I am not a huge fan of things military, however I am a big fan of living in a country which can repel attack and deal with aberrant people, countries and cultures when necessary. That may be wishful thinking, as I am not sure of what my own country is up to.
But here is the main impetus of my feelings on such things. Vietnam was a bloody, unmitigated disaster from start to finish. We were experimenting with police action in horrible conditions. And people were dying like crazy. Not a good thing.
Most Americans did not really see any pressing need to go fight there, so they conscripted young men of the proper age to go against their will. No one likes 18 year old boys so they are the easiest group to draft.
No one wants to be called coward or unpatriotic so people allow the involuntary servitude. If your country or government is master, then slavery is OK.
But back then, women were exempt as were gays. But being gay was not the premier, special class thing it is today. However, you could get out of going to war in cases you deemed bogus just by saying you were homosexual. Easy out, thought they would write FAG on your permanent record. It at least offered one a small amount of control and freedom.
Now, people think we have come so far because gays can put bakeries out of business and they can march in gay parades without getting kicked out of the military (which still sends people into insane wars). Of course no one is being drafted again, yet. They still sign up.
Now that women are going into heavy combat roles, they will soon have to register for selective service--the draft. It is only a matter of time. But it is equal. Come a long way, baby.
That is like a field slave who was forbidden from using the mule to plow, thinking he's made big progress because he can now use the mule. And he's so enamored with this progress he seems to forget that his life is owned by the plantation. The progress is a distraction. His life is still not his own.
So, besides the odd circumstance of fighting wars with no universally understood goal or definition of winning, we have various groups who are begging to be included in all aspects, even though we don't know what we're fighting for. It is nice that we manage to spend billions in war bucks with so few casualties, relatively speaking. It fools people. All is just marvelous, but wait until forced participation becomes the way of life again. No one who had a pass in the old days will be so lucky.
After observing the abuse and misuse of our armed forces, the disregard for integrity and life among those who direct our military activities, I wonder at those who so eagerly want to be put in harm's way while the military is still being used for corrupt purpose by people who do not care about right and wrong, only their own ends which do not serve the bulk of humanity well.
We've been duped. So, while people think they are furthering the cause of equal rights for women, gays, and other, they are effectively just making it easier for a larger swath of the population to be potentially enslaved and misused. Very sneaky business. Do away with the requirement for young men to register for selective service. Do way with selective service and I will change my tune. Then I, too, will applaud all the gains and freedom of groups who have previously been held down and limited. But for now I say, bummer, you are setting yourselves up to be cannon fodder or whatever else the state needs from you.
