07/05/2025
Just read an article about bringing in mandatory national service here in Australia.
Honestly, I don't think that’s the answer.
Australia isn’t what it used to be—there’s more loneliness, more disconnection, and more people arriving without real ties to the land or to each other. Adding military service, especially through a rigid, top-down system, feels like forcing unity instead of growing it.
Looking at history, particularly the Vietnam War, you can see how military service often serves the interests of ego, oil, or power—not necessarily the people. And with high su***de rates among veterans already, I don’t think putting more young people into that system will bring the outcomes we want.
If we really want to rebuild our national identity, we need to start at the roots:
Cap investment properties (maybe 5 max per person?)
Scrap negative gearing
Reward great teachers who actually lift others up
Teach real values in schools—like the 7 Habits, emotional resilience, and meaningful leadership
The decision-makers at the top seem more focused on numbers than on people. But it’s everyday Australians—teachers, families, tradies, carers—who are the real glue holding this place together.
Mandatory service won’t fix a fractured society. But real investment in people might.
What do you reckon?
