Sweden reintroduces conscription as tensions rise over Russia

[hashtag46]

I was reluctant to post this, given that my last thread got 0 hits lol.
But I finally did it.
Because nobody touched the subject, despite the fact that the internet (on both sides) is buzzing with this. Plus I'm starting to get fed up with the myriad of BB versus KingOrfeo 'Trump good versus Trump bad' threads.
__________________________________________

So apparently Sweden is reintroducing conscription (and in a peripherally related matter: in unprecedented move, it introduced conscription for women too. To my knowledge only Israel and more recently, Norway did that.)

According to them, their decision is motivated by two factors:
1.Due to economic reasons poor pay etc., few sweeds are volunteering to join the Army
2.Their perception that increase in the potential threat posed by Russia is escalating.

If anyone decides to share their views on this issue, I am hoping that they might comment on no. 2.

 

[hashtag46]

ACCORDING TO BBC:
Sweden brings back military conscription amid Baltic tensions
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39140100

"The Swedish military has struggled to get enough volunteers in recent years.
The Swedish government has decided to reintroduce military conscription - a move backed by the country's MPs.

Why is this happening?
Ms Nyh Radebo said the return to conscription was prompted by "the security change in our neighbourhood".



CNN ELLABORATES FURTHER:
Sweden reintroduces conscription as tensions rise over Russia
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/02/europe/sweden-conscription/

"(CNN)Sweden has moved to reintroduce conscription "as a response to the new security situation" in Europe, the country's defense minister told CNN Thursday.
[He] cited Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in 2014 as one of the triggers for the decision."After the Russian annexation of Crimea against international law, and their increased military exercises close to the border, we have a new security situation," Hultqvist said.

Hultqvist added that Sweden is "strengthening its military cooperation with Finland and with the NATO partners."

Sweden, which is a neutral country, has stepped up its defensive efforts in recent months.
In September, it sent 150 troops to the island of Gotland, which sits between the mainland and a number of former Soviet Baltic states amid rising tensions with Russia.
A Swedish government report says that a full battalion will be established on the island by 2018."

.

 

[hashtag46]

FROM RT:

Sweden may be at war ‘in a few years’ – top brass in leaked document
https://www.rt.com/news/330601-sweden-war-russia-years/

"In January, Sweden’s army chief, Major General Anders Brannstrom, told soldiers in an internal brochure that Sweden may be engaged in a war with a “qualified opponent” in a few years, following two centuries of peace.

“The global situation we are experiencing and which is also made clear by the strategic decision leads to the conclusion that we could be at war within a few years. For us in the army we have to, with all force we can muster, implement the political decisions,” Brannstrom wrote in the brochure."

 

[Greypowerful]

The Swedes have never REALLY been "Neutral" as far as Russia is concerned. They supported Finland against Stalin in 1939-40, and have had a history of conflict with the Russians going back about 500 years.

PLUS. they don't wish to return to the status quo ante with the Baltics in Russian hands. The Flygvapnet has always wargamed the idea of a Russian adversary. Soviet/Russian Baltic Fleet submarine incursions into Swedish territorial waters have been an irritant for years.

So, a sensible course of action, for the Swedes.

 

[thør]

It will be gender neutral conscription.

 

[BotanyBoy]

It will be gender neutral conscription.

That sounds like misogyny to me.....are you sure they would do such a horrible thing?

 

[thør]

That sounds like misogyny to me.....are you sure they would do such a horrible thing?

Swedes.......

 

[hashtag46]

Thanks for not being dismissive and for posting guys. Appreciated

But I was hoping that you might also comment on no. 2, like Greypowerful did.

"According to them, their decision is motivated by two factors:
1.Due to economic reasons poor pay etc., few sweeds are volunteering to join the Army
2.Their perception that the potential threat posed by Russia is escalating."
A leaked document by Swis officials even hinted to the possibility of war in 2 years.
____________________________

For a layperson who is interested but has limitted knowledge in history /politics, the enormous changes and rapid succession of events in Europe just before and after ww2 are startling.
-- And in particular: Since the Berlin Gate and Soviet Block fell and the so called endof the Cold War in the 80's, we've had the rise of Euro and Left parties, then of Imperialistic Russia, now Brexit and the rise of nationalistic parties.

And the net is full of inuendoes re the threat posed by Russia and the possibility of ww3.
Is it mostly propaganda or a real threat? Hard to make sense of it all.

I won't make many comments because I don't have the knowledge, but I'm interested in reading others' comments.

 

[BotanyBoy]

And the net is full of inuendoes re the threat posed by Russia and the possibility of ww3.

Good, the world could use a few billion less assholes on it, bout time we had a good herd culling

 

[Liar]

Meh. Swedsh politicians have always used the Great Red Threat as an excuse to amp up the military. "The Russians Are Coming" has been the mantra every five years or so for the last 50.

The truth is a bit more mundane, I'm afraid. The army and navy specifically have a current deficit of about 4000 to 5000 recruits yearly due to less interrest in voluntary enlistment. Which in turn has a lot to do with decreasing youth unemployment. So a long since planned increase in recruitment could not be filled with volunteers, which revoked the conscription suspension that were in place since 2010. Before that, we had conscription since our kings wore helmets.

True, there is a Russia element, but it has more to do with our expected EU obligations than increased threat against Swedish borders.

 

[renard_ruse]

Article biased states "against international law." That's an opinion not an agreed upon fact. Article discredited. Kind of like Sweden itself, the dumbest, most moronic country in the world. Would love to see Russia hit it with some tactical nukes and get rid of it.

 

[renard_ruse]

Good, the world could use a few billion less assholes on it, bout time we had a good herd culling

I have to agree on this point. Alex Jones is dead wrong on opposing population reduction. Imagaine how much more pleasant things would be with 90% less people in the world?

 

[Ishmael]

Meh. Swedsh politicians have always used the Great Red Threat as an excuse to amp up the military. "The Russians Are Coming" has been the mantra every five years or so for the last 50.

The truth is a bit more mundane, I'm afraid. The army and navy specifically have a current deficit of about 4000 to 5000 recruits yearly due to less interrest in voluntary enlistment. Which in turn has a lot to do with decreasing youth unemployment. So a long since planned increase in recruitment could not be filled with volunteers, which revoked the conscription suspension that were in place since 2010. Before that, we had conscription since our kings wore helmets.

True, there is a Russia element, but it has more to do with our expected EU obligations than increased threat against Swedish borders.

^^^ This is closer to the truth. The deficit referred to is cumulative, like compound interest. The Swedish armed forces have fallen to the point where they would have a hard time defending themselves from an invasion by the Tahitian National Guard.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Svenska-f%C3%B6rsvaret-1965-2010.gif

Chart showing the size of the Swedish Armed Forces 1965-2010. Yellow = number of air wings; Blue = number of infantry regiments; Red = number of artillery regiments; Green = number of coastal artillery and amphibious regiments.

Ishmael

 

[hashtag46]

The 'russian boogeyman' is in the news again.

One would have thought that Trump's election would have toned down that attitude, but it doesn't look like it:



NOT A DRILL’ US and British troops ‘ready to use LETHAL FORCE’ against Putin's army
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world...y-Lithuania-Troops-soldiers-deployment-Crimea

"At least 900 US soldiers are set to be joined by 150 British personnel on the Polish border in a bid to stop Putin grabbing more Baltic land following his annexation of the Ukrainian province of Crimea.

US army commander Lt. Col. Steven Gventer [said]: "This is a mission, not a cycle of training events. The purpose is to deter aggression in the Baltics and in Poland"
"We are fully ready to be lethal.”

UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, Nato is stepping up its commitment to collective defence."

 

[4est_4est_Gump]

I read something yesterday about the new line of communications with Russia and more cooperation militarily especially over the Syrian problem which would not have occurred had Clinton become President because as we heard in testimony yesterday, Putin really, really hates Hillary. It's visceral.

Funny how the people who talked with Iran and gave away the keys to the nuclear arms race in order to gain trust and cooperation are now suddenly against communicating with an adversary...

Now, it's somehow criminal to hold back-channel talks on the QT.

 

[Parminderjeet]

I read something yesterday about the new line of communications with Russia and more cooperation militarily especially over the Syrian problem which would not have occurred had Clinton become President because as we heard in testimony yesterday, Putin really, really hates Hillary. It's visceral.

Funny how the people who talked with Iran and gave away the keys to the nuclear arms race in order to gain trust and cooperation are now suddenly against communicating with an adversary...

Now, it's somehow criminal to hold back-channel talks on the QT.

That's a good little prairee nigger, turn it into something to whine about clinton and democrats! You are a special little snowflake.

 

[OldJourno]

Meh. Swedsh politicians have always used the Great Red Threat as an excuse to amp up the military. "The Russians Are Coming" has been the mantra every five years or so for the last 50.

The truth is a bit more mundane, I'm afraid. The army and navy specifically have a current deficit of about 4000 to 5000 recruits yearly due to less interrest in voluntary enlistment. Which in turn has a lot to do with decreasing youth unemployment. So a long since planned increase in recruitment could not be filled with volunteers, which revoked the conscription suspension that were in place since 2010. Before that, we had conscription since our kings wore helmets.

True, there is a Russia element, but it has more to do with our expected EU obligations than increased threat against Swedish borders.

Something tells me Sweden would be in serious trouble if there was a rush of new recruits named Muhammad.

 

[Sean]

Something tells me Sweden would be in serious trouble if there was a rush of new recruits named Muhammad.

Why? Do you think Muslim troops can't be good soldiers? Or is it just that you're a racist cunt?

 

[OldJourno]

Why? Do you think Muslim troops can't be good soldiers? Or is it just that you're a racist cunt?

No, the statement was based on how well Muslims are assimilating in Sweden, which in many cases is not at all.
You don't have much of a repertoire beyond throwing around insults. Are you old enough to be here?

 

[KingOrfeo]

No, the statement was based on how well Muslims are assimilating in Sweden, which in many cases is not at all.

Muslims fit into the U.S. Army well enough, no reason they wouldn't in Sweden's.

 

[OldJourno]

Muslims fit into the U.S. Army well enough, no reason they wouldn't in Sweden's.

Apples and oranges. Muslims serving in the U.S. military are not just off the boat. Many have been here for generations, and many U.S. Muslims are converts from other religions.
I don't remember any hint of widespread Muslim unrest in the U.S.
The same cannot be said of Sweden.
Google would be a handy resource, as would a search of "Muslim violence in Sweden" on YouTube.