The prospect of the return to conscription (compulsory military service) contained in the remarks of General Sir Patrick Saunders that have come after some senior military and political figures in continental Europe made similar comments have – unsurprisingly – sparked a discussion in the UK.
So, Generation Z (“Zed” NOT “Zee”) and Conscription (i.e.; compulsory military service)????
I don’t think so!
However, let us look to this country’s history: the BBC’s classic sit-com “Dad’s Army” – the Local Defence Volunteers or “Home Guard” was a volunteer civilian military force of retired men.
Today with better health, many people over 66 and in receipt of the state pension are fit and healthy and might well be prepared to “shoulder arms” in a manner such as the Home Guard – who were not sent overseas but were deployed for defence of the homeland in case of invasion.
As for infantry weapons, well the standard British Army rifles may be in short and expensive supply but there are literally millions of military type weapons worldwide. I understand that the AK-47 is a widely available and inexpensive weapon.
There might be financial or tax incentives for such volunteers. How about automatic and permanent exemption from Inheritance Tax upon volunteering (without the requirement to die on active service). How about raising the dividend tax allowance for those volunteers?
As for those encouraged to “volunteer” who are under the age of 66…. Well those unemployed and on benefits might be encouraged to enlist.
The British establishment have a history of being realistic when it comes to conscription: During WWI conscription did not apply to Ireland and during WWII, conscription did not apply to Northern Ireland.
I think that even such as The Right Honourable Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg must know that conscription of 18 to 22 year olds is a non starter!
However, there will be – in the not too far distant future – a technological solution to the dilemma of which General Sir Patrick Saunders speaks: AI controlled robots or “androids”!
The advantage of such machines is that they can be mass produced, instant trained (by downloading software and not 6 months at a military training institution, require no salary, require no food – but do require electricity – have no moral scruples about killing and have no fear of death or injury!
NB: I do not advocate the adoption of the above!
However, it is funny (peculiar) how fiction can prophesy fact. Take for instance the BBC’s Doctor Who and one of the baddies “Cybermen”.
Now “Doctor Who” fans will correct me and inform us all that the Cybermen were a combination of a cybernetic body containing a human brain and that these cyborgs were in fact disembodied humans. OK then, I accept that and accept that robots or androids are a different thing but I think that the image of the cyberman might be a possible foretelling of a future android’s appearance insofar as the construction around it’s head which could be a Lidar which the Tesla bot does not have; the Tesla creation relying on CCTV cameras (and software) alone. Alternatively, the construction could be a set of microphones to give the machine highly directional and highly sensitive hearing across a wide range of frequencies.
Of course, we could economise and create cheaper wheeled robots like the DALEKs – which could be an acronym for “Digital Artificial Lifelike Electronic Konstruct!
Of course, if we are going to send DALEKs to fight Russians, Mr Shapps will have to extend the budget to enable the machines to broadcast “You will be exterminated” in Russian!