I honestly don't know that much about Cuba, seems like country much like any other that has trouble because of a difficult neighbor and making the best of it? But if we're talking about whether mandatory military service is sometimes justified, not whether mass media is biased (duhhhhh), perceptions held by the majority are inconsequential.

"Conscription" - that's not what am I talking about though. Conscription (which is also absolutely wrong of course) is indeed present in a lot of countries. Mass kidnappings of cannon fodder that is not allowed to leave is quite unique to Zelensky's regime.

Conscription is done in preparation for "mass kidnappings of cannon fodder", as you put it.

Edit: Also kudos for not trying to defend ethnic Russians' history of ethnic cleansing.

[–] bobr@lemmy.libertarianfellowship.org 4 points 11 hours ago (2 children)

Conscription is done in preparation for "mass kidnappings of cannon fodder", as you put it.

No?..

Russia has conscription but not kidnapping part and forbidding to leave the country part. So do many other countries.

[–] 211@sopuli.xyz -1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Conscription is done in preparation for "mass kidnappings of cannon fodder", as you put it.

No?..

...yes? Or do you think the countries with peacetime conscription do it for shits and giggles, and the massive economic benefit of half the population losing about a year of working life?

[–] bobr@lemmy.libertarianfellowship.org 3 points 7 hours ago

Okay, then surely you can show me a shittone of examples of such a massive campaign of kidnappings happening to people forbidden from leaving the country because they are needed as cannon fodder that happened in modern history (let's say last two centuries)?

[–] 211@sopuli.xyz -1 points 7 hours ago

Russia has conscription but not kidnapping part and forbidding to leave the country part. So do many other countries.

Russia has a larger population than Ukraine, and thus the luxury to not need everyone, and still they have called in reservists in "partial mobilization", exact number unknown. As Russia has conscription, every adult man who has performed their service is in reserve. As of 2023, reservists called into service are not allowed to leave and are subject to restrictions until they report to duty, which seems like high-tech enforcement/"kidnapping" to me. The conscriptions have also hit poorer regions, often with large ethnic minorities, more harshly, but I'm sure that's just coincidence.

There are reports of some military districts closing borders, of mobilized men being ill-equipped and used as cannon fodder, being killed in large numbers, you name it. As with all war reporting, hard to get well-verified factsfacts, especially from a country hostile to neutral reporters. We do know that protests are broken (and male protestors sometimes drafted).

But yeah, probably not needing troop replacements to the same extent as Ukraine. Who, I'm saying again, are fighting for the survival of their country and culture.