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Egyptian Muslims Create Human Shield To Protect Christians
 
#23
Conscription isn't slavery - conscripted soldiers draw a salary. It doesn't even fit the definition of "forced labour" unless the salary is barely above living costs, or is only considered to pay off the training/equipment/etc.
The Janissary situation is also a little more complicated than you give it credit for; indeed, one of the main opposing forces to the Ottoman Empire attempting to modernise was the fact the Janissaries had become the power behind the throne and could depose any Sultan they didn't like - not exactly correlating to the power wielded by the Hitler Youth. They were not kidnapped past the very early Ottoman years (the very first were young war captives, not children) but part of the devshirme system - for all intents and purposes, the children were a levied tax on certain Christians (mostly; Jews were exempt but there was a similar levy on Bosnian Muslims from time to time, although they weren't technically Janissaries) in certain areas (mostly the Balkans, and rural areas only) that were not in certain careers (any skilled craftsman was exempt, so were cases where it was determined taking the children would cause excessive economic hardship to the parents). That being said, the Janissaries WERE slave soldiers (so were the Mamluks in Egypt; that is in fact what a "Mamluk" is) - but what that meant then and what people automatically think it means now are entirely different things.

I don't support conscription, BTW (although I don't exactly oppose it, either - conscripted militaries versus volunteer ones have several pros and cons) - but calling it slavery simply isn't accurate.
(Edit for a bit more clarity/info on the Janissaries, who are pretty interesting!)
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[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 01-08-2011, 09:22 AM
[No subject] - by LynnInDenver - 01-08-2011, 07:49 PM
[No subject] - by sweno - 01-09-2011, 09:36 PM
It made Iran blink... well sorta - by hmelton - 01-11-2011, 11:28 PM
[No subject] - by Rod.H - 01-12-2011, 09:28 AM
Iran blinked - by hmelton - 01-12-2011, 08:46 PM
[No subject] - by LilFluff - 01-28-2011, 10:49 PM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 01-29-2011, 04:14 AM
[No subject] - by Rod.H - 01-29-2011, 11:57 AM
[No subject] - by Matrix Dragon - 01-29-2011, 02:00 PM
[No subject] - by Bob Schroeck - 01-29-2011, 11:08 PM
[No subject] - by Jinx999 - 01-31-2011, 04:51 PM
[No subject] - by robkelk - 01-31-2011, 05:13 PM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 01-31-2011, 05:27 PM
[No subject] - by Jinx999 - 01-31-2011, 07:24 PM
[No subject] - by ECSNorway - 01-31-2011, 10:19 PM
[No subject] - by khagler - 02-01-2011, 07:57 AM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 02-01-2011, 04:53 PM
[No subject] - by robkelk - 02-01-2011, 05:05 PM
[No subject] - by Black Aeronaut - 02-01-2011, 05:24 PM
[No subject] - by khagler - 02-03-2011, 09:31 AM
[No subject] - by Ayiekie - 02-03-2011, 01:55 PM
[No subject] - by CattyNebulart - 02-04-2011, 07:34 AM
[No subject] - by khagler - 02-05-2011, 08:53 AM
[No subject] - by CattyNebulart - 02-05-2011, 09:18 AM
[No subject] - by Ayiekie - 02-05-2011, 02:39 PM
... - by Rev Dark - 02-05-2011, 03:24 PM
[No subject] - by robkelk - 02-05-2011, 05:55 PM
[No subject] - by khagler - 02-05-2011, 10:33 PM

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