National service...?

Hi all.Does anyone think that they should bring back national service as a way to combat the gang culture and bolster our already over stretched armed forces.
It should have a 2 year set period for all.
A new national service scheme should be for the 16 to 25 age group and incorperate only those that are unemployed or in prison custody for minor offences.
Colour and creed should not be an issue, if you fit the criteria you are in simple as that..
Immigrants in and coming to this country should also be included in this on the grounds of weeding out those that dont want to stand by this country in times of need.
Those that are not prepared to except this,are obviously showing that they will not be prepared to stand up and protect the country they want to live in and should be removed back to there country of origin.
I think this would be an excellent way of combating the yob and gang culture,cure overcrowding in the prisons,aid the unemployed situation and sort out the scroungers

Wouldn't this make for a better place to live in.....

I have indeed been in National Service in Finland. It is 6 months for regulars, and 12 for officers and under-officers (sergeants and the like).
It's not pleasant, but perhaps the USA national service wont be practicing in such extreme weather as the Finnish one... It gets pretty cold during winter... I remember one Survival March, or as one of the officers named it "The Experience March" trudging through half a meter of snow (we had to change the leader all the time to prevent exhaustion) for about 30 kms, where we were allowed to try make food from a "half a pig" (which turned out to be basically the backside of a pig, skinned) and some vegetables. And then we slept without a tent in -28 degrees celsius.
We woke up after couple of hours of sleep and then marched out again, and the first "point" we had ordered us to create stretchers... and carry the most overweight person in it for 4 km... Who happened to be really overweight (you don't get athletic people in National Service). Luckily, we were about 7 in a group, because carrying the dude was limited to about 10 minutes per person before we had to switch. This was about a month in to the National Serice, during "Basic". Other pleasant occasions are being eaten alive by mosquitoes after a 40km march during the summer, freezing in your post during the winter (frostbite is a real possibility), and heat exhaustion durin the summer in offencive drills.
This does in fact create some "looneys" who start worship the indoctrination, but usually it just fosters a kind of seething hate and loathing... Because you don't really "need" to be there. In fact, with the parameters that you give, how would national service be different from a prison camp?

OOoh, I forgot to tell about the marches that take two days, and you are never told how long exactly the march is. You are just ordered to wake up in the morning and pack your stuff. Guess if the people who have to go there will hate you people who don't go there!

Works well for Switzerland. Lets do it!

I think it is a good idea.

absolutely they should bring back national service in this country it may teach these "yobbos, hoodies, chavs" whatever you wanna call them some respect, never mind all this "give them an ASBO" you may as well give them a certificate saying" well done for being a total turd and causing people lots of misery" the problem is with all the bleeding heart and human rights brigade they probably wouldn't be allowed to be awoken until they naturally wake up,they mustn't be shouted at and they should to express themselves freely as this might infringe their "Human Rights".

Run for office!!

BS! If I were in the service I wouldn't want to stand up for any of you either!

They die, and you think that cutting military widows from $25,000 to $13,000 is great!! And not one person said they would even call their Senators, LIKE I DID!

If you are in the service, don't die for these creeps, they don't care about you!! Lots of lip service, but not a damn thing when the rubber meets the road! Nada! They cut your widows pension to 1/3 of poverty and then they cut VA hospitals while giving tax cuts to the rich! You guys were snowed!

I think all the Republican cowards should join the army!

Only if you want everyone to be a hard faced killing machine unable to revert to normal at the end of their service.

I agree with you to a point... But, how comfortable are you with these people defending your country?? Especially the ones that object to going,.. but are forced to? How easily they could be bought to turn against you!... Personally, I feel safer with people who defend their country out of love,honor, and pride.