Prompted by another thread about conscription in Ukraine.

  • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
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    4 months ago

    I guess when the people being drafted have a higher likelihood of being killed by an invading army without the draft than with it. Tough to assess though.

    • LesserAbe@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 months ago

      Thanks for your thought. What about a situation where you know everyone won’t be killed, but the defeated country will no longer be democratic/open? In other words, you’ll live, but the quality of life will be much worse for the foreseeable future

      • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
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        4 months ago

        That’s a tough one. There’s no obvious moral calculus to translate between lives lost and quality of life.

        I tend to think drafting is similar to slavery—it’s a grave violation of basic human rights and should only be considered under the most extreme circumstances where the alternative is clearly worse.

        It might depend on the exact nature of the authoritarian regime. Or maybe I’m just not comfortable with either outcome and so I don’t want to answer the question.