We've all seen them; they are everywhere. They hang around public places in small groups, wearing hoodies and masks, hoping (I presume) to intimidate passers-by. Worst of all, they do nothing other than maybe a bit of shoplifting, stabbing, and/or petty drug dealing. At night they spray squiggles on our walls, and piss on the streets.
They are basically anti-social lost souls. They try to look like hardened gangsters, but in fact they are mostly children who simply have no real direction in life.
The cry to 'Bring back National Service' is always in the background, but maybe at the moment that cry should be listened-to. Not as punishment, but to give these children what they've obviously missed from their school days (if, indeed, they ever went). Discipline and direction!
I personally missed NS by just a couple of years, but I did do CCF and participated in a short Officer Training course. I remained on a call-up list for proper officer training for several years. I'm quite happy to say that the call never came.
We live in extremely dangerous times. Several of the world's most evil tyrants are threatening The West, and they need to be taken seriously. What we mustn't do is smile at them and pat them on their heads. The West needs tough no-nonsense leaders, and we need to be well prepared.
A new style NS could be a good solution. These (mostly) young men could serve up to two years in a military/educational environment which would not only produce a stand-by trained armed force, but also offer them a future career.
When I was very young our gardener's son went off to do his NS. He'd been a bit wayward, but returned as a very solid young man. His two year training had given him all he needed to get his life in order. I'm sure that the same could be done for the likes of the youths above. They seem to enjoy the safety of 'a gang', so NS could suit them well.
The words 'National Service' still have unpleasant connotations, so I might suggest that we need another name. What we don't want is a 'National let me wrap you in cotton wool Service'. I would be pleased to have your thoughts on the idea.
I am definitely 'for'. There are probably hundreds of thousands of such children hanging about on our streets, and they deserve better. I feel that society is letting them down, and not vice versa.
I agree that these kids have no direction but some of them like it that way. They do what they want. They all think that they are gangsta rappers. Behaviour starts at home. There are more kids who grow up as decent people but unfortunatley you only hear about these characters who think that they are entitled. Hopefully they will pass through this phase. There are probably lots of grandads who were once " teddy boys" and later there were " skin heads".
ReplyDeleteI think they should be 'helped' through their phase. In France they all did 2 years national service (I think it's optional today), and were guaranteed 6 months abroad. I know lots of people who did it, and they all loved it.
DeleteCro, most of the lads, and lasses, I had to find Community Service placements for were as you described.
ReplyDeleteThis was in the days that the VSO* scheme was in existance... and I always said that it should be CSO... Compulsory Service Overseas.
So, instead of pouring cash into dictators' and proto-dictators' back pocket schemes... we provided labour out in the communities overseas that needed it most.
You need good leaders with general skills.... probably ex-services - but not necessarily - REME springs to mind with their general non-military training and a sub motto "Adopt, Adapt & Improvise", staff from that country who can interpret [where English isn't the spoken language] and source materials for any project, and a time-off leader who can guide the kids [male and female] around the country and its culture.
It needs to be open to ALL.... not used to expand their CVs as the VSO scheme was.... yes, it will cost, but it will cost less than filling back pockets and overseas accounts with a seemingly unending supply of cash [including guilt money to those countries that no longer need any Overseas Aid]
And the youngsters will come back as people aware of another culture and its people... and able to work in a team.
And then lower the retirement age [not raise it] to free up jobs at the bottom that the youngsters can step into on their return!
People will say "Utopia" to this, but it can be done and pacifists would have no excuse not to partake!!
*VSO: For younger viewers Voluntary Service Overseas
And it needs to encompass all... so should take place before any University education....
Deletea compulsory gap-two years if you like!
VSO always had a very good reputation, and I believe a lot of Brits joined-up too.
DeleteMy husband spent a year in 1964 doing VSO in Africa ( Botswana) helping with the new elections.
DeleteA very worthy organisation. Something similar could easily be combined with basic military training.
DeleteI think NS is a great idea if only to teach these kids there is more to life than lollygagging about the streets and they have the chance to learn about possible career paths either out in the world or withing the army. It isn't all soldiers with guns fighting wars. The army also needs cooks for instance and that is just one of the skills that transfer to private life later.
ReplyDeleteThey can, and did, learn so many trades. HGV drivers, plumbers, electricians, people came out with so many different skills.
DeleteI am told that my father was a bit of a tearaway as a lad until he was sent off to Kowloon to do his National Service. He came back with a different attitude and a new skill (motor mechanics). It was the making of him.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as I understand, they mostly loved it.
DeleteJust an add on, the the girls need this as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holland used to have their compulsory service with options for working with their Red Cross if the Military was not to the youths liking.
Girls tend not to be quite so wayward, but I'm sure they would benefit as well.
DeleteEvery Greek male has to do a stint in the armed forces. My grandson is serving now. He loves it.
ReplyDeleteThey can learn a trade if they want to, make lifelong friends and life skills and discipline is just what they need at that age.
Here they can choose to serve before or after going on to higher education
So, why don't the do it here? These poor lads are missing out on so much.
DeleteI like the idea of National Service for all young men and women aged 18-20 or straight after university for those who are on that path. But I would expect the service to include other options apart from the military - including maintaining cemeteries, cleaning up graffiti, care work, forestry, fruit and vegetable picking and supporting children in schools.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there should be any limit on what 'recruits' could learn. If I was called upon to give drawing lessons, I would do so willingly.
DeleteYes ,YP , apprenticeships with those already working.
DeleteIf that photo is representative of today's British youth, then NS, or some similar form of discipline and direction is sorely needed for the poor lost souls.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how they would take to the regimentation of the services? After all, they have probably already "escaped" the need to go to school or find some sort of employment.
I really do think they would embrace it. They did before, they did in France, and, as I see above, they still do in Greece. It shows them a whole new life.
DeleteThis begs the question: Why do people have children if they are not going to be parents to them? Very sad. NS might help some of these youth. That said, learning how to be a productive adult via NS is not ideal.
ReplyDeleteIt may not be ideal, but it would help. What these kids really need is a two parent loving family who don't live on an inner-city sink estate. That's where much of the problem lies. Not their fault, but it's usually what they were offered!
DeleteThough two loving parents is obviously to be desired not every single parent is so from choice. Spare a thought for those widowed or deserted and those who chose so poorly in the partner stakes that going it alone became not just preferable but essential to a safe life.
DeleteI was just suggesting the ideal.
DeleteHappy New Year Cro. It would only work if you could remove the 'volunteers' out of their comfort zone. No good whatsoever them serving their time down the road from their estate. Send them abroad to build schools in Angola, dig water wells in Somalia etc, https://www.army.mod.uk/deployments/belize/
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. In France they were all guaranteed 6 months abroad, which they all loved. So many had never been beyond their village.
DeleteHow are you? Long time no hear!
Good post
ReplyDeleteI recently had an eye opening experience on YouTube watching homemade person on the street amateur video style. The person walks around some of the cities in the UK that are not on the tourist brochures. Some videos are narrated and others are not. It is scary and disturbing to learn there are groups of youths behaving very badly as well as a serious homeless problem.
As an American saturated with idyllic PBS shows of the UK, the shock of the reality of the problems there stings. National Service, could be called the Career Service.
If you pay young people to do nothing, that's what they'll do. Maybe there should be a limit on the time they receive benefit payments. In old Soviet Russia it was the previous employer who paid people 2 weeks money; then nothing. They had to get a job. There are plenty of jobs here.
Deletep.s. You can make horror movies anywhere in the world. People in the UK are totally shocked to see film from Philadelphia's Kensington Ave. We've never seen anything like that here.
DeleteI did some work with a foundation a few years ago that was teaching employment skills to young people (women.) They started with showing up on time, showered, in clean clothes, rested and ready to work. It often took them two months to get a class of 30 past that point.
ReplyDeleteIt really is amazing the lack of skills that young people possess. These days they are more interested in teaching kids 'gender realignment', than basic life skills.
Delete