NationStates Jolt Archive

While the global trend is towards volunteer professional militaries, there is also an undeniable trend in the West towards obesity. Indeed, as fucked up as it sounds, in some countries it is now the norm. :(

So in the event of some vast hypothetical war of survival / purification (because you never know! :D ), conscription could become necessary. But looking around, whom would you conscript? Are we heading for a future where conscription, even in the unlikely event it is needed, is ruled out on medical grounds?

We can entrench ourselves with the fat people. Not like they can get out of the way, and they're already huge targets.

While the global trend is towards volunteer professional militaries, there is also an undeniable trend in the West towards obesity. Indeed, as fucked up as it sounds, in some countries it is now the norm. :(
Yes. I have put on a few extra kilo's. But I started working out again. My third week now. So I should be rid of most of them by summer. I hope.

So in the event of some vast hypothetical war of survival / purification (because you never know! :D ), conscription could become necessary. But looking around, whom would you conscript? Are we heading for a future where conscription, even in the unlikely event it is needed, is ruled out on medical grounds?
Thats a very realistic scenario.

I read this as "Constipation and Obesity."

Well, they do go hand in hand...

I thought that you were going to say that conscription is a solution to obesity. It would be an idea -- those above 350 pounds must join the Army until they lose some weight. :)

Nah, let the fatties fight. They can be the ones the enemy expends their ammo on.

I thought that you were going to say that conscription is a solution to obesity. It would be an idea -- those above 350 pounds must join the Army until they lose some weight. :)
True, national service would probably improve public health, and when teen criminals get sent to boot camp, you just end up with criminals who are fitter than the cops. :p

I mean it's true, we're getting fatter. Myself I'm working to thin down(Lord knows I could use it:) ), but the truth is most of the West is getting fatter by the minute.

And for the most part, obese people are not good soldiers, because footsoldiering is extremely physical. And any sensible draft will take this into account.

Boot camp may take a little longer, but the military will get anyone in shape.

Boot camp may take a little longer, but the military will get anyone in shape.

I think that's true.

Proper diet and and daily activity(which the military is in a position to all but guarantee) can work wonders in an amazingly short time.

I put on a disgusting amount of weight during my first visit to college. I lost 72lbs in six months to meet the Navy's weight requirement. ANd it wasn't even that hard.

Not that I favor the draft. :p One of the reasons the U.S. military is the best is because of volunteers. Thar shouldn't change.

Well when it gets down to a war of national survival, medical exemptions from conscriton have tended to disappear. Consider that in The Great Patriotic War approximately 1/5th of the total population (man, woman, child and 80 year old geezer) of the Soviet Union served in the military, some 29Million conscripted during the war out of a total population of under about 190 Million (about 40 Million served total, women served but weren't conscripted volunteers weren't conscripted and there was an army before Germany invaded). The Germans at the end conscripted people missing arms, you think they were going to excuse people for being overweight?

Nope, when push comes to shove and warm bodies are needed, having those love handles isn't gonna mean you make love not war.

The interesting statistic is that over the years it has become safer and safer to be in the military and more dangerous to be a civilian in a war zone. Historically, nearly all casualities were military as they met toe to toe on the battlefield. As fighting became more technical (starting with gun powder or maybe the catapult) a larger percent of civilians have been killed in each war. In modern war the fighting can be done from miles up (and out---for those of you who want to argue that a plane can't go miles up---But then the next step is Star-Wars). Or out to sea. When it is on the ground, the military has (or should have) protection. Civilians are hung out to die. Just look at the casualties in Bushnam. Military, less than 3000, civilians that many in the first days.

give them fixed portions of food and have them running 10m plus more work every day, and watch the fat melt off. Then, just make sure they don't trip over the extra skin.

I thought this would be an entertaining essay on how constription has increased the obestiy rate. Wait ... maybe it has! :eek:

We're all fat and unhealthy so we don't get conscripted!
Or, in the States, win the "lotto".

The interesting statistic is that over the years it has become safer and safer to be in the military and more dangerous to be a civilian in a war zone. Historically, nearly all casualities were military as they met toe to toe on the battlefield. As fighting became more technical (starting with gun powder or maybe the catapult) a larger percent of civilians have been killed in each war. In modern war the fighting can be done from miles up (and out---for those of you who want to argue that a plane can't go miles up---But then the next step is Star-Wars). Or out to sea. When it is on the ground, the military has (or should have) protection. Civilians are hung out to die. Just look at the casualties in Iraq. Military, less than 3000, civilians that many in the first days.Civilian deaths weren't common before WWII. WWI - they reckon about 5%. WWII - about 50%.

Whilst it may be safer to in the military in a war zone, there hasn't been a war on a western state's territory since WWII. So for Western civilians it's still safer to be a civilian.

I was really torn between choic b and choice c. Really torn.

Maybe conascription should be mandatory for fat people. Get the lazy bastards into shape.