Comments by "Nattygsbord" (@nattygsbord) on "The Incredible Tragic Story of the SS Clallam" video.

  1. Today in 2022 is the world very different. And despite Putains invasion of Ukraine and David Camerons warning words that Brexit will lead to another World war, do I feel like another world war is very distant. And even if Hitler took power in Germany today, I still do not see how he could harm England no matter how much he wants to, as the German army is in a pathetic shape with soldiers using broomsticks because there are not enough rifles for everyone, and navy and airforce are in an even more pathetic shape with less than a dozen operational shape Eurofighters and a navy equipped with outdated old warships. It feels like Poland, France and Greece are the only continental powers taking their defence seriously at this point. While Finland, Switzerland and Italy are taking this at least half-seriously. So is there any need for a huge British military then? maybe not. Maybe it will be hard to convince people to spend 1 year of their life in the military and being economically unproductive and unfree. This issue is perhaps more a philosophical one about citizenship, duties towards society, individual freedom and such. And conscription might feel unbritish in a way, and not very much needed right now. But there are of course also advantages to be had from a large conscription army, as it would create large orders for military equipment for the British arms industry and bring technological development to the country that invented the tank, the radar, the touch screen, and the V-STOL jet. And it could also make Britain more military secure in an age when large capital ships have become obsolete, and having the stronger navy is no longer a guarantee for controlling the seas when missiles, airplanes and submarines have changed the playing field. And sending away the average Britons sons to die in a pointless war like Tony Blair Iraq adventure will be so unpopular that it will be nearly impossible to do. He would have to use Gurkhas, Blackwater troops or create his own French foreign legion for his colonial wars. Personally do I think it is worrysome from a democratic standpoint with an EU army for a bit of the same reason. Conscripts are not the best troops when it comes to shooting down your own citizens - like Gaddaffi noticed when he ordered them to fire into crowds and they refused. But if you use non-nationals, or troops who are loyal towards their pay master and not their country, then of course the situation becomes a bit different. This is what happened in Rome with Marius reforms, and the legions became loyal to their Generals and not to the Roman republic or the Roman people. And what followed was brutal civil wars between Generals who tried to grab all power Rome for themselves, and all the bloodshed and huge costs for those wars did tear Rome apart, and help bringing about its fall.
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