An abolition of conscription will mean more inequality : Nipit

[webfact]

Nipit Intarasombut, a Palang Pracharath party-list MP-elect, claimed on Monday that the immediate revocation of conscription, a Move Forward Party manifesto promise, will only cause more inequality in Thai society.

 

He said he does not oppose the idea per se, but the change should be implemented gradually.

 

In his Facebook page, Nipit said he wants to suggest to Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat that immediate ending of the conscription will only exacerbate the already wide inequality gap while, Nipit said, Pita has publicly campaigned hard for the reduction of inequality.

 

Move Forward has campaigned to revoke conscription in favour of voluntary enlistment, a policy which received a positive public reaction.

 

The MoU, signed by the eight parties in the Pita-led coalition, mentions that the government will see a transition from conscription to voluntary enlistment, except when the country is at war.

 

File photo : Nipit Intarasombut

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/palang-pracharath-mp-claims-abolition-of-conscription-will-mean-more-inequality/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-05-30

 

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[madmitch]

I must have been wrong in thinking that the rich paid to get their children out of conscription! ????

[scorecard]

22 minutes ago, madmitch said:

I must have been wrong in thinking that the rich paid to get their children out of conscription! ????

They do and it's illegal, but there's still currrently a sizeable intact of conscripts every year. 

[NemoH]

Hahaha.. undermining the military again… in an age of nation conflicts and domestic upheavals, such decision has consequences 

[2baht]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

will only cause more inequality in Thai society.

Will the Generals wife have to wash her own car??? Heaven forbid!

[Andycoops]

More pro army mumbo jumbo.

 

Absolutely impossible to link inequality in general society with conscription.

 

The greatest inequality in society is that the army trample all over democracy, freedoms etc with their guns and tanks.

As we have seen in the last 10 years.

 

The dinosaurs need to become extinct.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Nipit Intarasombut, a Palang Pracharath party-list MP-elect, claimed on Monday that the immediate revocation of conscription, a Move Forward Party manifesto promise, will only cause more inequality in Thai society.

Complete and utter rubbish... it will however abolish indoctrination.

[hotchilli]

13 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Will the Generals wife have to wash her own car??? Heaven forbid!

Nah, she'll drive her Merc to the nearest detail shop and allow a Myanmarese national do it for a pittance.

[Srikcir]

So conscription the entire nation and eliminate income inequality instantly.

But somehow military wages that may or may not actual go to conscripts may by themselves increase income inequality.

Whatever. There's simply no academic proof that conscription reduces income inequality. But there is evidence that eight years under the military political coalition has increased the nation's income inequality.

[sammieuk1]

This is where the army makes a lot of covert money in rinsing the de-conscripted time to end it ???? 

[dinsdale]

I have to agree with this comment. Those who are forced into military service have as much right to die in conflict as those who volunteered for military service.

[h90]

19 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

So conscription the entire nation and eliminate income inequality instantly.

But somehow military wages that may or may not actual go to conscripts may by themselves increase income inequality.

Whatever. There's simply no academic proof that conscription reduces income inequality. But there is evidence that eight years under the military political coalition has increased the nation's income inequality.

No it has not...it was very bad before and it is very bad now....So no increase in inequality....Same as 2003

[h90]

If I understand right, these who study at university don't get conscripted the normal way. Might be a good idea but that is pretty much the definition of inequality as only people who are well off go to universities

[wazzupnow]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

I must have been wrong in thinking that the rich paid to get their children out of conscription! ????

not only the rich my wife paid an official an amount of 15000 bht only and her son stayed at home to become the baby he is now

[Superlight]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

I must have been wrong in thinking that the rich paid to get their children out of conscription! ????

Money talks, morality walks.

The military like everything else suffer (or revel in) corruption.

Village boys get dragged in, some it will make, some it will just abuse and confuse, and quite a few arrive back in the village, whilst a general somewhere collects his pay. Technically he's still in the army and will make the odd apperance if required....but...

[wazzupnow]

dropping the consciption is the best thing ever 

many countries did so before i was the one of the last guys in my country that got drafted

than they started to exclude several years of birth for draft

and after 5 years the draft was completely gone

it only gives more job opportunity and better motivated soldiers

halve of the army now would run to their mothers skirts after the first missile to launch

Edited May 29, 2023 by wazzupnow
wrong word

[wazzupnow]

38 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

More pro army mumbo jumbo.

 

Absolutely impossible to link inequality in general society with conscription.

 

The greatest inequality in society is that the army trample all over democracy, freedoms etc with their guns and tanks.

As we have seen in the last 10 years.

 

The dinosaurs need to become extinct.

do not forget to take their bodies to the taxidermist for educational exhibit

[h90]

10 minutes ago, wazzupnow said:

not only the rich my wife paid an official an amount of 15000 bht only and her son stayed at home to become the baby he is now

One of our staff told, when he was in the army he could go out whenever he wanted. Just than his boss pockets his salary.

[RichardColeman]

They do not need conscription, just make the young convicted thugs do 2 years service. Might make better people of them...............or not

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

ending of the conscription will only exacerbate the already wide inequality gap

I can see how the ending of indentured servitude to Generals would widen inequality..., in the convoluted mindset of Phalang Pracharat.

[herfiehandbag]

I wonder whether this chap actually did National Service himself?

 

Maybe he was already sufficiently "equal"?

[zyphodb]

57 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Complete and utter rubbish... it will however abolish indoctrination.

Most of which has already happened at school, long before they get conscripted, so I wouldn't bank on any great societal changes happening here because of abolishing it, which of course, is the right thing to do...

[Chongalulu]

If inequality vexes him so much what have been his pronouncements on the many other aspects which contribute to this problem? Or hasn’t he thought too deeply about all this….?  ???? 

[proton]

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

I must have been wrong in thinking that the rich paid to get their children out of conscription! ????

we got a relative out for 20k, so it's not just the rich, or they can turn up in a dress and make up!

[newnative]

Utter nonsense.  Yet another dinosaur that needs to be retired.

[mfd101]

There are arguments on either side of this.

 

Abolishing conscription seems like a good idea if - as in most 'Western' countries - you have a modern society that values education, including for its soldiers, pays its soldiers a decent salary (in Australia's case astonishingly high), and trains its soldiers as high-capability professionals. None of which applies to today's Thailand.

 

On the other hand the argument about equality is different I think from that put by Nipit above. As I have seen with my own partner, the effect of 2 years in the military is quite marked on ignorant ill- or non-educated village boys. My boy saw life in Bangkok - and got to enjoy its pleasures every night after climbing over the barracks walls in search of food & fun - and he minded the colonel's dog, cut the platoon's hair, and even got to serve canapes on a silver tray to Q Sirikit. And he knows how to fight, quite ruthlessly (which comes in handy when you're hanging around outside the gay disco at 0200). Every time we visit Bangkok now he still knows his way around every nook & cranny ...

 

All of which helped him to grow up and open his eyes to the wider world. His possibilities in life would have been much less had he not had these experiences. And had I not come along at the appropriate time, money in hand ...

[kingstonkid]

2 hours ago, Andycoops said:

More pro army mumbo jumbo.

 

Absolutely impossible to link inequality in general society with conscription.

 

The greatest inequality in society is that the army trample all over democracy, freedoms etc with their guns and tanks.

As we have seen in the last 10 years.

 

The dinosaurs need to become extinct.

There is to a ceretain extent inequality.  The best example of this was the U.S. during the Vietnam war.  Kids with parents that had money either got into a university or found medical issues that the family doctor for a brown envelope would diagnose.  

 

In Thailand lets face it there are those that are conscripted and those that ARE CONSCRIPTED.

 

I am sure you do not see soldiers that have money doing a lot of the GRUNT STUFF.  They are probably the ones washing cars.

 

What the Thai military has to do is get rid of conscription and concentrate on developing not only soldiers but tradesmen and women.

[Jiggo]

If they  did there will be a shortage of Urks...low paid private ranks.

[h90]

37 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

There are arguments on either side of this.

 

Abolishing conscription seems like a good idea if - as in most 'Western' countries - you have a modern society that values education, including for its soldiers, pays its soldiers a decent salary (in Australia's case astonishingly high), and trains its soldiers as high-capability professionals. None of which applies to today's Thailand.

 

On the other hand the argument about equality is different I think from that put by Nipit above. As I have seen with my own partner, the effect of 2 years in the military is quite marked on ignorant ill- or non-educated village boys. My boy saw life in Bangkok - and got to enjoy its pleasures every night after climbing over the barracks walls in search of food & fun - and he minded the colonel's dog, cut the platoon's hair, and even got to serve canapes on a silver tray to Q Sirikit. And he knows how to fight, quite ruthlessly (which comes in handy when you're hanging around outside the gay disco at 0200). Every time we visit Bangkok now he still knows his way around every nook & cranny ...

 

All of which helped him to grow up and open his eyes to the wider world. His possibilities in life would have been much less had he not had these experiences. And had I not come along at the appropriate time, money in hand ...

I have seen western military leadership.....it all looks professional.....but it is not....just the alcohol problem is a story on itself....

[Asquith Production]

2 hours ago, h90 said:

If I understand right, these who study at university don't get conscripted the normal way. Might be a good idea but that is pretty much the definition of inequality as only people who are well off go to universities

Well you understand wrong. Son finished his Masters and still had to do lottery. He lost and got conscripted 2 weeks ago although he only as to do 1 year