Mandatory Conscription Makes War Easier, Not Harder to Fight

Young men registering for conscription during World War I, New York City, June 5, 1917 – Public Domain

Recently, commentators from various places on the US political spectrum have discussed and even called for the reinstitution of mandatory conscription. Meanwhile, plans are underway to automatically register all eighteen-year-olds via the computer database where their names are stored. In Germany, tens of thousands of young people marched against parliamentary moves towards reinstating mandatory conscription there.