2003.11.28
Military Freedom
Not long ago I was with Ann at Sharone’s. Somehow we got on the subject of the military and freedom. Sharone had read a book recently about a man who had been in China and then travelled to India. His observations is that in China everyone is fed, everyone has health care, and most everyone has the opportunity to work. Few people have anything resembling true freedom. Contrasting this is India where you have a large poor/unemployed sector of the population, a few very rich people, and loads of other problems. Yet everyone is free; the possibility to get a job, get rich, leave the country, and say what you want is there.
I think most civilians think the US military is more like China in this regard, but I disagree. Aside from giving up the right to not kill if you are ordered into a combat situation (you must obey orders) and perhaps not saying stupid things like, “I think the President should die,” you are as free as almost any civilian. You have benefits that most civilians would never have, in fact (excepting wealthy civilians). Joining the military is like taking a job with almost any company and it is just that: a job.
I would never ask someone to accept the military into the their lives; there are many people who are opposed to it or feel it is unnecessary. They are *free* to believe what they wish, just as is any officer or enlisted personnel.
At some point I’d like to delve into the degrees of freedom, however, and where the lines can be drawn, and how whatever line is drawn will never be permanent.
Categorized: thoughts
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