# Gen Z doesn‘t relish going to war – so what! You should worry more about the reckless generations that do | Jason Okundaye

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/gen-z-doesnt-relish-going-to-war-so-what-you-should-worry-more-about-the-reckless-generations-that-do-jason-okundaye/
- Published: 2026-11-10T07:00:32+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T07:19:05+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/nov/10/britain-gen-z-war-right-young-people-protect
- Topics: Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Fewer than a quarter of under-35s rated military service highly important.
- The author says this does not mean they would fail to defend Britain.
- Past wars and current threats shape how young people view service.

## Summary

The article argues that young Britons’ low stated willingness to serve in the military should not be taken as proof they would fail to defend the country. The author says the survey question measured how important military service was to respondents, while public debate has turned their answers into a test of patriotism and a reason to criticise a generation facing economic insecurity.

The article questions whether people should be expected to support any war, given the record of conflicts such as Iraq and Libya, and points to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and threats to UK infrastructure as reasons to take security seriously. It says defence may require resilience from the whole country, and argues that young people’s reluctance to embrace war is understandable rather than evidence of indifference.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.