Is mandatory military service necessary for a strong and unified nation?

Depending on historical backgrounds and other national circumstances of countries, the answers may well vary, and they all make sense, but in my view, mandatory military service has both pros and cons. Now let me explain the details.     

Let’s begin with its advantages: first, mandatory military service can be crucial for small countries to maintain their defense system. This is why conscription is mainly used in small countries. Second, large countries that desire to maintain their strength and aggressiveness adopt conscription system. Two examples of this are China and Russia.     

Next, mandatory military service also has its disadvantages: first, it can strain government resources. This is a problem because conscription is often adopted in small countries. Second, military service can involve taking another person’s life, which goes against the today’s morality.           

While mandatory military service has its pros and cons, I do not want to say that the system is necessary; the UN Sustainable Development Goals have listed “eliminating of all violence” as one of their key challenges. So we should come together to achieve this goal. Thank you for your attention. [182 Words Type-X]