True.That's why they've got the TA and other reservists.Also all the people who've left the forces have to do so many years(I think it's 3 or 6) on non active standby after leaving.
In effect the TA are the new 'conscripts'.
I'm too old now anyway.:)
There are only 36,000 reservists now - before WWII there were 440,000.
To move them and their gear around we built 5 Bay series Royal fleet auxiliary ships (unarmed) - they all have different roles (helicopter, tank) - we've just sold one of them.
We also have RFA Argos which was a hospital ship in the Falklands war.
We have no aircraft carriers.
We've got half a dozen Destroyers.
To survive a war having soldiers is only as important as having an infrastructure that can produce supplies and having natural resources to 'fuel' them.
War now would be far worse now as folk live in a TV dominated World of consumerism - how many here could...
prepare food from very basic limited ingredients
survive with no mobile or internet
operate machines to produce War supplies
walk to work
be separated from your children for the duration
do your own repairs
read a book for entertainment (by candlelight)
have no central heating
be constantly afraid
tiny sample of what happened last time around.
I'm also too old for conscription but would be quite happy and able to..
work in engineering/electronics
cook stuff
make stuff
weld stuff
machine stuff
grow stuff
cast stuff
tend animals
whatever........
I grew up when folk had to do things for themselves and Britain was still flattened from the Germans last effort.
I feel lucky that it was that way - I could cope with Wartime Britain.
there would be no need for conscription, any conflict would be over in a matter of days with the press of a few buttons, and most of us would dead
Either that or a 'fashion' War - fall out with the Chinese and we'll have no clothes or the Russians and we have no gas.
I think France is electricity.
Not sure where coal comes from except it's not here.
How does conscription work. Do people from the army go round people's house dragging them off to War. I can imagine Russia launching a nuke at the UK as a pre-emptive strike long before everyone could be recruited in time.
There'd need to be an Act of Parliament, then they'd decide on age groups to call up and send out letters telling you when and where to report for your medical. I think before it started with 18-23 year olds, then went up to 30 and finally up to 42 or 45 year olds (unless you were in a reserved occupation vital to the war effort - before that was people like miners, farmers etc).
and if i refuse what do they do then, execute (murder) me or throw me in prison, fine, rather that than have to kill
Prison sentence, non-combat role like pioneers, or unarmed combat role like field medic or ambulance driver.
Personally I don't think it will happen, but if it did, I don't think it would go nuclear as no one would win that. I'm not in a fit state for a combat role and too old, so wouldn't be called up for active service, but I'd have no problem with being in the home guard (as I can shoot).
Seems to be a general assumption that War is always 'over there somewhere'.
What if it's the UK that's threatened ?
(has happened)
Look that just isn't happening. Anyway, even if the UK was threatened, i'd make a logical assessment if I have a better chance of survival staying loyal to the UK or surrendering to the enemy. My existence comes above the allegiance to a country anytime.
There will never be modern day conscription in countries like the U.K, Canada, Australia, U.S etc... unless it's like end of the world bad, if only for the fact that it mean death at the next election for who ever instigates it.
Well you see I've got Flat Feet and a Perforated Eardrum (well they'll suddenly appear if it ever happens). I'll sit this one out and catch the highlights on Sky News, this country has gone right down the shitter and isn't worth fighting for anymore.
That's more likely these days. Before it was east vs west in the boxing ring 1 on 1.
Nowadays, in the event of war relations, there is a thousand splinter factions around the world just itching to get their hands on a nuclear device and send us all up to the "72 virgins in heaven", as they say.
East isn't verses West. It's East verses themselves. The UK will do nothing. I hope.
Car mechanics and engine rebuilds no problem. Personal hobby until mid 50's but paid the penalty with arthritic problems. Too many years on concrete floors.
We would need a lot more midwives.
Assuming the government arent going to be sexist, they will be recruting equally from young women as well as men.
I could see that leading to a large surge in pregnancies.
looting would b an issue. eventually people would attack u just for some food or clean water. it would b wise to arm yourself. peoples caught by the guards would b shot, and dont think there would b any trials like now-all that goes out the window along with stuff like the HR act.
as for the nhs, well this part would be grim. without power, clean water supply etc, the nhs would b powerles to help u. no more able to help u than your neighbour. people having arms and legs cut off with saws and no pain releife. lots of people with glass etc in their eyes, radiation burns, + the onset of illness, and mass deaths, you will even have to bury the dead yourself. the stuff of nightmares, hell on earth.
In the event of a NATO-Russian war, how would you feel about being conscripted to fight in that war?
This of course assumes the war doesn't go nuclear within the time required to mobilise a large amount of men and ship them off to the front.
It's not going to be an issue for me regarding conscription, as I'm too old.
Anyway, Russia is a shadow of it's former self these days IMO, since the cold war and has got far more pressing issues right now, e.g. in the Ukraine.
Even if the Russians don't use nuclear weapons, they'll still get spanked by the USA, and you can guarantee the UK will be involved in the conflict at some point, even if just used as a landing base for US forces, other than the Russians using the Bering Strait.
i would refuse, i don't want to kill anyone or get killed, if im gonna get killed it will be my my hands and no one elses
That would make you a `conscientious objector` (only applies to conscription) was generally described as a person of no backbone,
but commonly thought of as being Cowardly and perfectly happy to let others do the fighting for them)
I was thinking about this after reading a Monty Halls article a couple of months back about the possible collapse of civilisation and how we'd all cope and think I'd actually be OK.
Do it most days. The only gap here is that I'd need a book to help identify which wild foods not to eat if basic ingredients had to be foraged for ourselves. Unlikely unless society completely falls apart, but better safe than sorry.
survive with no mobile or internet
Better than that. I know off the top of my head how to build a generator from scratch, construct a basic battery to store the charge, and then construct a transmitter and receiver sufficient for using morse code. I've also worked in transmission over mobile, satellite, and standard networking, so given power and access to some equipment that survived any EMP attacks (i.e. nuclear bomb exploding OVER the country rather than on it) I would be pretty useful on getting comms up and running again on a wider scale.
operate machines to produce War supplies
25 years of experience performing motorbike maintenance. I think I'd be OK on this too.
walk to work
Do it every day.
be separated from your children for the duration
No kids
do your own repairs
Once you're back to a pretty basic level of subsistence repairs get much easier to perform, as what you need to repair is simpler. Patching clothes, fixing the water wheel/windmill that powers the generators, fashioning new tools and devices out of the bits from broken ones etc.
read a book for entertainment (by candlelight)
Wouldn't need candle light. There's enough salvageable LEDs out there that would provide lighting. All they need is power, which goes back to generation and storage. As for entertainment, I play musical instruments for that one.
have no central heating
Wood stoves and/or more jumpers. Piece of cake.
be constantly afraid
Not sure why we would necessarily would be. You do what you need to do, and you get through it.
In the event of war some on here would be as useful as a chocolate fire guard.
Not at all. When we get invaded they will be there with their camera phone demanding the number of the enemy soldiers and making a big song and dance about having the right to stand in the line of fire.
Comments
There are only 36,000 reservists now - before WWII there were 440,000.
To move them and their gear around we built 5 Bay series Royal fleet auxiliary ships (unarmed) - they all have different roles (helicopter, tank) - we've just sold one of them.
We also have RFA Argos which was a hospital ship in the Falklands war.
We have no aircraft carriers.
We've got half a dozen Destroyers.
To survive a war having soldiers is only as important as having an infrastructure that can produce supplies and having natural resources to 'fuel' them.
War now would be far worse now as folk live in a TV dominated World of consumerism - how many here could...
prepare food from very basic limited ingredients
survive with no mobile or internet
operate machines to produce War supplies
walk to work
be separated from your children for the duration
do your own repairs
read a book for entertainment (by candlelight)
have no central heating
be constantly afraid
tiny sample of what happened last time around.
I'm also too old for conscription but would be quite happy and able to..
work in engineering/electronics
cook stuff
make stuff
weld stuff
machine stuff
grow stuff
cast stuff
tend animals
whatever........
I grew up when folk had to do things for themselves and Britain was still flattened from the Germans last effort.
I feel lucky that it was that way - I could cope with Wartime Britain.
Don't think modern folk would be to happy.
Either that or a 'fashion' War - fall out with the Chinese and we'll have no clothes or the Russians and we have no gas.
I think France is electricity.
Not sure where coal comes from except it's not here.
There'd need to be an Act of Parliament, then they'd decide on age groups to call up and send out letters telling you when and where to report for your medical. I think before it started with 18-23 year olds, then went up to 30 and finally up to 42 or 45 year olds (unless you were in a reserved occupation vital to the war effort - before that was people like miners, farmers etc).
Prison sentence, non-combat role like pioneers, or unarmed combat role like field medic or ambulance driver.
Personally I don't think it will happen, but if it did, I don't think it would go nuclear as no one would win that. I'm not in a fit state for a combat role and too old, so wouldn't be called up for active service, but I'd have no problem with being in the home guard (as I can shoot).
They could give me all the white feathers and court marshal threats they like, I'm not dying for something I have absolutely no belief in.
Seems to be a general assumption that War is always 'over there somewhere'.
What if it's the UK that's threatened ?
(has happened)
Look that just isn't happening. Anyway, even if the UK was threatened, i'd make a logical assessment if I have a better chance of survival staying loyal to the UK or surrendering to the enemy. My existence comes above the allegiance to a country anytime.
You don't believe in defending your family and country ?
I know but that's DS for you:)
East isn't verses West. It's East verses themselves. The UK will do nothing. I hope.
I do, I was in the forces but this has sweet FA to do with the Russian conflict.
Won't happen again. The Ukrainian crisis has sweet FA to do with the UK. It's up to the UN to sort this out.
Easy. My 11 year old Nokia 7250i would be considered an antique by most, and i know how to use 'snail mail'....even have books of stamps too!
No problem. What do you think i was doing for the past 30 years before retiring? (hint....it's in my username ;-))
Can i have a push bike?
I have been for ages....so nothing new there!
Car mechanics and engine rebuilds no problem. Personal hobby until mid 50's but paid the penalty with arthritic problems. Too many years on concrete floors.
Living where i do, you get used to power cuts so that's no problem.
Got CH......but also have an open fire too!
Won't have time!
Assuming the government arent going to be sexist, they will be recruting equally from young women as well as men.
I could see that leading to a large surge in pregnancies.
looting would b an issue. eventually people would attack u just for some food or clean water. it would b wise to arm yourself. peoples caught by the guards would b shot, and dont think there would b any trials like now-all that goes out the window along with stuff like the HR act.
as for the nhs, well this part would be grim. without power, clean water supply etc, the nhs would b powerles to help u. no more able to help u than your neighbour. people having arms and legs cut off with saws and no pain releife. lots of people with glass etc in their eyes, radiation burns, + the onset of illness, and mass deaths, you will even have to bury the dead yourself. the stuff of nightmares, hell on earth.
It's not going to be an issue for me regarding conscription, as I'm too old.
Anyway, Russia is a shadow of it's former self these days IMO, since the cold war and has got far more pressing issues right now, e.g. in the Ukraine.
Even if the Russians don't use nuclear weapons, they'll still get spanked by the USA, and you can guarantee the UK will be involved in the conflict at some point, even if just used as a landing base for US forces, other than the Russians using the Bering Strait.
That would make you a `conscientious objector` (only applies to conscription) was generally described as a person of no backbone,
but commonly thought of as being Cowardly and perfectly happy to let others do the fighting for them)
Do it most days. The only gap here is that I'd need a book to help identify which wild foods not to eat if basic ingredients had to be foraged for ourselves. Unlikely unless society completely falls apart, but better safe than sorry. Better than that. I know off the top of my head how to build a generator from scratch, construct a basic battery to store the charge, and then construct a transmitter and receiver sufficient for using morse code. I've also worked in transmission over mobile, satellite, and standard networking, so given power and access to some equipment that survived any EMP attacks (i.e. nuclear bomb exploding OVER the country rather than on it) I would be pretty useful on getting comms up and running again on a wider scale. 25 years of experience performing motorbike maintenance. I think I'd be OK on this too. Do it every day. No kids Once you're back to a pretty basic level of subsistence repairs get much easier to perform, as what you need to repair is simpler. Patching clothes, fixing the water wheel/windmill that powers the generators, fashioning new tools and devices out of the bits from broken ones etc. Wouldn't need candle light. There's enough salvageable LEDs out there that would provide lighting. All they need is power, which goes back to generation and storage. As for entertainment, I play musical instruments for that one. Wood stoves and/or more jumpers. Piece of cake. Not sure why we would necessarily would be. You do what you need to do, and you get through it.
This has been attempted before you know. It didn't work well for Napoleon, and certainly didn't for Hitler.