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Most of Western Europe is unwilling to fight for their country https://preview.redd.it/of-europeans-who-would-fight-for-their-country-v0-mxkod1egn2f81.png?auto

by sjaak 3y ago

Most of Western Europe is unwilling to fight for their country https://preview.redd.it/of-europeans-who-would-fight-for-their-country-v0-mxkod1egn2f81.png?auto=webp&s=c5a5f2c34ff0b91eb45c7584402fde2cbd16bc77 https://preview.redd.it/of-europeans-who-would-fight-for-the...

jwilk 3y ago
What's the source of this data?
- somenameforme 3y ago
  Gallup 2014 survey: https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33483/win-gallup-internationals-global-survey-shows-three-in-five-willing-to-fight-for-their-country/ https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33483/win-gallup-inte... There's a clear table linked at the bottom.
- crimsoneer 3y ago
  Cannot find it, which suggests it's proper nonsense.
doikor 3y ago
And the country with the highest rate has compulsory military service.
- jeltz 3y ago
  Yeah, Sweden and Finland who both have high rates also both have military service.
  - CRConrad 3y ago
    Though the Swedish one is pretty much a sham.
wewxjfq 3y ago
Meaningless when most people didn't expect war to ever happen in Europe again. A German defense minister once famously said the Bundeswehr was defending Germany at the Hindu Kush - of course no one wants to sign up for that.
Hamuko 3y ago
It's likely that the countries with the lowest percentage are just coddled by the prolonged time of peace in Europe. The Finnish populace's willingness to fight for their country ("maanpuolustustahto") has increased from 68% to 83% between 2021 and 2022. https://ruotuvaki.fi/-/maanpuolustustiedotuksen-suunnittelukunta-suomalaisten-maanpuolustustahto-on-korkeampi-kuin-koskaan https://ruotuvaki.fi/-/maanpuolustustiedotuksen-suunnitteluk...
crote 3y ago
Makes sense when "fight for your own country" means "dying in a desert half a world away for no real reason".
- HaroldBolt78 3y ago
  [dead]
arp242 3y ago
"Fight for your own country" is such a vague concept that will mean vastly different things to different people. It's not a surprise that in Eastern Europe the percentage is significantly higher, because there it means "fight against an authoritarian invader who will strip us of our freedoms and will destroy much of what our country stands for". In Western Europe it means ... what exactly? There are no immediate obvious threats and it's nothing more than a vague expression of patriotism lacking any sort of concrete meaning. I bet you'd get very different answers with "if Russia would invade your country, then would you be willing to serve in the army to defend it?" And even that would be biased, because such a hypothetical question comes off as very different if it's not all that hypothetical.
- CRConrad 3y ago
  > I bet you'd get very different answers with "if Russia would invade your country, then would you be willing to serve in the army to defend it?" And even that would be biased, because such a hypothetical question comes off as very different if it's not all that hypothetical. Sorry, I don't quite understand – what do you mean, “biased”? Are you saying it should be "if Russia would invade your country...”, or what? If so, then that's silly. Asking the question in the shape of what might happen in stead of what with overwhelming likelyhood won't isn't “bias”, it's just common sense. Or realism, if you will. But maybe you meant some other kind of “bias”?

by sjaak 3y ago

jwilk 3y ago

What's the source of this data?

somenameforme 3y ago
Gallup 2014 survey: https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33483/win-gallup-internationals-global-survey-shows-three-in-five-willing-to-fight-for-their-country/ https://www.gallup-international.bg/en/33483/win-gallup-inte... There's a clear table linked at the bottom.
crimsoneer 3y ago
Cannot find it, which suggests it's proper nonsense.

doikor 3y ago

And the country with the highest rate has compulsory military service.

jeltz 3y ago
Yeah, Sweden and Finland who both have high rates also both have military service.
- CRConrad 3y ago
  Though the Swedish one is pretty much a sham.

wewxjfq 3y ago

Meaningless when most people didn't expect war to ever happen in Europe again. A German defense minister once famously said the Bundeswehr was defending Germany at the Hindu Kush - of course no one wants to sign up for that.

Hamuko 3y ago

It's likely that the countries with the lowest percentage are just coddled by the prolonged time of peace in Europe. The Finnish populace's willingness to fight for their country ("maanpuolustustahto") has increased from 68% to 83% between 2021 and 2022. https://ruotuvaki.fi/-/maanpuolustustiedotuksen-suunnittelukunta-suomalaisten-maanpuolustustahto-on-korkeampi-kuin-koskaan https://ruotuvaki.fi/-/maanpuolustustiedotuksen-suunnitteluk...

crote 3y ago

Makes sense when "fight for your own country" means "dying in a desert half a world away for no real reason".

HaroldBolt78 3y ago
[dead]

arp242 3y ago

"Fight for your own country" is such a vague concept that will mean vastly different things to different people. It's not a surprise that in Eastern Europe the percentage is significantly higher, because there it means "fight against an authoritarian invader who will strip us of our freedoms and will destroy much of what our country stands for". In Western Europe it means ... what exactly? There are no immediate obvious threats and it's nothing more than a vague expression of patriotism lacking any sort of concrete meaning. I bet you'd get very different answers with "if Russia would invade your country, then would you be willing to serve in the army to defend it?" And even that would be biased, because such a hypothetical question comes off as very different if it's not all that hypothetical.

CRConrad 3y ago
> I bet you'd get very different answers with "if Russia would invade your country, then would you be willing to serve in the army to defend it?" And even that would be biased, because such a hypothetical question comes off as very different if it's not all that hypothetical. Sorry, I don't quite understand – what do you mean, “biased”? Are you saying it should be "if Russia would invade your country...”, or what? If so, then that's silly. Asking the question in the shape of what might happen in stead of what with overwhelming likelyhood won't isn't “bias”, it's just common sense. Or realism, if you will. But maybe you meant some other kind of “bias”?