It’s an extremely common coastal/affluent american perspective to think it’s best to discourage military service in favour of some other vague alternative, with the idea that it’s inherently for the best with regards to any young man or woman seeking work.
But when the economic core of countless, countless US towns look like this:
How can one simply discourage service? For most communities, it is the only exit from poverty or the only guarantor of stability and planning to establish a family. For many towns the options are fast food, walmart and army. Which do you choose when you want to start a career?
like what are these alternative economic systems you envision without an organization such as the army in the meanwhile?
And then for most, say, transgender people from these communities who headass into the military (be it for muh income security or hypermasculine pursuits to deal with trans denial/awareness), before realizing AW sHiT IM A GILR/GUY, where the fuck else do they turn?
While alot of “progressives” are pissed about this situation, they too often forget that army service isn’t a choice but a necessity in getting out of places like this for reasons inherent to daily threats of violence or bigotry ON TOP of poverty, substance addiction and otherwise. Many people on the left misconstrue military service as a simple “queer rights” issue or something akin to fighting for representation in media when it is entirely more complex than that.
We should be decreasing the military and discouraging “service,” not encouraging everyone to contribute to it. Also, *choosing* to opt into such an organization is far worse…
The US armed forces is not an inherently evil organization. The evil arises from schemers in the political strata completely detached from the realities on the front line and the reality in these communities most recruits come from.
A military is a natural and obvious part of any organized nation state. That military doesn’t have to be constantly engaged in warfare. Yall are mad at the army and not the politicians that utilize it to fulfill their agendas.
Essentially, they have decided that since they are too incompetent to stop the politicians, they will attempt to stop the Army instead.
That won’t work. If you can’t stop the politicians, then you can’t stop the Army.
And if you won’t punish the MSM for shilling for war in Syria (looking at you, Democrats I’ve met IRL) and actively believe them that this is somehow remotely a good idea, then you apparently aren’t clueful enough to stop the politicians.
Also if you think Democracy flowers easily in all soils because you’ve bought into the idea that Democracy is The Moral Order of the Universe, you won’t be able to stop the politicians.
The US Democrats need to get smarter.
Europe has lost leverage vs Russia even though they have a bigger economy and a larger population, because they won’t actually spend enough on their militaries ,and they discourage military service.