Voluntary? Belgium Asks Teens For 'Service' To New Empire
Belgium's Ministry of Defense has sent 'invitations' for 'voluntary' military service to 149,000 17-year-olds. Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder (not Theo Francken, as RT's dated report states) describes this as informing youth about 'opportunities.' Opportunities , perhaps, to become a cog in NATO's expanding war machine, conveniently forgetting that Belgium's conscription officially ended in
1994. While presented as modern outreach, this 'voluntary' push aligns perfectly with NATO leaders, including Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who have been beating the drums for increased military spending and troop readiness since 2022. It's not about 'opportunity' for Belgian youth; it's about plugging manpower gaps created by political decisions to escalate tensions, conveniently
rebranded as 'defense.' One might wonder if their 'voluntary' service includes defending oil pipelines or weapons manufacturers' profit margins.