Now I will state the reasons why I am opposed to National Service. Firstly, a compulsion of this nature is against basic human rights. People should be allowed the freedom to choose their career. As of now, there are enough people who join the armed forces voluntarily. Some join because they look forward to the challenges this career offers. Some others join as a way out of poverty.
Late adolescent years are the best to start university education. Two years of compulsory service would introduce a delay in starting college. Moreover when they return from service, they won’t get the same opportunities as before. This will make many ambitious men miss out on college education and good career prospects.
Furthermore, there is a risk of death as many people die in action. This is especially tragic where the soldiers involved are the only children of their parents. This situation is likely to become more common in the future as people continue to restrict their family size.
There are a few other reasons that I would like to briefly touch on. Reluctant soldiers cannot be expected to do their best. If a soldier is unfit or unhealthy, they won’t be able to cope with the conditions of extreme warfare.
Mandatory service increases the size of the army and this may signal aggression to other countries. This is not conducive for world peace.
The fact that everyone has to join the army when they are eighteen means the Government will have to pay a big sum of money for their food and equipment. The government will also have to pay these soldiers for their service. This will result in a huge expenditure which will be highly unpopular in the current climate of an economic downturn.
In conclusion, there are sufficient reasons to persuade the government not to reintroduce compulsory national service.
