Sobering thoughts on national service
There are very many pressures to face in 21st Century Britain but, for the vast majority of us, the prospect of being called to fight for our country hasn’t been one of them. Until now.
Last week the head of the Armed Forces made a speech during which he spoke about the need for the UK’S ‘pre-war generation’, yes that’s right, to prepare for the possibility of a conflict which would require a ‘whole-of-nation undertaking’. This bleak message, which follows similar warnings from countries such as Sweden and Finland, is clearly designed to educate the population that the threat from Russia is one we should all take much more seriously than many of us currently do.
It certainly worked in our house - it put me right off my Weetabix and skimmed milk when I first heard. Even though there was soon a clarification from Downing Street that there were no plans for conscription, for those paying attention, it was a sobering message for those of us who are considered to be of fighting age. I know I would fall into that category if the clarion call came tomorrow because I’ve Googled it.
There are some who have dismissed this warning as unnecessary scaremongering but it won’t do the wider population any harm to be woken up to the prospect that one day, the time might come when we may all need to do our bit against the threat of hostile forces. When you consider that the size of our professional army currently stands at 73,000 - some 27,000 troops smaller than it was in 2010 - you begin to understand why military top brass might be more than a little concerned. But are modern day Brits ready to step up like their grandparents and great grandparents did during the Second World War?
I mean, we now live in a society where some lose their minds if they stumble across a ‘spoiler’ about a television show that they haven’t decided whether they will actually watch yet. And who can forget the bleating which followed us being told to stay at home and wear masks four years ago. In my grandparents’ day, a safe space was the cupboard under the stairs, whereas today it means not having to listen to views you might not like.
It’s not our fault that the vast majority of us haven’t lived in fear of our homes being bombed, but we need to stop kidding ourselves that we will never again have to face down an enemy.