Conscription is barbaric a modern form of slavery and has no place in a cultured society, Russia should have a modern 100% volunteer army.

R John, Do you think it's really volunteer or just all the poor and limited people get to go? I'm not saying anything bad about the Army. I loved it until I got problems. I just think that it would help us if everyone had to join. I know about lowered expectations. Due to the Iraq war and nobody "wanting" to join, I was allowed to serve. I have Raynauds bad, which is really negative for me but not anyone else, though it makes me a target because I need special gear and the special boots are black not brown, so I really stuck out and had a "profile" for them, which made me a winner, and I had to wear them in my field job. When I get cold, I'm in a lot of pain and can't use my hands and my feet lock up; they won't move and strange pains shoot into my heart. If I would have been sent over, gotten shot or wounded, I've got a big chance to die.

Conscription is a dictatorship staple. No citizen should be mandated to serve in a country's armed forces {army} against their will. It is better to pay volunteers sufficiently to attract enough high quality soldiers who are willing to serve. You get what you pay for.

Conscription is really only effective in war time. By offering all voluntary recruits career training and even qualifications (like the British Army does for example) such as electrical engineering, civil engineering, heavy vehicle driving, information and communication technology, catering, etc, etc, I am sure that young people would look to the Army as a real employment opportunity. Pay, conditions, opportunities, and future prospects - tick those boxes and you will get 'quality' soldiers - who are motivated, capable, and willing to get the job done. One willing, well trained, fit, and motivated soldier is worth 10 unfit, unwilling soldiers.

Roman Empire fell after the citizen-soldier was replaced by a mercenary. Russia should have German/Israeli system, where everyone's drafted, but those who are not fit can serve in another capacity. However, the hazing and abuses must be eliminated for that to work.

I think bullying makes better soldiers, but hitting them is stupid. The US doesn't do that anymore but Russia might have its reasons. I don't know. It's a stressful job and you've going to have that one person, so why not express it? It makes one conform quickly and establish heirarchy. Some people have a hard time with that one. And the other, you'll get rid of him that way because he'll rebel, and you make everyone else super paranoid in the process, so they follow the rules and don't feel special. Also, "I don't want to live the life of that guy. He's such a loser. I'm not a loser like he is. I do the right thing all the time." Since I've spent my whole life being the loser, I don't really get a high off watching someone fail but a lot of peope do. I was usually just thankful it wasn't me for once. Since I was brought up contained as well, I don't have the same social understandings that a lot of people do, which was a problem too. I don't know how to make new close friends or have a boyfriend, as I am terrified of having offspring, so I came off as isolated and queer and attracted a lot of special people.

Sarah your views on bullying are a bit Dickensian very 19th century, I am sure the 200 Russian mothers who lovingly raised their young sons only to have them commit suicide while serving in the Russian military would disagree with your survival of the fittest point of view.