse and do civil service here in germany. If I was drafted I would do my service because I believe my country and Europe in general is worth defending and there is a lot to be learned even if I don't wish to die. There are also a lot more things to be learned on a personal level even if it hopefully never comes to a direct military confrontation. I would most certainly want the service to not only include men this time as I would find this to lowkey be against gender-equality, as I believe it has to be equal in both directions.

I don't believe I would willingly die for any abstract country or concept, but I would certainly risk my life to defend it. I would much rather risk my life to protect the people I love and the European Union with all it stands for than just let Russia take over and destroy our collective future.

I honestly think if it came to a hard confrontation war would be pretty costly for both sides but there is no way Russia would get the better of us if we sticked together.

But I guess this doesn't mean much because I actually thought about serving a year voluntarily (although the timing didn't line up and I would have had to take 2 years break since they need 3/4 months to find a spot for me to serve)

They can already call me back as it is: I swore an oath to the Queen and the King inherited it. No need to draft me, I'm already on the list.

Mandatory military service breeds corruption and violence, there's a reason many countries abolished it. You are putting hundreds of dumbass teenage boys, whose parents weren't rich enough to afford a waiver, all together governed by people who intentionally went into service (often not the brightest kind to say the least) and expect good things to happen. Countries that have immediate concern for invasions from neighbours should invest in an actual paid standing army, if they can't - too fucking bad.

Last time I was part of conscription, I sent in my objection letter, and served Germany as a paramedic.
No regrets, 100% would do it again.