If a fighting force assembles when its home country is attacked and disbands once they’re no longer being invaded, it hardly feels like “the military” at that point. That’s not how it works these days, at least in most places.
Switzerland has conscription for men and voluntary service for women over 19. They receive military training and are issued a service weapon. They then return to civilian life, with the idea being the population is now an armed militia in the case of invasion.
It seems to have worked out for them so far, surviving being right in the middle of 2 world wars.
That training is funded from the Swiss military budget for the purpose of protecting the state of Switzerland? Suggesting that conscription, aka a mandatory military service term, is akin to a training program for stateless militias seems to me a bit of a stretch…
If a fighting force assembles when its home country is attacked and disbands once they’re no longer being invaded, it hardly feels like “the military” at that point. That’s not how it works these days, at least in most places.
I’m pro abolition of the state, but this comment thread had no mention of a stateless society.
It seems to have worked out for them so far, surviving being right in the middle of 2 world wars.
Their conscription system is only a part of the story.
Switzerland was not invaded in WW2 because:
A. it is geographically difficult to invade, has a lot of bunkers and armed people.
B. because the Nazis used it to exchange gold and currency to Swiss Francs and get free access to trade with neutral countries. Switzerland was more useful to Germany as a “banker” and middleman during trade embargoes than it could have ever been as occupied territory.
I know about Switzerland, they have a military with conscription. Lots of countries in Europe are currently considering reintroducing conscription, but that’s not some random fighting force that assembles out of nowhere in times of need, it’s still a military.
If a fighting force assembles when its home country is attacked and disbands once they’re no longer being invaded, it hardly feels like “the military” at that point. That’s not how it works these days, at least in most places.
That’s a little naïve, isn’t it? Your fighting force isn’t trained, doesn’t have any equipment and so on, more people will die because of this.
Switzerland has conscription for men and voluntary service for women over 19. They receive military training and are issued a service weapon. They then return to civilian life, with the idea being the population is now an armed militia in the case of invasion.
It seems to have worked out for them so far, surviving being right in the middle of 2 world wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland#Government_and_politics scroll down from there to Military
That training is funded from the Swiss military budget for the purpose of protecting the state of Switzerland? Suggesting that conscription, aka a mandatory military service term, is akin to a training program for stateless militias seems to me a bit of a stretch…
I’m pro abolition of the state, but this comment thread had no mention of a stateless society.
Their conscription system is only a part of the story. Switzerland was not invaded in WW2 because:
A. it is geographically difficult to invade, has a lot of bunkers and armed people.
B. because the Nazis used it to exchange gold and currency to Swiss Francs and get free access to trade with neutral countries. Switzerland was more useful to Germany as a “banker” and middleman during trade embargoes than it could have ever been as occupied territory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland_during_World_War_I_and_World_War_II#Financial_relationships_with_Nazi_Germany
So it is a military then?
I know about Switzerland, they have a military with conscription. Lots of countries in Europe are currently considering reintroducing conscription, but that’s not some random fighting force that assembles out of nowhere in times of need, it’s still a military.