←back to thread

Germany votes to bring in voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

(www.bbc.com)
126 points petermcneeley | 9 comments | 06 Dec 25 19:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
Show context
appreciatorBus ◴[06 Dec 25 23:48 UTC] No.46177701[source]▶
> "We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill," the organisers of the protests wrote in a statement posted on social media. "War offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods."

Is the idea that it’s better for your livelihood to just start learning how speak Russian now?

replies(22): >>46177893 #>>46177896 #>>46177900 #>>46177918 #>>46177951 #>>46177965 #>>46178025 #>>46178027 #>>46178156 #>>46178204 #>>46178403 #>>46179097 #>>46179705 #>>46179889 #>>46179918 #>>46179969 #>>46180303 #>>46180543 #>>46180807 #>>46181263 #>>46182810 #>>46197927 #
anonym29[dead post] ◴[07 Dec 25 00:07 UTC] No.46177893[source]▶
[flagged]
1. crooked-v ◴[07 Dec 25 00:12 UTC] No.46177930[source]▶
The problem is, if Russian takes over they'll just conscript you and send you to die in a ditch anyway.
replies(1): >>46177940 #
2. anonym29 ◴[07 Dec 25 00:13 UTC] No.46177940[source]▶
Great, I'll go sign up to die in a ditch for a war I oppose to avoid being forced to die in a ditch for a war I oppose.
replies(1): >>46178024 #
3. appreciatorBus ◴[07 Dec 25 00:25 UTC] No.46178024[source]▶
It sounds like you believe life in western democracy is exactly the same as life in modern imperial Russia, like if you could choose, you would have no preference whatsoever?
replies(1): >>46178051 #
4. crooked-v ◴[07 Dec 25 01:56 UTC] No.46178506{4}[source]▶
Russia, because just by existing there as a male in a certain age bracket you have a realistic chance of being tasered and beaten until you sign "voluntary" military service papers so that they can send you to die on the front lines of a war of conquest (https://theins.ru/en/society/277452).
replies(1): >>46178928 #
5. fifilura ◴[07 Dec 25 06:29 UTC] No.46179627{4}[source]▶
Housing is cheap in Somalia too.

Freedom is not prices of rent - it’s whether the police can arrest you for criticizing the government.

replies(1): >>46180598 #
6. jasonvorhe ◴[07 Dec 25 10:08 UTC] No.46180598{5}[source]▶
You're also describing Germany and most of Europe will follow suit. Political elites wanting war will make it so that being against the government will be punishable by law. See UK, see Germany where posts on social media will get you visits by police.

Everything the media has been hammering Russia for is being setup right here in Europe.

replies(1): >>46181385 #
7. K0balt ◴[07 Dec 25 10:16 UTC] No.46180635{6}[source]▶
You seem to be forgetting that Russia is clearly the aggressor, and Ukraine clearly the defender. None of this would be happening if Russia simply abided by international law and common decency.

It’s simple. Don’t invade your neighbors.

While it’s all reprehensible, I’ll give a pass to horrific recruitment practices in a nation fighting for its survival. Not so much to a nation working to commit genocide on their neighbor in an adventuristic invasion.

I’d be saying the same thing about Ukraine if they had been the ones to invade Russia. Russia chose to be the bully here. This “both sides” rhetoric is just gaslighting and victim blaming BS.

8. xanderlewis ◴[07 Dec 25 11:09 UTC] No.46180879{4}[source]▶
> The UK locks up more people for speech crimes than Russia does.

Do you think there might be a fairly obvious reason for that?

9. fifilura ◴[07 Dec 25 13:01 UTC] No.46181385{6}[source]▶
No it is not comparable.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/22/russia-hands-down-c...