With all the campaigns pro this and anti that, I have yet to come across any campaign to call for an end to millitary conscription worldwide, which is one that I would actively support!
As far as I know Napoleon was the first to introduce general conscription for a major army in modern times! What would happen if the armies of the world could not use this as a means to get troops/cannon fodder and it was adhered to, how would the 20th century have changed and indeed right upto 2011?
I heard a joke focussing in on the American ban on gay people being allowed to join the military - What would happen if only gay people could join a military force and that rule would be applied universally - the answer - no more war! Actually, I doubt that would happen unfortunately.
The other lossely related topic that made me make this post is that I've heard that the British army used to use borstals ( young offenders homes ) as fertile recruitment grounds after the end of 'national service', however because a lot of those recruits were unstable, the regular squadies' eventually had this avenue for recruitment substantially curtailed! Now with the losses in recent conflicts, the Brits cannot get as many recruits so they have gone back to seeking recruits in large numbers from this source!
Also the recalsitrant Irish were never conscripted during WW1 even though we were in the empire and Kitchener of the recruitment posters came from Kerry. Irish living in mainland Britain were targetted though!
The Irish were a very prominent group behind preventing this abomination in Austrailia during WW1 also! There was no conscription in Northern Ireland in WW2 either!