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Firefighters defend against fire, doing a regular job for a wage, employed under circumstances based on consent.

We need to stop this ritualization of the work that the military does. It is, after all, just a type of work.

I would say that the "mental conditioning" and strict disciplinary system of the military is unique among lines of employment.

Even more reason that it shouldn't be mandatory.

Existential threat is pretty hypothetical at the moment. There was no reason so far to have doubts on deterring capacity of NATO Article 21.

During peacetime my answer would be by increasing military spending and attracting more people to military careers and voluntary reserve. During wartime everything goes of course - it's still should be non-discriminatory though.

If a country can't find enough young men and women willing to take up arms in its defence, it has already lost.