I worry about today's military. This is not because I think they are not good at what they do. While the war in Iraq is going poorly, I do not attribute this to incompetence in terms of infantry. Our failures in the middle east have much more to do with stupidity and poor leadership at the command level. But I digress...please see the flip for what I hope will inspire some discussion of perceived problems with military personnel and how these problems can be rectified.
The military today concerns me on two personnel levels. First off, it is more than ever an area of society dominated by working class individuals who have few other options. This has been the case for a long time, to a certain extant, but with the war in Iraq--a rich man's fight being fought by poor men--the disparity is even more obvious.
My second concern is the politicization of the military. We have seen uniformed personnel campaigning for republican officials. I believe this violates the UCMJ, and it also creates a situation where troops may feel pressured into voting a particular way based on the actions of their superiors. The military must never be allowed to become aligned with one party or another.
What do we do about these problems? Observing them is the easy part; reacting to them is another matter altogether. Some have suggested that a no-deferment draft would decrease the disparities in the armed forces, but a proposal such as this would likely never be adopted due to the country's past unpleasant experiences with selective service. Perhaps progressives should join the military more readily. That might tip the ideological balance somewhat, though that seems like a somewhat sparse motivation for joining the armed forces.
I myself have struggled with this question. I grew up in a small, affluent, liberal New England suburb, and military service seemed like an afterthought there. It was assumed that one would graduate high school, go to college, and get a job. Recruiters rarely if ever showed up at the local high school, and the number of people who went from that school to the military in a given year was small enough to count on one hand. While it was never talked about, it felt like the assumption that existed in the town was that young people there were blessed with opportunity and therefore should be glad they didn't have to join the military.
I accepted this at face value through high school, but now, as a college student, I have begun to question the logic involved. Yes, I have been blessed with opportunity. Yes, college is a privelidge that will afford me advantages later in life. Still, should these priveleges essentially exempt me from service? Many people join the military because it is a neccessity for them. Would we be better off if individuals did so because it was there desire to?
A young man I attend school with left this fall to go to Iraq. He was a Marine reservist, a local, and president of the college dems chapter at the college. He was as liberal as they come, and blessed to attend a good school, but still opted to be available for military service if neccessary. I deeply admire him for it, and I wonder if all of us should be doing the same thing.
I don't have the answers to these questions. I wish I did, but that doesn't happen overnight. All I know is that we have a military today which depends on the blood of the working class to sustain it, tends right wing, and is losing recruitment. How can we progressives help fix this?
To those reading this, please discuss as much as possible. I would love to hear the opinions of vets and active soldiers. Are my perceptions completely off, or is this an issue in need of heavy consideration? I'd appreciate everyone's thoughts on this matter.