I don't understand ANY argument for conscription. Of all the laws on the books that are still "acceptable" in modernity from even the "progressive" crowd, the one that perplexes me the most is conscription.
For me, it's just so simple: If a government needs to force people to fight for the government then the government has no right to exist. A legitimate government should be able to raise a fully volunteer army because all the citizens the government represents wants to fight to defend this government.
Just think about it for a moment. Supposedly some evil enemy is coming to rape your women and kill all the men or enslave everyone by taking their rights away. Everyone should want to defend against that, no? If someone doesn't volunteer to fight against that then clearly they've decided that rape and death is better than... rape and death? Or, perhaps they've decided they can still live without dying for a country and they'd rather this conclusion.
How can anyone justify using force to force something to go to war and die against their will?
I hate the concept of conscription so much I think anyone who suggests it should be hanged, tbh. You want people to fight for you? Offer them an incentive then.
I don't think pacifism is good but conscription isn't the opposite of pacifism. There's many good reasons not to fight for your country.
I didn't say it was the opposite.
But it is your position.
"I want to benefit from the common defense without contributing anything to it, because I don't wanna!"
Parasitism is inherently immoral. Pacifism is just parasitism applied to the common defense.
Not "many", no. Most of the ones you think there are, are just abdication of your duties as a citizen, and thus a moral crime.
Who necessarily says I want any benefit from the "common defense".
Take Ukraine as an example. If I was Ukrainian and Russia invade, I'd be perfectly content with Putin running the country instead of Zelenskyy. I wouldn't necessarily see any benefit of a defense whatsoever.
Same goes for if the USA annexed Canada. I'd be more inclined to text Canadian positions to the Americans because I'd stand to gain more from the USA conquering Canada than Canada defending itself.
Not all wars actually involve an enemy worth fighting, hence why conscription exists because some people need to be forced to fight or otherwise, the government would crumble. Just because a government crumbles doesn't mean it's a bad thing for the people of said country.
Sure. Then you have an immediate duty to go live somewhere else then. Assuming they'll take you.
As an aside, statelessness needs to make a comeback.
This metaphor doesn't work for you because the people of the the Ukraine are presently being ruled by a tyrannical foreigner who cares nothing for them, and are being "invaded" by their rightful ruler.
See, this is called being a treacher. Something that most functioning societies throughout history have formally criminalized.
This statement bespeaks an incredible lack of historical understanding.
I'd love to live elsewhere other then Canada. Once I am paid 1/30m of the land value of Canada and guaranteed a US passport, along with all taxes I've paid with interest, I'll be gone.
Just like all Western societies including Canada.
All quality people in Canada would stand to gain from being American. Only low quality people whose opinion on anything is worthless would stand to lose.
You're describing every formerly white nation at this point.
Hey that sounds exactly like America
How can you appeal to common defense when western governments are currently mass importing military-aged foreign men to replace their own populations? We don't even have countries anymore, just economic zones ruled by hostile governments.
Isn't what I'm talking about. I've repeatedly made reference to much older principles than the nonsense establishments of clown world.
The common defense, right now, would be overthrowing those very same.
So, not allowing yourself to be conscripted, or joining and fragging some zogbot officers would be contributing to the common defense.
if a government is unjust, it is the duty of the citizens to dissent.
if your government is waging a war that doesn't benefit you or your nation, you have a duty to disobey.
if your government is waging a war that might benefit your nation economically but is not needed for the defense of your nation, you have a duty to disobey.
At no point have I been talking about anything as transient as the modern idea of government.
I have no duties to a country that lets invaders walk in the front door, rob me and then expects me to die for these invaders.
In other words, it's a tragedy of the commons situation.
Nobody except a few crazies want to sign up for military knowing they'll likely die and if nobody signs up then all will die; volunteer army is almost entirely people who don't actually expect to die.
The most sensible choice for an individual is to avoid the military and that's why conscription is needed or the country is lost.