I hear 40 is the new 30, but I still don't think most middle-aged Western European men have considered which demographic will actually be drafted if there is a war with Russia. - ThreadSky

anderspucknielsen.dk • 59 days ago

I hear 40 is the new 30, but I still don't think most middle-aged Western European men have considered which demographic will actually be drafted if there is a war with Russia.

Reposted from Anders Puck Nielsen

It's not news that Donald Trump doesn't understand the war, but it's still interesting that he assumes it's being fought primarily by young people. In reality, the average age of soldiers on both sides is over 40.

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padkaer.bsky.social•59 days ago

Fine by me if they send the elderly to war. If they can use me at 54, I'm in. But I'm not thrilled about the idea of my sweet 15-year-old girl facing down the eastern hordes in 5-6 years.

g1883d.bsky.social•59 days ago

As a middle age western man I'd be an absolute liability in a military role and wouldn't last a day on the frontline. I'd gladly do it though if it meant sparing either of my sons from that duty.

hennue.bsky.social•59 days ago

Is this skewed by volunteers maybe? I could imagine 50+ people volunteering for support roles, but I always assumed frontline duty and conscription soldiers would be in their 20s and 30s.

anderspucknielsen.dk•59 days ago

They are on the front line as well. Some of them are volunteers, and others are mobilized.

burningthirdrome.bsky.social•59 days ago

Absolutely right. When I (who served voluntarily) explain this to my friends who did voluntary community service, they still laugh at me. The generation of the 80s and 90s makes it too easy for themselves.

madammem.bsky.social•59 days ago

My children go to school with displaced Ukrainian children.

Their friends talk about missing their fathers, uncles, older brothers

We watch Ultra Nyt or DR together where Ukrainians say goodbye to the fathers or welcome them back home

I don't know if it is openly discussed by men in the EU

madammem.bsky.social•59 days ago

But my children have asked what would happen to dad if war comes to the EU.

They have spoken with their friends on how they feel when they haven't heard from family for a few days or how they feel after visiting Ukraine over summer.

It is probably a conversation we need to start having EU wise

geirs73.yxney.net•59 days ago

And everyone (like me) not suitable for combat should probably consider that they can be selected for mass drone and anti-drone production. Or one of a zillion other roles in an industrial war in a small country vs a big one :(

jandit.bsky.social•59 days ago

I do not think most of us will have a choice. I doubt I am going to be paid building e-commerce shops when there is a war with Russia.

swesteel.bsky.social•59 days ago

I just looked at the men fighting now and figured I’d better volunteer for a desk job when the day comes, we’re not much better off than Russia demographically so we can all tell who needs to sign up and who needs to stay home and start families.

v-holmsen.bsky.social•59 days ago

I don't mind being drafted - and I'm past 60 (62).

Not everyone drafted will be put on the front lines as there are many functions to be filled - in administration, logistics, weapons manufacture, etc.

However, one might also see teens being used as they are likely to be tech-savvy and gamers.

wayan2007.bsky.social•59 days ago

I am 56 and would be signup rigth away. It is not something you need to think about. Fight for your Country, family and freedom should be the reasons

touzique.bsky.social•59 days ago

would it work though, in the modern age, with all the mobility they enjoy, with all the pacifism they developed over the years? i think what we'll see instead is an exodus of a scale that was never seen in the entire history of humankind. although, i am looking from the outside, so yeah.

sarahbeck.bsky.social•59 days ago

I had a very interesting discussion with several extremely angry Danish parents of (soon to be) conscrips who refused to "let" their adult sons and daughters be sent to zones of conflict. I pointed out that military service and education is meant to prepare a part of the population to stand prepared

sarahbeck.bsky.social•59 days ago

for war. It's not a self-developing stay. I also asked them if they were willing to go in their children's place. Few were. I understand the fears of parents in these times even though I don't have kids myself. I also fear that my husband will some day have to go too, but that day may come.

tmkdf.bsky.social•59 days ago

ICYMI

(conscription hasn't even be reintroduced in Germany yet. But I fully expect it to be after the new NATO capability requirements are set (in June, i believe?))

https://bsky.app/profile/tmkdf.bsky.social/post/3llxz74syfc2f

sarahbeck.bsky.social•59 days ago

Denmark has had concripts every year all the way through the Cold War, but the numbers have been reduced since. Numbers as well as service time will now be increased, and next year conscription will also apply to women, which will create a much larger Danish force. It is still beyond me that some

tmkdf.bsky.social•59 days ago

There was a kind of fatalist approach to conscription based on the cold war experience to the late 90s, aka we will all die in a nuclear fireball anyhow, which turned to "we need conscription so that conscientious objectors can work as nurse helpers", to what do we need it for anyway, to we need it.

sarahbeck.bsky.social•59 days ago

Oh, I suspect Denmark will have a lot of conscious objectors these next few years, which is very practical since we are pretty desperate for nursing assistents in group homes for our elderly and disabled citizens. I had such a job between high school and uni. It's a meaningful and important job 🙂

sarahbeck.bsky.social•59 days ago

people seem to think that all of this money would be invested in the military education for an entire generation of young people if their skills were not meant to be used in active duty to protect Denmark if the time ever comes.

epq.bsky.social•59 days ago

Everyone under 70 is young to Donald Trump

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