Boy soldiers and child soldiers

[WinterHold]

I was surprised to know, that during World War 1, Britain enlisted teenage boys (as young as 12) in the army.
The boys lied about their age; derived by patriotic motives and immature dreams of glory; they thought the war is a picnic; and they would return to their sweethearts at home as heroes.

Officers knew; but they needed the soldiers; so they shut up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youngest_B...orld_War_I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_use_of_childrenI

In World War I, in Great Britain 250,000 boys under 18 managed to join the army.[2] In World War II, child soldiers fought throughout Europe, in the Warsaw Uprising,[3] in the Jewish resistance,[4] and in the Soviet Army.

It is not just Britain then; but lots of other countries.

Another child from Kosovo, was enlisted at the age of 7 in WW1:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mom%C4%8Dilo_Gavri%C4%87

It is not just the old times; until this day, children are being sent to battlefields:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/hom...31966.html

In the Middle East though; ISIS recruited children:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-traine...ssignment/

The current state of peace post WW2 doesn't mean the war is over, Actually we still live in its shadow ; a shadow that is composing the essence of the third war that would follow.

British boy soldiers were deployed in Iraq & Afghanistan; the Independent says:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/hom...31966.html
The figures, released last week, have sparked renewed criticism of the British Army's use of boy soldiers. Following an outcry over the deployment of 17-year-olds to the Gulf War in 1991, and to Kosovo in 1999, the Army amended its rules stopping soldiers under 18 from being sent on operations where there was a possibility of fighting. Despite this, at least 20 soldiers aged 17 are known to have served in Afghanistan and Iraq due to errors by the MoD.

This will give birth to a generation so twisted and thirsty for blood. Nothing is worse than giving a person this young, the destructive power of modern military arsenals. Especially with the rise of the right in politics; we can expect a disaster with child racist soldiers, holding the power over tactical bombing and atomic weapons.

Imagine a world full of Trump and Kim.
This was something shocking. So shocking.

[Aoi Magi]

See this is why you need to barbecue them as babies. Saves a lot of headache later on.

Oh and humans have always been savage violent creatures, and the records in the religious books and ancient history texts prove that well. Child soldiers aren't too shocking when you consider marrying off 6 year olds was the norm at one time. It is only in modern times that we are slowly learning the value of peace and becoming civilized.

[Little lunch]

Title sounds like an 80's song.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Pretty sure boys are children too.

[brewer]

If you're the war monger, why wouldn't you want the easiest of brain washables for war? Do what I say, no questions asked.

"Get them while their young" philosophy works for lots of organizations.

[vorlon13]

How bad do they wanna win ??

[WinterHold]

See this is why you need to barbecue them as babies. Saves a lot of headache later on.

Oh and humans have always been savage violent creatures, and the records in the religious books and ancient history texts prove that well. Child soldiers aren't too shocking when you consider marrying off 6 year olds was the norm at one time. It is only in modern times that we are slowly learning the value of peace and becoming civilized.

It's about modern humans enlisting children in wars;  not about ancients enlisting theire's in the fight.
If ancients did wrong; it gives us no excuse to do the same and say : "but...the ancients did it !"

Pedophilia is an obsession with sex, mixed with a sexual memory went wrong,it's a psychological state caused by the wrong lifestyles many people embrace, that I see that religions like Islam pretty much put a solution too, by making sex only valid between opposite genders in a context signed by a contract.

But it's about child soldiers; not pedophilia.

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Pretty sure boys are children too.

I guess children are before puberty; boys are after that.
7 or 8 is a child; 14 or 15 is a boy.

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If you're the war monger, why wouldn't you want the easiest of brain washables for war? Do what I say, no questions asked.

"Get them while their young" philosophy works for lots of organizations.

Sadly. Needing every human capable in the great war was just the excuse needed.

[chimp3]

As far as I know, boy/child soldiers are usually a sign of desperation on the part of an army.

[WinterHold]

As far as I know, boy/child soldiers are usually a sign of desperation on the part of an army.

WW1 and 2 consumed lives in a way that causes desperation if you think about it.
Trench warfare is a living hell, I don't think generals would think a lot about replacing the dead with kids if the price was winning the war.

[Silver]

12 and 13 was practically an adult back then.
20 was middle aged.
30 was ancient.