My tutor is very good at talking about anything but computing, and today was our voting. It somehow came to Switzerland's National Service vs. America's... gun loving... culture. He sold the idea of National Service very well: everybody owns a gun, but they have had 2 years training with it, respect it, etc. And with neutral countries like Switzerland, a nation-wide-militia sounds like a must have for any country, surely.
Why don't all countries employ National Service (Military or otherwise)? What has history taught us of using this mandatory programme?
Thank you :)
Switzerlands army is a 100% defensive one. (I'm not even sure if they participate in UN missions). You can't send conscripted soldier into offensive wars. See vietnam. If Vietnam would have been fought by professional soldiers resistance against it would have probably been less.
The thing with gun culture is more complicated than just civil service.