As someone who went through conscription in Germany, the last year to do so (I think), it's a huge relief to me. Almost three decades of neglect and naivete have made the world less safe, not more. Deterrence works.
Deterrence + autocracy is pretty unstable, because eventually the generalissimo gets to thinking that if he already has military capability sitting around...
Had, until July 2011. This isn't unique. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and others have something similar, varying in details. (I think it's more commonly called military service or equivalent.)
