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with its standing army.
The idea, that being member of a standing army is inherently a noble and admirable thing, whithout
any relation to what the particular goals of this army may be at any given time, is distinctly un-american and
unheard of in pre World War 2 America.
Americans, traditionally, always knew what they were fighting for. The revolutionaries knew what they were fighting for
and identified with the cause, as well as the civil war troops on both sides, as well as the people who went to Europe
to stop Hitler.
Today, people have some vague ideas. They do what they do because they are told and because the get paid, not
because they know they are doing
the right thing. Since 1945 the American military has been nothing more than a band of mercenaries, in
service of corporate interests.
People have this image in their head of some brave folks who fought for a just cause over sixty years ago. And
think that this noble image will somehow rub off on them, regardless of what particular cause they are fighting for.
The truth is, American foreign policy today resembles that of the people who were stopped in World War 2 much
more than it resembles that of the people stopping them.
America was not founded on the back of a standing army. America was founded on the backs of
people who made the decision to resist a standing army that had the sole purpose of serving corporate greed.
The reason why military membership is applauded in this country is simple: Because our economy depends on it.
The military is a big employer. It is a driving motor. The meme that one does not have to serve a noble cause,
just sign up as a soldier, to be considered courageous, is necessary to ensure that young people keep signing up.
Economic necessity is the only reason why the military is admired in a nearly religious way.
People are so detached from the goals and the purpose of this military that they have the nerves to complain that
the military does not offer enough stable office jobs with childcare benefits, and similar absurd things.
Sure, each individual is free to choose to send the signal to the next generation, that they will be applauded as
heros and have little boxes of cookies sent to them, even if what they are doing is hooking little boys testicles up
to car batteries.
However, I doubt that a generation taught in such a way will be capable of living at peace with other countries.
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