--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every possible effort should be made to…" description: "\"Every possible effort should be made to stop recruiting for the Armed Forces. This may, and probably would, lead to some form of conscription being pro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/stafford-cripps-31809_armed-forces_every-possible-effort-should-be-made-to_2240768.png" --- # Every possible effort should be made to stop recruiting… ![“Every possible effort should be made to stop recruiting for the Armed Forces. This may, and probably would, lead to some form of conscription being proposed or introduced. Thus would be provided a most favourable political platform upon which to fight the National Government.” quote by Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/stafford-cripps-31809_armed-forces_every-possible-effort-should-be-made-to_2240768.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/stafford-cripps-31809_armed-forces_every-possible-effort-should-be-made-to_2240768.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b7c/stafford-cripps-31809_armed-forces_every-possible-effort-should-be-made-to_2240768.png) > “Every possible effort should be made to stop recruiting for the Armed Forces. This may, and probably would, lead to some form of conscription being proposed or introduced. Thus would be provided a most favourable political platform upon which to fight the National Government.” [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compulsory military service may be used as a political tool, influencing power dynamics and public sentiment. **In simple terms:** Conscription can be a political weapon. Key Takeaway Beware of using force as political leverage. Themes politics military conscription power public opinion Mood cautious analytical Type argumentative historical When to use this quote - election campaigns - policy debates - military recruitment - legislative reform Key Concepts Political strategy civil-military relations ethics of force Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever justified to mandate service? - How does conscription affect democratic legitimacy? A Different Perspective Conscription may be necessary for defense, complicating moral judgments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Armed forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armed-forces/) [Conscription](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscription/) [Conscription Proposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscription-proposed-5079175/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/force/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Form Conscription](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form-conscription-5079176/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Platforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platforms/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Recruiting Armed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recruiting-armed-5079178/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stop Recruiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-recruiting-5079177/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [What higher property do you have than your own person? I totally agree, by the way, with John Locke's idea that one's body is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/what-higher-property-do-you-have-than-your-own-person-i-totally-agree/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [ “Be ... suspicious ... of all those who employ the term 'we' or 'us' without your permission. This is \[a\] form of surreptitious conscription… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/be-suspicious-of-all-those-who-employ-the-term-we-or-us-without-your/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I regard the principle of conscription of life as a flat contradiction of all our cherished ideals of individual freedom, democratic liberty and Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-nash-baldwin/i-regard-the-principle-of-conscription-of-life-as-a-flat/) [Roger Nash Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-nash-baldwin/) > [Anarchism is grounded in a rather definite social-psychological hypothesis: that forceful, graceful and intelligent behaviour occurs only when there is an uncoerced and direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/anarchism-is-grounded-in-a-rather-definite-social-psychological/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [The worship of the nation has been able to make men tolerate under its authority what they could never have tolerated from princes: a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/the-worship-of-the-nation-has-been-able-to-make-men-tolerate-under/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I am an opponent of war and of war preparations and an opponent of universal military training and conscription; but entirely apart from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/i-am-an-opponent-of-war-and-of-war-preparations-and-an-opponent-of/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) > [All these fifty-year-old guys wearing baseball caps and shorts and acting like children. It winds me up. Men don't have to take responsibility anymore.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/all-these-fifty-year-old-guys-wearing-baseball-caps-and-shorts-and/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) > [“Universal peace-time conscription was adopted by almost all countries as the basis of their military system. This ensured that wars would grow bigger in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liddell-hart/universal-peace-time-conscription-was-adopted-by-almost-all-countries/) [Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liddell-hart/) > [Conscription if necessary, but not necessarily conscription.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/conscription-if-necessary-but-not-necessarily-conscription/) [William Lyon Mackenzie King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/) > [Wicksell's old-fashioned liberalism is reminiscent of John Maynard Keynes' attitude toward conscription during World War I. Keynes opposed conscription, but he was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mancur-olson/wicksell-s-old-fashioned-liberalism-is-reminiscent-of-john-maynard/) [Mancur Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mancur-olson/) > [If a country can't save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say : Let the damned thing go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-country-can-t-save-itself-through-the-volunteer-service-of-its/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“In 1870, came the victory of the short-service troops of Prussia over the long-service troops of France, where conscription had but recently been reintroduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart-2/in-1870-came-the-victory-of-the-short-service-troops-of-prussia-over/) [B.H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart-2/) > [“Beautiful ideals were painted for our boys who were sent out to die. The was the "war to end wars." This was the "war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-d-butler/beautiful-ideals-were-painted-for-our-boys-who-were-sent-out-to-die/) [Smedley D. Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-d-butler/) ## More by Stafford Cripps > [Apart altogether from our own vital interests, we cannot and must not desert those other nations who have already gone through so much tragedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/apart-altogether-from-our-own-vital-interests-we-cannot-and-must-not/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [We ask the great masses of India to be patient a short time longer, while the cause of freedom is being fought out, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/we-ask-the-great-masses-of-india-to-be-patient-a-short-time-longer/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [But it is a fallacy, if one is examining the methods by which security can be attained, to start upon the assumption, as so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/but-it-is-a-fallacy-if-one-is-examining-the-methods-by-which-security/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [We have pledged ourselves, and of this the United Nations of the world are witness, to give the fullest opportunity for attainment of self-government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/we-have-pledged-ourselves-and-of-this-the-united-nations-of-the-world/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [India has indeed a great and free future before her, in which she can make her special contribution to the well-being of mankind. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/india-has-indeed-a-great-and-free-future-before-her-in-which-she-can/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [Many hard comments have been made on my efforts in India from the side of the Congress party, yet I feel content in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/many-hard-comments-have-been-made-on-my-efforts-in-india-from-the/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [Productive power is the foundation of a country's economic strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/productive-power-is-the-foundation-of-a-country-s-economic-strength/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [Violent statements and threats cannot provide a solution to the problem. They can only exacerbate feeling and make a clash of forces inevitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/violent-statements-and-threats-cannot-provide-a-solution-to-the/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [It is not yet too late for the Indian people to decide on rapid, ordered progress. I can assure them that the British people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/it-is-not-yet-too-late-for-the-indian-people-to-decide-on-rapid/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [We must now allow ourselves to be blinded to long-term developments by the intensity of the short-term difficulties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/we-must-now-allow-ourselves-to-be-blinded-to-long-term-developments/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [It is fundamental to socialism that we should liquidate the British Empire as soon as we can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/it-is-fundamental-to-socialism-that-we-should-liquidate-the-british/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [Gandhi has asked that the British Government should walk out of India and leave the Indian people to settle differences among themselves, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/gandhi-has-asked-that-the-british-government-should-walk-out-of-india/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [Gandhi has more recently recognized the need for continuance of British, American and Chinese efforts in India and has suggested that these troops might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/gandhi-has-more-recently-recognized-the-need-for-continuance-of/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [Reasoned arguments and suggestions which make allowance for the full difficulties of the state of war that exists may help, and will always be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/reasoned-arguments-and-suggestions-which-make-allowance-for-the-full/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) > [No one will expect the British Government or the Government of India to give way to threats of violence, disorder and chaos; and, indeed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stafford-cripps/no-one-will-expect-the-british-government-or-the-government-of-india/) [Stafford Cripps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) [Explore all 16 Stafford Cripps quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stafford-cripps/) ## More Armed forces quotes > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [Recruitment and retention are critical to sustain our Armed Forces with the best men and women willing to stand in the gap and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/recruitment-and-retention-are-critical-to-sustain-our-armed-forces/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My father was in the military; he was a captain. His service was to quote-unquote integrate the Armed Forces overseas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/my-father-was-in-the-military-he-was-a-captain-his-service-was-to/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the Armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-pace/i-believe-that-homosexual-acts-between-individuals-are-immoral-and/) [Peter Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-pace/) > [“The highest ranking Russian intelligence officer to defect from Russia, Stanislav Lunev, testified at a Congressional hearing held in California in January, 2000. Before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-price/the-highest-ranking-russian-intelligence-officer-to-defect-from/) [John Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-price/) > [A colonial war is a very dirty kind of war. You're not fighting armed forces. 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And to fight that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/a-colonial-war-is-a-very-dirty-kind-of-war-you-re-not-fighting-armed/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Scotland forms a crucial part of our Armed Forces which should not be jeopardised by rushed cuts or a rush to the exit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-hammond/scotland-forms-a-crucial-part-of-our-armed-forces-which-should-not-be/) [Philip Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-hammond/) > [The people of Iraq are grateful for what the people of the United States of America and our armed forces and our coalition forces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-isakson/the-people-of-iraq-are-grateful-for-what-the-people-of-the-united/) [Johnny Isakson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-isakson/) > [I have deep respect for our armed forces and jawans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-kumaraswamy/i-have-deep-respect-for-our-armed-forces-and-jawans/) [H. D. Kumaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-kumaraswamy/) > [“The ultimate objective of all military operations is the destruction of the enemy’s armed forces and his will to fight.”\* This sums up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/the-ultimate-objective-of-all-military-operations-is-the-destruction/) [J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/) > [Relations between States, as between individuals, must be regulated not by armed force, but in accordance with...truth, justice and vigorous and sincere co-operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-xxiii/relations-between-states-as-between-individuals-must-be-regulated-not/) [Pope John XXIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-xxiii/) > [Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/word-to-the-nation-guard-zealously-your-right-to-serve-in-the-armed/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [If Congress grants permission, I would put armed forces in the streets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/if-congress-grants-permission-i-would-put-armed-forces-in-the-streets/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-lead-uninstructed-people-to-war-is-to-throw-them-away/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Americans will forever be proud of the brave men and women of our armed forces who served in World War II, and we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-rhodes/americans-will-forever-be-proud-of-the-brave-men-and-women-of-our/) [Ben Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-rhodes/) [Browse all 342 Armed forces quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/armed-forces/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every possible effort should be made to stop recruiting for the Armed Forces. 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