[uncbob]

Good point. You gotta do something to keep them busy,and sending the kids off to be used as cannon fodder is a tried and true tactic.

Except if you are in dire economic straits you can't begin to equip an army much less finance a war

[sawsalimb]

True,but most governments already have an army hanging around,and it isn't as expensive to expand an army as you might think-conscripts work cheaply,after all. And the third world probably has uncounted warehouses full of surplus AK's. Equipping an army well is indeed expensive,but giving a teenaged draftee a surplus rifle and one or two plates of rice a day,and paying them a few piasters a month in worthless currency isn't too huge a line item expense. Remember,the objective-if you're one of the members of the ruling class in those parts of the world-isn't to necessarily have these poor kids accomplish anything. The objective is to keep them occupied shooting at someone else,so they won't be rioting in the streets and shooting at you.