azza1625/createdebate-arguments huggingface dataset:
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: Yes, it should be mandatory.

NS should be mandatory for male singaporeans. It is very difficult to instil passion in any singaporean on the street. If you go up to them and ask them if they are willing to die for their country during a war, I do not think they would readily say 'yes!!' and swell up with pride. About the maid issue, as weilin said, the NS man may be suffering from back pain. Even if he has passion, he would not grin and bear with the pain. Would you? Many people (at least my primary school teacher does) describes singapore as a "poison shrimp". When a shark (a bigger country) attacks us, our might (poison) would weaken them so much that neighbouring countries, such as malaysia, would be able to crush that country. This proves how advanced the SAF is technologically and militarily. Passion only exists in people like Darren and Kishore(2e3 classmates). their dream or goal is to be a pilot for the SAF or commercial pilots. They often talk about how cool and advanced the F5 is. These are the people that love the army. For the others, NS is needed to instil discipline in them to defend our country. Thus, NS should be mandatory for male singaporeans.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

About the "poison shrimp", how can Singapore weaken the bigger country? Will Malaysia help Singapore? What if Malaysia IS the one that attacking Singapore? Who will be left to protect Singapore, other than Singaporeans that are capable of weakening it only?Maybe Darren and Kishore have passion, they are the ones that are likely to fight for Singapore. But lets say Singapore is losing and both of them are in the brink of death, will they STILL charge and try protect Singapore? I think there's a little chance of them doing so.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

NS only instills discipline in male singaporean but like the examples i given to junhao(read already?) ,most of it is the passion that keeps them going,not discipline.For example in your poison shrimp and shark thing,if the poison shrimp does not have passion in its life(which means the people does not have passion for singapore),would it even bother to defend itself or should i say release the poison to weaken its enemies? No! It would just let it be eaten by the sharks.Now coming to the maid issue,let's use yourself as a example.Imagine you are like in your CCA,doing some building using the sticks(you know? the long long wood or branch thing),if you have passion in your CCA,have passion in finishing it,would you like give up halfway through despite all the pains you have and given while building it? No also.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: Yes, it should be mandatory.

Given your point of view, before you have passion you must have self-discipline in order to strive for something you want. Self-discipline does not only mean that you must behave yourself or mind your P's and Q's. It also means one must have the ability to be more responsible. With reference to your example of the NS man, that is only a minority. This means that a certain part of Singapore's population needs to have more discipline in order to have passion for something, so why not attend National Service and build up their maturity level( having discipline).
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

Continue from your first sentence,passion itself contains self discipline which means the abilty to strive for what you want without being distracted(that's what i think) thus when people have passion in them,discipline is 'automatically' instilled in them so there is no need for NS. Now continue from your last sentence.When the males attend NS,after they come out from it,would they have passion even though they have discipline? I don't think so and discipline would slowly fade away without passion thus it's still passion for something that is more important rather than discipline.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

I think that national service should not be mandatory as it deprives young Singaporeans of 2 years of education, making them lag behind as compared to those who did not go through national service. Having a slower start may affect their future as nowadays, the world is developing so rapidly and the qualifications of certain jobs are getting tougher and tougher to achieve. Furthermore, national service is said to train young Singaporeans' on discipline,respect and other qualities but i feel that these qualities can be learnt in different ways. Also,the idea that military service is needed now in case of an emergency is questionable as what would be considered as an emergency? War? Personally, i feel that no country would have the nerve to attack Singapore as it has already developed a good relationship with many different countries that would help us in times of need. Also, since Singapore harbors many powerful foreign companies and is also a powerful economical giant, i think that other countries would rather be on our side than go against us. Adding on, with national service, the Government is far more prone to engaging militarily. When the forces are strong and plentiful, you are far more likely to go to war. What you end up with is a country like Israel who spends blood like its water (they too have a National Service regime). In conclusion, i feel that national service should not be mandatory but in fact, be left to be a thing of the past, as with Singapore's current status and its location, i doubt that Singapore would ever face an emergency. Consider this, many Singaporeans have wasted two years of their lives being tortured and training for war or emergencies but have an emergency emerged in the past few decades? No (except for virus pandemics that cannot be helped). In fact, being a Singaporean, i feel that Singaporeans' natural behavior when faced with an emergency is to flee or migrate to another country instead of battling in the front lines and Singapore would be left defenseless. To round this up, i feel that national service should be optional.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

All male Singaporeans have to enlist for National Service (NS) for 2 years once they registered their National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) at the age of 15, and they have to stay in Singapore for another 13 years for mandatory reservist training. I find it unjust as foreigners does not have the obligation and they can leave the country anytime they want to. Further more, even when a male Singaporean drops his PR at a young age, he would have to come back for NS when he reached the age of 18 even if he lives half of his live overboard! In such cases, if the Singaporean refuse to serve NS, he will forever be a fugitive from Singapore and if he ever step foot in Singapore he will be sentence to jail. Although Singapore promotes equality between man and woman, only males have to serve NS, this shows that the government is BIASED towards woman. If serving NS is compulsory for males, what about the females?2 years of military service is a long time, in this period, a lot of family bonding time is missed and many things could be done, such as working and furthering one's study. People may say that it is during this time that the males matured and learn a sense of responsibility, overall becomes a better person. But what is learned, when they are FORCED to do something that are not of their own accord? When asked about their experience in NS, my brother and cousins who have finished serving military service mostly replied "boring" and "waste of time". This shows that not ALL males benefit from serving NS and in fact are wasting their precious time. This is why I think that NS should NOT be mandatory for all males Singaporeans.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

I do not think that National Service should be mandatory for all male Singaporeans. Firstly, I believe Singaporeans should be allowed more freedom, being tied to the many different campaigns and fines. Male Singaporeans should have the option to attend NS, according to their passion or love for the country. Furthermore, forcing them to join NS only adds to Singapore's reputation of being a nanny state, which was formed by the numerous government regulations and restrictions on its citizen's lives. Besides, NS may not necessarily improve a male's sense of responsibilty and discipline, as we can see from the many recent scandals involving NS men, like the case where a father carries a NS guy's backpack, or even cases of violence , as seen from here : http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/caught_in_the_act/678740/getting_soft_first_it_was_maid_now_dad_carries.html and here : http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/ sgseen/caught_in_the_act/674658/nsman_rages_kicks_backpack_and_attacks_gf.html  . Not to mention, these scandals also damages Singapore's image.Secondly, the 2 years spent in NS can be used for studying, resulting in a stronger economic force in Singapore. But what is worse, is that Singaporeans are also forced to remain in the country for 13 long years thereafter for mandatory reservist trainings, and refusal to serve full time or remain in the country until this training is complete can result in jail for several years, while foreigners are able to enter and leave Singapore as and when they like , without needing to fulfill any of these obligations, and work full time without serving NS! This may also be a reason why Singaporeans have so little love for their country and would not attend NS if they had the choice too.Last but not least, "Under the Enlistment Act, all male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) are liable to register for National Service (NS) upon reaching 16 1/2 years old. They are required to serve 2 years of full-time NS at 18 years old, followed by 40 days of Operationally Ready National Service per year till the age of 50 years (for officers) or 40 years (for other ranks)." , and this may prevent foreigners from becoming a Permanent Resident, which is something we do not want, as Singapore suffers from a low birth rate. Maybe, Singapore government should give Singaporeans a little more freedom and be less of a nanny state, which may do all of us good, and the results may turn out surprisingly positive.For more reasons of why NS is unfair and should not be mandatory, please visit http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2011/03/singapores-national-service-injustice.html  (source)-Crystal of 2e5
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

In my opinion, National Service should not be mandatory for all male SingaporeansCitizens should be willing to enlist into the army and willingly going into full-time instead of a part-time service men. The 2 years of service does not really help in times of emergency as there is a limited amount of experience compared to those serving full time. For example, in US, most of the soldiers are very brave and they are willing to lay down their lives for their country and their allies any time, for example in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Since Singapore is a small country, it is critical to build a strong fleet of full-time service men and harness the strength of neighboring countries to build a strong defense against attacks.Despite tough trainings, there are some service men that are still pampered. For example, as reported recently in the Yahoo and Straits Times news respectively, two NS men were seen having their father and maid to carry their NS backpack. Their behavior and actions does not display the morals that they have learnt during the service.Thank Youhttp://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_685601.html http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/nsman-maid-carrying-backpack-sparks-debate-20110328-044525-041.html
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

No, anything else is not a free society.-----------------------------
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

Interesting students you have here Ms Samantha. I applaud all their efforts in this debate. I do know this debate is for a very specific group of people, but I just have to post this, as I can't help wondering, why has no one touched on the topic of NS being mandatory for all MALE Singaporeans ? I've seen the arguments of those that state that they think that NS should be mandatory for all male Singaporeans, due to reasons such as defense, bonding among youths, lowering of crime rates and turning boys into mature men, and teaching them discipline. I can't help but wonder, wouldn't it be true for the females as well ?
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

I personally think that national service would be better if its not mandatory. Lets think about this carefully, sure national service brings the best for boys becoming man but WHY MUST IT BE MANDATORY?Lets give an real example: There is my friend that just graduated and get an offer from HBO as a movie director, but the sad thing is he's 18 so he need to do military service. Think if you are in the same position as his, he need to reject his one in a life time offer just for national service? I really feel bad...Another: A singaporean that was born in indonesia and live there his entire life got a letter saying he need to go back to singapore to serve national service. He got an IC because the singapore is forcing him to make without knowing that its bringing him into a pit hole. He also got a really weak body, and never ever took any socio-economic benefits from singapore.Would they serve Singapore well? But they know all the weapons and dangerous things in singapore... Would they use it to help or attack singapore? Because for sure they will hold a grudge at singaporeSure national service give a few positive effects, but please think about this new generation where everything is getting harder and more competitive, if this goes on, i think singapore will lose their strength in the global world
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

This is such a cork of garbage. Why are you saying that it must be mandatory???????????????? It should not be mandatory.It should not be mandatoryIt should not be mandatoryIt should not It should not be mandatorybe mandatoryIt should not be mandatoryIt should not be mandatory
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM. It should not be mandatory, guys. FREEDOM. MALE DO NOT HAVE FREEDOM.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

I can tell that more females participated than males. I can tell that more females participated than males. I can tell that more females participated than males. I can tell that more females participated than males. I can tell that more females participated than males.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

People its two years. Two years away from your family. By the time you reach home, you will be estranged with your family. You would have mad friends with other people. You would treat them as if they are your family. And you would continue to spend time with them. What about your family???????????
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

National service should be mandatory..because enemies who want to invade us will try not to destroy too much of our infrastructure in order to make good use of them. Hence, soldiers are actually still useful in this nuclear technology era.However, woman and foreigners must suffer some detriment to compensate for the 2 years male suffer for the good of this country. Imagine spending/wasting 2 years of your life in the army while your female friends are already seniors in their respective field. It is actually quite disgusting considering they are not there because of hard work, but the inherent career/educational advantage they have over guys. Then again Singapore government pamper our girls too much. Woman's charter, don't need to serve NS, etc. Hence Singaporean male can only, like what they are taught in NS, suck thumb.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: No, it should not be mandatory

I think that NS should not be mandatory for all male Singaporeans. Although it plays a role in the transformation of a boy to a man, in my opinion, it does not require having gone through army training to become a 'true man'. Boys mature over time, just as girls do.Furthermore, not all boys mature while National Service. There are some who remain immature and behave like a kid. An example is the recent 'hot topic' - a photograph of an NS man having his army backpack being carried by a maid. This is an apparent sign of immaturity - Maids carry bags for young kids, mainly kids going to kindergarten or primary school. From secondary school onwards, they naturally become more independent, and do not require a maid to carry their bag for them anymore. But this is a case of a grown up man currently serving NS, and I don't see how he is any different from a primary school kid! Are NS men like this really capable of defending our country from a war? Another issue I would like to bring up is the intense training NS men have to go through. Several men have DIED while serving NS, due to heat stroke and even while doing chin-ups during training. This proves that NS training is too strenous for some to the point of death. This especially applies to those physically unfit or those with medical conditions. Now you may ask, what if Singapore is attacked by another country (which has a low chance of occurring I would say, with its tight security and good relations with other countries)? With the advancement of technology, countries can easily launch a bomb attack on Singapore. In a situation like this, there is no way to predict or react in time, much less retaliate. A nuclear bomb would destroy the entire Singapore within seconds. How would the Singapore Army Force (SAF) be of any use when something like this happens?Even if there is a war whereby the attacking country sends its army troops to fight Singapore, how many men would actually step out to defend our country? I say, very few would. After all, they would be fighting a losing battle, with Singapore's limited population size as compared to other countries. When a war strikes, the first instincts of many Singaporeans would be to flee rather than stay to fight for their own country.Lastly, NSmen lose out to women of the same qualifications who have had two years more of working experience than them. Although I will not be serving NS in the future (unless there is a change in policy), but when putting myself in their shoes, I feel that the two years of headstart for women in the workforce is pretty unfair towards the guys.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: Yes, it should be mandatory.

I disagree with your view that National Service should not be mandatory for all male Singaporeans. Firstly, the main purpose or reason on why the government introduce National Service in Singapore and made it mandatory for all male Singaporeans is to have a strong and substantial military force to defend Singapore when there is a crisis; and not to 'transform' a boy into a man like what you had mention in your debate. Secondly, you mentioned that several men died while serving National Service due to the intense training. I do not agree with you. Many of this incidents are due to their own carelessness. You said that National Service training is too strenuous for some to the point of death? I do not think so. If the training is too intense to the point of death, wouldn't the Ministry of Defense do something about it already. For your information, before young men enlist into National Service, they are required to state their medical conditions, those in serious cases are exempted from National Service. Those who are physically weaker than the others have a lesser intense training compared to the better ones. Thirdly, why would any country launch a bomb attack on Singapore before talking on terms with the Singapore government in the first place? The Singapore government is clever enough to try to negotiate with the other party before they resort to bombing Singapore. Even if Singapore is really threaten by a bomb, do you really think that the Singapore Army Force is that useless to do nothing but wait for the bomb to land on Singapore. Do not look down on Singapore's military forces. If in reality, the SAF is really that useless like what you had describe as, why did the Singapore bothered to have military forces in the first place? Your point is unrealistic. In response to your following point, this is exactly why National Service should be mandatory for all male Singaporeans! To ensure that there would be more than enough men waiting to serve for the country when there a crisis. I do not agree with what you state that most Singaporeans would flee rather than staying to fight for the country. This is just your own opinion, it is not a fact. Lastly, from your last point, I would like to ask you if you think that is education still more important than your own country, when it comes to your country's safety and future? I do not think so.
Debate: Should National Service be mandatory for all male singaporeans?
Side: Yes, it should be mandatory.

Well I don't think this is the case.Boys underwent National Service will be both mentally and physically trained.Even though boys mature over time,but will their resilience and their "never say die" spirit get" mature" over time?Therefore,through this training,there will not only be training their physical fitness.They will also be challenged for their willpower and their teamwork.Since you said that NS men are immature and behave like a kid,there should be more reasons why National Service is mandatory to all male singaporeans.Even though Singapore is a safe country,with all the tight security and good relations with other countries,there still might be a possibility that Singapore may be attacked.Therefore,we must be prepared to deal all kinds of situations.I do not agree "NSmen lose out to women of the same qualifications who have had two years more of working experience than them."Nowadays,employments emphasised more on qualifications rather than experience.Thus,even though women have more working experience,but if males' "learning experience" is more than the women,males still stand a higher chance to be employed.