| | ---------------- | | | | |and produce a | | | | | |SOCIAL DEBACLE| | | | | ---------------- | | | | | | | -------------------- ------------------ | | |which may become | |which may become| | | |a Governing | |the controlled, | | | |Class (with waster| |regimented, | | | |elements) in | |and disciplined | | | |an unprogressive | |Labour Class of | | | |Bureaucratic | |an unprogressive| | | |SERVILE STATE |<-------------->|Bureaucratic | | | -------------------- |SERVILE STATE | | | ------------------ | | | ------------------------------ ------------------------- |which may become | |which may be | |the whole community | |rendered needless | |of the GREAT STATE | |by a general labour | |working under various | |conscription | |motives and inducements, | |together with a | |but not | |scientific organisation| |constantly, nor permanently,| |of production, | |nor unwillingly. | |and so reabsorbed | ------------------------------ |by re-endowment | |into the Leisure | |Class of the | |GREAT STATE | ------------------------- THE COMMON SENSE OF WARFARE § 1—CONSCRIPTION I want to say as compactly as possible why I do not believe that conscription would increase the military efficiency of this country, and why I think it might be a disastrous step for this country to take. By conscription I mean the compulsory enlistment for a term of service in the Army of the whole manhood of the country. And I am writing now from the point of view merely of military effectiveness. The educational value of a universal national service, the idea which as a Socialist I support very heartily, of making every citizen give a year or so of his life to our public needs, are matters quite outside my present discussion. What I am writing about now is this idea that the country can be strengthened for war by making every man in it a bit of a soldier.