Mandatory Service
The problem of conscription has always been a controversial issue. However, many opponents of compulsory military service maintain that conscription does more harm than good and that it should be abolished for professional, personal, psychological and economical reasons. The first argument against conscription is that it is, in fact, unnecessary in the modern world. Nowadays most countries possess high-quality military equipment as well as nuclear weapons which can be operated by a small force. That is why maintaining large permanent armies makes it no longer essential. The strength of country does not depend on the manpower of an army but rather on the skills and knowledge of experts who are specially educated to operate complicated missiles of an intercontinental range. For this scrictly professional reason armies of unskilled soldiers seem to be redundant. Another important argument against conscription is of a psychological nature. For many sensitive young men military service is hell because they are forced to do things which they hate in the name of discipline. The army requires from everyone to be obedient and submissive and all the individuals who do not want to fit into this pattern are frequently ridiculed, humiliated and treated in a very brutal way. As a result, they suffer terribly and this may lead to terrible damage to their psyche or even suicide. Therefore, from a psychological point of view, conscription may cause more evil than good. The last reason for abolishing compulsory military service is financial. Maintaining large armies is extremely costly. Therefore, the vast sums of money spent on feeding, dressing and training unskilled soldiers should be rather offered to poor countries or spent on really important things such as education or health care. Everyone should be granted freedom of choice and not forced to something against his plans or