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Comment by agilebyte | Hacker News Reader

Do women have children then during the same period? Seems more like an equalizer to me when it comes to time away from work.

Edit: explaining the equalizing factor

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The only "equalizing" compulsory conscription provides is when it puts men of diverse backgrounds into a tight-knit environment where they have to live, work and play together for the majority of the week. You don't get that outside of the military, or at least not in the same scale.

The pregnancy vs conscription issue really isn't debatable.

I was addressing the comment that men complain it makes them start their work later in life because of a military service. I was saying that (some) women go through the same by having children.

Should woman go to jail for avoiding children?

It actually makes situation for woman with children much worse, since she is alone while her partner is in military.

Gay couple with children, where both parents would have to go illustrates it well.

  >> Should woman go to jail for avoiding children?

Do not see a reason why.

  >> It actually makes situation for woman with children much worse...

I am not discussing whether military service is good/bad, I am addressing the time away from work factor.

  >> Gay couple with children...

If both were in the service, they would need to get someone to take care of their children.

no law compels a woman to have a baby, or take 2yrs' leave to look after it. maybe the husband shares part of the duty. maybe its the husband that looks after the baby. but conscription compels singaporean men to provide labor at well below market rates, in this case for 2yrs, plus ongoing resrervist cycles for the next decade or so. its like. by law singaporean women have 24hrs a day, men have 22. or something like that.

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