citizen soldier

Now, I am not saying that

this


reminds me of

that



Well, obviously, that reminds me of this. I wonder though, if this is preaching to the choir. I wonder, if someone whose family has signed up, or who is thinking about it themselves looks at these two videos and thinks, "I don't know what he is trying to tell me with these two videos here side by side. One is a cool song with people in it who I want to be like. The other kinda makes fun of that, but still is a kick ass movie about kicking ass." I wonder, if my idea that people who sign up for the armed services are victims to clever marketing campaigns and jaded appeals to patriotism is correct. Are they just too removed from my way of thinking to even register the irony I see in these videos? Likewise, do they think that I just don't get it? That I do not understand sacrifice and carrying a heavy burden for my country? I don't know, but it sure seems that way.

Heinlein wrote Starship Troopers in 1959. Now, I am not saying that this either means that we haven't learned anything new in the last 50 years, or that we seem to have a really bad memory for having such a large waste of space between our ears. But... well, thats exactly what I am saying. I feel slightly ethically challenged to be reminded of our morals by a Sci-Fi writer. Funnily enough Heinlein seems to have written this in support of getting some, but I completely missed that. The propaganda segment above must be one of the most sarcastic pieces of self-flagellation known to man - he was making fun of himself without even knowing it. He was doing his part!

So even though I completely missed out on the fact that Heinlein meant his story as propaganda for citizenship to attained only through willingness to ultimate sacrifice, which means that I myself am too far removed to get the warrior's point, I nevertheless want to ask you, the warrior, to consider what it would be like not to head the call to arms. Let us nevertheless try to understand a fact or two about the history of propaganda and warfare of the last 70 odd years?

For example, why is it always the citizen who is doing the dying? What it is it that makes all of us volunteer to go get some? In this modern enlightened world should we not be able to move beyond that? Or is our biology too overpowering, are we too much a victim of evolution to leave the fights over whose religion disproves evolution best behind? Is our need to be in constant competition too strong? Ah well, maybe soon we can make a Warrior Caste. You say we have one already? Na, if that was the case why would we need to see videos such as the one above to convince us of the validity of our morality and honor?

And why is someone who dies for the place that he lives in, more valid than someone who teaches the children and nurses the sick in that same place, just to name another couple of bland favorites of public benevolence. How much more useful could he have been as a patriotic teacher, still alive, instead of being six feet under? We do accord respect according to usefulness right? Otherwise our incentives would be rewarding the wrong action. If we would elevate sacrifice over utility, we could all die a hero's death but no mother would outlive her sons. What would be the point of that?

And why the bloody hell, are we still dying for the places we live in? have you ever thought of maybe just not doing that? We do not live in a feudal age anymore, in which you were completely beholden to your master's will, who said frog so you hopped.

And finally, why can I not turn in my passport and still travel the world?

Are you doing your part?