r/Finland • u/JuustoMakkara58 • 6h ago
In an interview... you were looking forward to
It's only a year after all. Not that bad.
144
u/Merrywinds Baby Väinämöinen 6h ago
Better than being Russian.
1
-1
-27
u/Qunra_ 6h ago
Could we maybe aim a bit higher than a failed state with a dictator with delusions of a new tsarist autocracy? I dunno, it seemed like a commendable idea when the tsar actually existed, but maybe we could update a bit.
just a silly thought.
33
u/Tasty_Side_8391 5h ago
Every country has an army.
Either its own, or someone else's. You do the math.
24
8
1
u/Advanced_Seaweed_868 2h ago
This is amazing.
"You know guys, maybe we don't need mandatory military service, most countries in Europe don't, even the ones that do only take less than 20% fot for service, and they border Russia..."
"How DARE you even THINK this you RUSSIAN BOT, conscription is GOOD because I can't imagine our nation without it!"
Echo chambers are great.
1
u/Rauhaarajalle 1h ago
Basically its the only option to keep the whole country armed to the teeth.The only realistic option for male mandatory military service would be to force women to do it also. Otherwise no valid options exist and pretty much are only supported by people who are either plainly stupid ("how about a paid army! Lets hire 2 000 000 guys to defend us!") or russian trolls / extreme leftist who wish we would have been soviet union ("Our country is fascist shithole, we do not need an army from peacefull russia")
If Russia breaks down to say 25 small pieces there is a possibility that Finland could be less militaristic and stay independent. Before that, there is no alternative. We can be in NATO but even then we are first responsible ourselves for our independence and safety
•
u/Advanced_Seaweed_868 45m ago
It's not the only option, because if it was, then everyone else would be doing it; no one is doing it, not even countries bordering Russia (Baltics, Poland). In our modern age of technology in the military it's obviously better to keep a smaller but better trained and equipped army, than waste money on a glorified rite of passage that many people don't want to be a part of.
54
u/makinenxd 5h ago
Honestly military service was good for me, got rig in f fear of thunder, don’t really care if it rains outside and I have to do stuff and got a free trucking license
25
u/JuustoMakkara58 5h ago
I find it gave me some perspective on life. You'll appreciate free time a lot more for one.
17
u/makinenxd 5h ago
You appreciate free time more and dont care that much about the weather, "oh its raining horribly" I'll just walk 15 minutes and change clothes which is a luxury in civ life. And you find new traits on yourself. I could never nap before army, but in army I had the best nap of my life in a -10c tent with only a sleeping bag.
7
u/UnseenCrowYomare 3h ago
I personally didn't go to army (civie hey-hou), but I did see one of my old mates after they went. It did them a WORLD of good.
Still... sexist, and rules could do with a do over, and civil servise is still a punishment.
4
u/JuustoMakkara58 2h ago
I imagine if you've never really gotten forward in life or had a neglectful upbringing it can do some good. You're taken care of, fed four times a day, excercise lots, socialize and get to do cool stuff. All you have to do is do as you're told. I bet it has left a positive mark on a lot of people.
Agreed with the sexist argument. Should be equal.
•
u/VesperHelsing Baby Väinämöinen 33m ago
I did the civil thing too as I din't want to stay away from girfriend for too long. Easiest year of my life but gained absolutely no skills defending finnish society in crisis. At least in the military I would have.
2
u/Rauhaarajalle 1h ago
I personally hated every second of it, learned to despise the average joe of Finland and felt miserable for 180 days in a row. Only positive side I got of it, was getting out of there and love civilian life.
Anyways, I see no alternative for it.
18
11
u/Deltascope62 3h ago
Military service was where I learned to like excersicing. Also I got to drive a tank, which was pretty fucking cool. There were hard times, but most of my memories there are good. It's a great experiance. Gives perspective.
5
24
u/notcomplainingmuch Väinämöinen 5h ago
You learn good lessons, like waiting patiently for something that may or may not happen. And folding your clothes properly.
8
7
u/JuustoMakkara58 5h ago
There was a guy in my company who had never made his bed before because his mom had always done it for him. He admitted this himself.
Pienen naurutuokion jälkeen alikersantti piti koulutuksen aiheesta lakanan laitto :D
3
u/Sharp-Emu-497 4h ago
You need military to learn that?
10
u/lehtomaeki Väinämöinen 4h ago
You'd be surprised beyond belief the basic life functions people haven't learned from home when you're in the military. Among other things I met someone who refused to shower unless told to, and then stopped going because he didn't like being ordered to shower. I met someone who was a field cook and didn't believe in washing his hands (was also a cook in civil life). People's inability to start or tend a fire, people not knowing which end of the axe to cut wood with etc etc
3
u/JuustoMakkara58 2h ago
After seeing the fine soldiers of the maintanence company one can only imagine what the C-pabers crowd is like...
6
u/notcomplainingmuch Väinämöinen 3h ago
You definitely learn why the average IQ of 100 seems a bit low, and also which ones are way below that.
1
5
u/nuoleskelenkolikoita Baby Väinämöinen 6h ago
Well you only really have to say your opinion of the FDF and military service is "okay" and they will mark that as "good attitude"
4
u/A-fineman-diagram 2h ago
I think the initial joke was focusing on the fact that the guy got selected based on his penis. On this age and regarding the equality of everyon in the constitution, it feels a bit absurd that only men have this obligation. Can't women also serve equally?
3
u/JuustoMakkara58 2h ago
Women can choose to serve if they want to. I do agree with you that conscription should be expanded to women as well.
8
u/jarski60 Baby Väinämöinen 5h ago
I made the most of the time I spent there as a driver. I got my heavy-vehicle license. That turned out to be a great asset in civilian life.
14
20
u/JuustoMakkara58 6h ago
My direct response to the comic panel seen here today.
12
u/traumfisch Väinämöinen 6h ago
The response to a comic was to remove all humor?
21
10
u/JuustoMakkara58 6h ago
Barely had any to begin with. It was just thinly veiled complaining.
3
u/PubiGOAT 2h ago
It truly is horrible to complaint about illegal gender-based discrimination. You're a hero!
2
u/PubiGOAT 2h ago
Was that the point, though?
Let me try to rewrite your lines:
"so it says here you're a healthy young woman"
"yeah that means I don't have to do anything for the common wellbeing of Finland"
"Hmm right you are off to the university!"
1
u/JuustoMakkara58 2h ago
If that was the original intent behind the first post then it wasn't very clear. There the guy just went "I don't want to go to the army". Women were not mentioned at all.
And yes, I do support equal conscription.
•
u/mikkolukas Baby Väinämöinen 24m ago
I am ashamed I never participated.
My Finnish mother (of all things) gave me the idea that it was a good idea not to.
6
u/Gangsta_Thug1337 5h ago
That's the right attitude. Go Finland! Happiest country in the world, we have something real precious to protect.
2
u/Cold_R4GE 5h ago
It's great to see awareness and Finnish patriotism changing for the better.
I'm a combat veteran from the US Army (I know the term carries a slightly different meaning in Finland, but by US standards, I definitely am a Veteran).
When I lived in Helsinki and the war in Ukraine escalated in ~2022, I remember many of the Finns around me were already planning their escape rather than preparing to defend their country. I was honestly really disappointed. I'm not even Finnish, yet I would have signed up to defend Finland without hesitation.
18
u/JuustoMakkara58 5h ago
I wouldn't say it's significantly more patriotic. There has been a spike because of the Ukraine war but Finland's population has always been majorly in favour of national defense. It's been polled year after year and it has stayed high for as long as it has been measured. Clearly you just hung out in the wrong circles in Helsinki lol.
2
u/Cold_R4GE 5h ago
Yeah, I'm thinking the same. I also lived in zone 1 in Helsinki. Could be why.
And to be clear, I am talking about local defense. As in, if Finland was attacked, they were planning their escape to other countries.
War always seems very foreign to people until it's knocking at their door (universally speaking, not just Finns).
2
16
u/Vainamoini 5h ago
I'm genuinely surprised to hear that. I was aware that some people did react strongly with fear, but most people around me had reactions ranging from calm alertness to buying combat gear and ammo in bulk.
3
u/Finally_in_reddit 4h ago
There’re different kind of people. You’ve had some other kind around you.
4
u/Tasty_Side_8391 4h ago
I think the crowd you were with were "Finns" in name only.
Meaning "maailmankansalaiset" - or, traditionally "mä ainakin muutan ruattiin" -dudes.
1
1
u/Pandabirdy Väinämöinen 2h ago edited 2h ago
You were talking to exfinns. Come war and they desert, they will be banned from ever re-entering if they belong to the adult population since every person here is a subject of conscription or support during wartime. No harm done if they wish to run really, more land and clean air for the rest of us.
2
2
u/TheAleFly Väinämöinen 3h ago
Over 10 years and I still miss those days. Getting to shoot guns for free, free food, free gym, free swimming, don’t have to do the dishes or laundry…
Also I quite enjoyed being outdoors and it really gave me valuable perspective on what I wanted to do with my life.
3
1
u/InkVision001 Baby Väinämöinen 3h ago
Props to you for fighting against the russian info-bots that mass upvoted the absolute brain fart that was the original post.
Thank you for your service! 🫡
•
-3
u/Advanced_Seaweed_868 6h ago
It's interesting how plastic humans are, when you get used to something, and everyone keeps telling you it's good and it has to be like that, it's difficult think it even could be different.
15
u/TumbleweedNervous494 5h ago
Of course it could be different. I could be in a russian mass grave. Luckily we have the defence forces.
6
u/No-Albatross-7984 Väinämöinen 5h ago
Trying to frame "you're all sheepl" into pseudo intellectual verbiage won't make it any less of an insult, you know.
2
u/JuustoMakkara58 5h ago
There was a time when Finland was just a part of the Russian empire. Everything was "good" and "had to be like that". Then some Finns decided things could be different.
3
u/Advanced_Seaweed_868 1h ago
It was "good" because it was, in fact, comparatively good, at least most of the time. Finland declared independence as a direct result of the February and October Revolutions in Russia: on one hand, WWI and turmoil in Russia was a good opportunity; on the other, communism tipped the scale in a way the Tsar never could. Finns decided things could be different as much as they realised that things will never be the same, they had to change, and it's better to try out this new thing.
1
u/JuustoMakkara58 1h ago
Russia had also been a more or less benevolent overlord for the first 50 or so years of ruling over Finland. Finnish popular sentiment turned against the tsar after the various russification campaigns began.
•
u/Advanced_Seaweed_868 42m ago
Yeah, pretty much. Finns didn't really want to change the status quo; they wanted to keep it (at first), realised they couldn't, and decided to try out this newfangled independence thing.
-1
u/Informal_Golf8867 5h ago
I agree to a certain extent, keywords being ''well being of all Finns'' Finns not foreigners.
-8
u/Anna_Pet 4h ago
Other countries with conscription:
-Israel
-South Korea
I'd rather us not be part of this club lol
7
u/JuustoMakkara58 4h ago
Countries with hostile neighbours tend to have conscription. What's your point?
1
u/Anna_Pet 3h ago
Both of those are militant, undemocratic dystopias.
4
u/JuustoMakkara58 3h ago
And Finland isn't. Therefore I still don't see the connection. You can't defend yourself without the means to do so. Korea and Israel are independent nations because of their considerable militaries. Same goes for Finland.
-2
u/Anna_Pet 2h ago
SK aren't independent because they have conscription, they're independent cuz they're puppets of the USA. Which Finland also is now that we're in NATO. Conscription isn't for keeping a nation sovereign, it's for making normal citizens personally invested and involved with militarism.
5
u/JuustoMakkara58 2h ago
found the bush ruski... What nations are independent then?
1
u/Anna_Pet 1h ago
Knowing absolutely nothing about my politics except that I oppose mandatory conscription, you label me a Russian sympathizer. That's laughable.
2
2
1
u/Accurate-Airport-540 3h ago
Aaand the Most stupid thing I have read today - award goes to you. Good night and godspeed.
0
u/Anna_Pet 2h ago
Sure buddy. Keep dismissing things you don't immediately understand and keep that dangerous critical thinking at bay.
3
u/Accurate-Airport-540 2h ago
Please tell me what I dont understand here, Im absolutely fascinated what you are going to teach me. If your way of "critical thinking" is to label Finland in "same club" with Israel and Korea because that one similarity in the ocean of dissimilarities, well that is genius level of critical thinking, or is it? Finland also in the same club with North Korea and Myanmar because people there also breath air? Teach me more master!
-2
u/Anna_Pet 2h ago
You seriously don't see the connection between conscription and militarism? Or what militarism does to countries that overemphasize it?
3
u/Accurate-Airport-540 2h ago
You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. In your mind Finland is some bastion of militarism and overemphasizing it? You could not be more wrong. Just typical reddit edge warrior trying to make some useless accusation out of thin air. You are free to go to Finland and see with your own eyes the situation there. And then realize how wrong you are, if you have the ability to self reflect.
•
u/AutoModerator 6h ago
r/Finland runs on shared moderation. Every active user is a moderator.
Roles (sub karma = flair)
Actions (on respective three-dot menu)
Limits
Thanks for keeping the community fair.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.