The Military's Part in This Equation

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/08/2012813114351987126.html

Quite frankly, I don't know if I'd agree with this article's characterization of the military, judging by the 3 years that I was with them. Who knows how it has changed since then, what with the economic collapse of the United States and the world as a whole.

Suffice it to say that I don't really know what the pulse is amongst the troops.

And I doubt anyone really does, chiefly because of the culture of not talking that's so engrained in the mentality of those who serve our country.

I can't say it's a necessarily bad thing to have this level of discipline amongst our troops.

However, it does create problems of its own when it's put into practice.

I remember hearing a lecture from a Dutch general, who had served in Afghanistan while I was in Maastricht. Apparently, it's always the responsibility of the Dutch Army for its officers to know what's up when, and to report issues and violations to their superiors.

That's not the case in the American Army, as he pointed out.

Which is probably part of the reason how we get all of the cock ups that we do amongst the ranks.

I believe that the military should remain independent of and subordinate to the civilian government. Otherwise, you just have a military led government that wouldn't necessarily work best for the civilian population, and would be counter productive towards democracy.

However, it would be interesting to see what the precedent of being involved in political action would be, should the military either side (which means, take orders) from the government, the Tea Party or the Occupy Movement. Would they chose to fire on their own civilians? Which way would they side? How would they position themselves?

These are questions that are only going to be answered when the time is ripe for answering.

And, I personally hope that that time never comes, so that we can avoid that initial precedent of military involvement in politics.

But, if things don't change.

These questions are going to be put on the table.

With all the long term and unforeseen consequences that will will be there.

Quiet honestly, the change is far less scary, to me at least, than everything that's going to/can happen if the change does not go through peaceably and immediately. And that's probably because no one on the other side has thought further than their own purse strings, if that's even a relevant thing to be worried about for them anyway.

Think about it.

Cause I doubt that the Conservatives or the conservatives really have.

And that's how we're all going to go over the cliff, in practical and demonstrable senses on this plane of existence and no other.

And, I think it's only in your brain that it's going to work out otherwise.

But, that's just a hypothesis.

Silly brains.

Think about it.

Silly brains.