With the turmoil of the recent midterms and the pundits squawking and spewing about the 2016 elections, I have pretty much chosen to not listen. We have a do-nothing Congress with an apparent get-nothing-done President so why should we really expect much better now with a truly lame duck POTUS, right? But the great news, we are living in a nation where each of us get to be part of putting representatives of what we believe into chairs of influence. I think that is pretty great and I still swell at the thought like I still cry when I hear the National Anthem if done properly and not disrespected with terrible singing, renditions, etc, (subject for another blog some time).
Yesterday a long standing concern I have had and have spoken to many times was rekindled against the context of our great nation and We the People that are blessed to inhabit this Land. Yesterday I was reminded that today, with a national population of approaching 315 million citizens, about 1% of that total serve our nation in military uniform. I find that statistic not only striking but downright shocking when you project what that is really telling us. In the early stages of World War II, the ranks of the US military swelled quickly via volunteers and conscription to roughly 6 million. So if you look at percentages, you can readily see the tremendous disparity in our national investment in the protection of our nation versus what it was.
My point is not to make comparison between 1940s and 2014 militarily but rather to again turn the light on the fact that America, as a nation, had not "been at war" since WWII. What I mean by that is that the last real military victory our nation has undeniably experienced came as a result of not only the uniformed scores but of an entire nation invested in the effort to support those in uniform. That meant that an entire way of life was altered measurably so, in essence, the entire nation was fighting the Axis power in industrial output, no new cars, no student loan debt for nobody was really going to college, rationing of essentials, etc.
That paragraph is a contextual rendering to get me to my core point this morning ... less than 1% of our entire nation's population is invested in protecting our nation. And that number is comprised of people volunteering to serve while the remaining 99% continue with the butter of our lives thinking only about what our stipends to pay the 1% to do our dirty and dangerous work when the news turns the cameras on. If you then add to the fact that Americans are "weary" of war then there is this mental disconnect for me. "Boots on the ground" has become a disdainful metaphor for actually putting our nation's military treasures into harm's way WHILE the remained of us stay home going about whatever it is we do which is NOT being part of defending our nation.
I have never been a proponent of the volunteer force that emanated from the poorly executed and elongated slogging in Vietnam. That was our first known "war" where the strategic levers were pulled continually in Washington and not by the prosecuting generals who were too many times hamstrung for political reasons. It is 2014 and we see the ISIL threat still unchecked and growing for the very same reasons; a reluctant national leadership to fully engage a global threat. I mean, just watch the news, you pick the station, and it becomes dizzying at not only ISIL but many other affiliate thugdomes vying for the lead dog in the world of terrorists. In other words, this, in my humble opinion, is yet another example of kicking cans down the street due to upcoming elections, too much debt, not wanting to hurt some group's feelings, etc, etc and all the while our troops are being sent in minimal numbers to do our bidding.
"War weary" means when an entire nation is tired of the sacrifice and investment in blood and treasure to defend our nation so when I hear that term today, it is laughable really when you realize, looking at the numbers, the only people that are weary are our troops and their families while the rest of us sit on the sidelines watching NFL games five nights a week (my wife tells me), watching our societal values dissipate into a mist each day, prisons overflowing due to too many men and women fundamentally having nothing to do thus bored and turn to drugs and crime, etc. etc.
So here is my restated point and I will restate this from my own personal perspective and life. I believe in my heart that in a great, modern nation like America that every male and female at the age of 18 should be required by law to serve our nation in some capacity for two or three years with the military being one of the very few options. Other nations in the G20 and more do exactly that so you can know. I believe our nation deserves to be serviced by the fruit of this nation for we the citizenry owe this nation part of our lives I believe in my heart. This approach would generate a level of accountability far too many eighteen year olds miss completely in their life's arsenal of tools to be successful as their life unfolds. Is there danger? Absolutely but I rarely recall a time when being successful did not require a modicum of risk and danger.
Many will dispel my thoughts as too harsh, too bold, too whatever but when I see daily that our 1% we are paying and paying well as compared ot previous militaries are rotating multiple times into and out of combat zones because of lack of human reserves trained for combat, it causes me to grow very frustrated. That is blatantly unfair to the troopers and their families. We are a great nation but not enough of the greatness of our nation are willing to invest some of themselves into being part of this greatness. I find that disturbing. I see the evidence too often that Ipods are much more beneficial than the effective use of and M16 while parents whine abou why their kids are not more involved. Really! Do you wonder why that is? (cyncism intended)
I learned a long time ago about consulting which is so very true in this context, that until a client "gets skin in the game" if seeking advice, the client will never fully invest into the consultation. If the citizenry do not invest themselves into the protection of this place where they were born and will career, the depth of devotion of the nation and its protection will be that of a dis-engendered third part instead of a full invested citizen. There used to be pride in serving our nation; I sense that was a time lost and that is very sad; very, very sad and dangerous. Why the politicians choose not to embrace this still baffles me but then I remember, politicians live by currying favor; not boldly going where no man or woman has gone meaning into unpopular fields that if navigated would be an amazing boost for our nation.
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