Conscription

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How many and which countries with conscription/National Service allows people with mental illnesses and mental disabilities to avoid it completely
(with avoiding it completely I am referring to also avoiding the alternative services that people disqualified for military service would have to do, or face charges)?

I am curious, as I think that even civilized countries like Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey and Mexico drafts the mentally disadvantaged.

No "civilized" country conscripts anyone, it is slavery pure and simple.

I agree it is slavery, but unfortunatly, many technologically advanced civilizations conscripts people, nonetheless.

For example, in Singapore, autists are treatet humanely, as children, with special schools for autists. But when they reach the age of 18, there's no mercy, regardless of their autism.

I googled Mexico too, and it seems there is no such thing as "unfit". It doesn't exist in Mexico. The Wikipedia article writes that ALL males at the age of 18 must serve.
That must mean that even the most physically disabled must serve in the army...

Civilized is thrown out when it is convenient. You really think the US would not enforce a draft if a major,major war broke out? There's a reason why all US male residents and citizens have a number exclusively reserved FOR the draft.

It is my understanding that those with disabilities are given support or civil service duties rather than military service. Community service , etc.

What about those who cannot work due to disability, be it physical as well as psychological?

Why should they be thrown in prison for not doing community service if they are unable to?

Sadly true

If so, that explains why third world military forces are crap.

I used to believe this, but I don't anymore.

Mandatory military service should be the "price" of citizenship. People who never serve in the defense of their nation tend to not appreciate what they have.

The key would be to ensure the powers that be don't treat this "mandatory" labor pool as cannon fodder.

It doesn't have to be long. You put in 2 years and you can choose to stay on longer as an enlistee when your 2 years are up if you choose.

Conscript armies suck, plain and simple, as we learned to our misfortune back in Vietnam. If we were fighting a truly existential battle, I don't imagine we'd have any problems finding volunteers to fight, no conscription required. Of course, given our technological and training edges and unparallelled power projection abilities, I don't know what there is out there that could put us in that position in the first place.

That leaves most of us out. And it's unconstitutional.

So rather than have people do something useful, you'd make them waste a load of time playing soldiers so that they "value their country"?

You know, if the objective was to make people contribute to their society, or to make them appreciate what it takes to keep it going, military service might be one, but not necessarily the best, of the ways to do that. Countries sometimes face invasions from foreign nations, but don't internal crises happen more often? Social unrest, economic failures, etc.? Making citizens serve in the police, or in the civil service, might achieve that objective just as well as military conscription.

I am against this for one main reason:

People with mental disabilities unable to fulfill the duties, would face charges and even imprisonment.

We already know how society frowns upon people on Disability Benefits or Unemployment Benefits, imagine now how it would be if they faced imprisonment!! !

I have mixed feelings about military conscription. I used to believe that everyone should serve, then realized that the military in general would be much better of without a lot of the people I've known. I think conscription was definitely justifiable as late as WWII, though.
Having said that, there are still some people I'd like to see receive a healthy dose of good old fashioned military discipline.

A bit of S&M, then?

I did eight years in the Air Force, and the last thing I would've wanted was to have to serve with a bunch of people who didn't want to be there.

Additionally, I enjoy my veteran's benefits for having served voluntarily. If everyone is required to enlist, then our benefits would go down the crapper. No thanks.