ChatterBank1 min ago
Call to bring back national service.
84 Answers
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/264874
It seems that 72 per cent supported the idea, and only 17 per cent were opposed to it.
Before any dismiss this out of hand, please just think about it.
/// Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: “If you are in being taken to hospital in Germany, the likelihood is that you are being driven by a conscripted ambulance driver. There are all sorts of important ways that National Service could benefit society, while at the same time instilling some much-needed discipline into youngsters.” ///
I personally think that Patrick Mercer MP is talking so much sense, it need not be military service, it could cover many civilian positions.
The youth would be taken off the streets and away from their home environment, also away from any peer pressure they are likely to encounter from the gang culture that is so prevalent today.
Apart from those obvious advantages, they would experience discipline, and learn a skill at the same time.
Taking into account how much our broken society is costing us, the introduction of a type of national service would be self funding.
It seems that 72 per cent supported the idea, and only 17 per cent were opposed to it.
Before any dismiss this out of hand, please just think about it.
/// Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: “If you are in being taken to hospital in Germany, the likelihood is that you are being driven by a conscripted ambulance driver. There are all sorts of important ways that National Service could benefit society, while at the same time instilling some much-needed discipline into youngsters.” ///
I personally think that Patrick Mercer MP is talking so much sense, it need not be military service, it could cover many civilian positions.
The youth would be taken off the streets and away from their home environment, also away from any peer pressure they are likely to encounter from the gang culture that is so prevalent today.
Apart from those obvious advantages, they would experience discipline, and learn a skill at the same time.
Taking into account how much our broken society is costing us, the introduction of a type of national service would be self funding.
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"Before any dismiss this out of hand, please just think about it.
/// Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: “If you are in being taken to hospital in Germany, the likelihood is that you are being driven by a conscripted ambulance driver. "
Another Tory way of cutting jobs and saving money, no need to train Paramedics and Ambulance staff.
/// Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said: “If you are in being taken to hospital in Germany, the likelihood is that you are being driven by a conscripted ambulance driver. "
Another Tory way of cutting jobs and saving money, no need to train Paramedics and Ambulance staff.
dodge - who the feck said that conscription was a Tory idea - there are enough of Millipede's mob asking for it.
Personally I think it is a very stupid idea - the idea of the army, or any professional service is that it is that very word, professional, and the last thing that they need is the pork scratchings of our undereducated or reject society getting underfoot. And the consequence on the front line, the death figures would shoot through the roof. I emphasize professionalism as the police, fire, ambulance and all the other potential conscript destinations (RNLI? Merchant Navy? others) pride themselves on their ability to serve - and such conscripts would likely dilute their capability.
What would be interesting is for the Government to offer and fund more openings to the youth to help develop their skills in a Voluntary programme tied to these veritable organisations....akin to the US Peace Corps perhaps but on a wider portfolio of openings and this could be anything from Fire to RNLI/Mountain Death Crew to Community Support in hospices, child care etc.
I would support that.
Personally I think it is a very stupid idea - the idea of the army, or any professional service is that it is that very word, professional, and the last thing that they need is the pork scratchings of our undereducated or reject society getting underfoot. And the consequence on the front line, the death figures would shoot through the roof. I emphasize professionalism as the police, fire, ambulance and all the other potential conscript destinations (RNLI? Merchant Navy? others) pride themselves on their ability to serve - and such conscripts would likely dilute their capability.
What would be interesting is for the Government to offer and fund more openings to the youth to help develop their skills in a Voluntary programme tied to these veritable organisations....akin to the US Peace Corps perhaps but on a wider portfolio of openings and this could be anything from Fire to RNLI/Mountain Death Crew to Community Support in hospices, child care etc.
I would support that.
Thedodge :In other words we are giving work to an otherwise unemployable bonehead. What do you think they are doing in Germany? Are they saving money too cutting jobs using a conscripted ambulance drivers? Do they have a Tory government there as well? My only hope would be that the driver is not on his way to deliver his stash at the same time or indeed taken a some of it to get him through the day.
Can we call it something other than National Service as this will take it away from what everyone thinks of, a group of people marching around and running over assault courses.
Perhaps a much better name for it would be Community Service(Benefit Linked), any person that has been claiming benefits for a period exceeding six months would be required to join the scheme, working in the local community doing all the odd jobs that are required such as litter picking and painting.
This would free up council workers for projects elsewhere and may be help instil some local pride into people, if you have worked to make things look nice the last thing you want is louts ruining it all.
Any member of society who refuses to work/fails to attend would see their benefits stopped and tokens issued which they can exchange for food packages and credit for their electric/gas meters.
With the number of police officers and members of the armed forces being made redundant we have plenty of people who are used to controlling and organising large groups available to monitor them.
Also by aiming it at long term benefit claimants it is not going to affect the members of society who are trying to gain an education or work placement.
Perhaps a much better name for it would be Community Service(Benefit Linked), any person that has been claiming benefits for a period exceeding six months would be required to join the scheme, working in the local community doing all the odd jobs that are required such as litter picking and painting.
This would free up council workers for projects elsewhere and may be help instil some local pride into people, if you have worked to make things look nice the last thing you want is louts ruining it all.
Any member of society who refuses to work/fails to attend would see their benefits stopped and tokens issued which they can exchange for food packages and credit for their electric/gas meters.
With the number of police officers and members of the armed forces being made redundant we have plenty of people who are used to controlling and organising large groups available to monitor them.
Also by aiming it at long term benefit claimants it is not going to affect the members of society who are trying to gain an education or work placement.
The difficulty with that idea househusband is it doesn't help those who want to work but are having immense problems getting a job. Looking for work is almost a full time occupation (if you do it properly - I know, I am living with someone who has been out of work for 18 months). OK so it would catch those who are lead swingers but would also mean that those who are genuinely trying extremely hard would have to spend their days working when they could be applying for work.
Perhaps your idea could be adjusted based on the number of job applications made.
Perhaps your idea could be adjusted based on the number of job applications made.
I agree with BM, there are too few jobs going around for those who want to work. It's pretty soul destroying waiting for a response to the job interview, and they don't even bother to tell you you are unlucky. Pity Britain has lost it's manufacturing industries, thousands of jobs would be on offer then.
Possibly the underlying idea here is that there would be a carry over from the discipline of being part of an organised group into everyday life.
having been involved in youth training through arduous activity, one thing has become apparent. if there is a scrap of decency and desire to behave responsibility it can be nurtured and developed . In some cases however, it is too late at eighteen for benefits to be significant. The drawback to national service for many young servicemen was that the initial basic training was often followed by a life of trivia and boredom.
having been involved in youth training through arduous activity, one thing has become apparent. if there is a scrap of decency and desire to behave responsibility it can be nurtured and developed . In some cases however, it is too late at eighteen for benefits to be significant. The drawback to national service for many young servicemen was that the initial basic training was often followed by a life of trivia and boredom.
actually AYG, you are a little off track there....the UKs GDP from manufacturing is now higher percentage-wise than it has been in the last seventy years...(Economist and Beeb2) - the thing is that it is all specialist manufacturing in areas like bio and genetics tech, specialist componetry, fashion manifacturing etc etc etc. You are right in terms of mass employment but then those industries were in trouble because of the opening up of global markets and for F-East countries to undercut our costs in terms of manpower, throughput on scale of plants and ancilliaries such as cheaper distribution. We need to keep attracting these "unique" high value industries in.......and support our community service sector out of the wealth/taxes that they raise
I stand slightly corrected but then.......read carefully
Although the manufacturing sector's share of both employment and the UK's GDP has steadily fallen since the 1960s, data from the OECD shows that manufacturing output in terms of both production and value has steadily increased since 1945.
A 2009 report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, citing data from the UK Office for National Statistics, stated that manufacturing output (gross value added at 2007 prices) has increased in 35 of the 50 years between 1958 and 2007, and output in 2007 was at record levels, approximately double that in 1958.
This is a trend common in many mature Western economies. Heavy industry, employing many thousands of people and producing large volumes of low-value goods (such as steelmaking) has either become highly efficient (producing the same amount of output from fewer manufacturing sites employing fewer people- for example, productivity in the UK's steel industry increased by a factor of 8 between 1978 and 2006 or has been replaced by smaller industrial units producing high-value goods (such as the aerospace and electronics industries))- thereby equating to a major real term increase in the high value speciality industries in the UK, driving up the average year-on-year figures.
Although the manufacturing sector's share of both employment and the UK's GDP has steadily fallen since the 1960s, data from the OECD shows that manufacturing output in terms of both production and value has steadily increased since 1945.
A 2009 report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, citing data from the UK Office for National Statistics, stated that manufacturing output (gross value added at 2007 prices) has increased in 35 of the 50 years between 1958 and 2007, and output in 2007 was at record levels, approximately double that in 1958.
This is a trend common in many mature Western economies. Heavy industry, employing many thousands of people and producing large volumes of low-value goods (such as steelmaking) has either become highly efficient (producing the same amount of output from fewer manufacturing sites employing fewer people- for example, productivity in the UK's steel industry increased by a factor of 8 between 1978 and 2006 or has been replaced by smaller industrial units producing high-value goods (such as the aerospace and electronics industries))- thereby equating to a major real term increase in the high value speciality industries in the UK, driving up the average year-on-year figures.
DTcrosswordfan
"dodge - who the feck said that conscription was a Tory idea - there are enough of Millipede's mob asking for it. "
Did i say it was a Tory idea, No i did not
read the header " Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said:"
The give away is " Senior Tory MP "
May i suggest you read it again slowly before jumping in feck ing everywhere
"dodge - who the feck said that conscription was a Tory idea - there are enough of Millipede's mob asking for it. "
Did i say it was a Tory idea, No i did not
read the header " Senior Tory MP Patrick Mercer said:"
The give away is " Senior Tory MP "
May i suggest you read it again slowly before jumping in feck ing everywhere
The clothing industry, steelworks, mining, metalworking, fishing even farming is being gradually taken away or has closed down. We are not a self sufficient any longer, and we have lost skilled craftsmen. Mass employment was the answer then, trades that kept people in work and brought in a 'living' wage not a great wage but managable. Cheap foreign imports accounted a great deal for the loss of our industries. And the advent of computerisation in the workplace made me wonder then how long it would be before jobs would be sacrificed. I hoped in vain it seems, that there would be some enterprise or job creations, other workplaces to take up the loss of those industries. There isn't enough work now to account for the millions of young people who are left to find a place in the world when they leave school. They do not have the pride of achievement.
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