US Military Mercenary? I Think Not.

david M. Kennedy, a Stanford professor who's nose is so elevated he evidently cannot read a dictionary, has a piece in the NY Slimes on our 'mercenary' army.



From American Spirit Political Dictionary:



mercenary - a person who offers his services for pay, and does not have any personal adherence to the cause he represents. Usually used of a mercenary soldier, but can apply in other fields as well.



I saw this and was trying to think of how to answer this person, who is allegedly so well educated that Stanford hired him as a professor. Indepundit (language advisory on the comments) and Mudville Gazetter and (languange advisory) Blackfive saved me the trouble. Not to mention that I'm not certain Afghanistan or Iraq are military adventurism by the definition of the founders. As opposed to military action in the westward expansion of our frontiers, our interventions in Latin America in the 1930's, or even Thomas Jefferson's own use of the Navy and Marine Corps to fight the Barbary Pirates in the early 19th century, either Afghanistan or Iraq certainly seem less adventuristic.



As a final bit of strategic thinking, I observe that the proponents of a draft all seem to be left of center politically. If I were to form a preliminary hypothesis of desired action from these observations, they seem to have a goal of getting more liberals into the military. I can see several possible reasons for this: They believe a military with more liberals in it won't support the right as much. They believe a military with more liberals in it will have more children of liberals, thus enhancing war protests when it is used. They believe a military with more liberals in it will be less oriented towards the career military, as draftees are less likely to re-enlist. They believe that placing more liberals in the military will influence it's culture leftwards (about as much as a Chihuahua influencing a Great Dane). Or, one final hypothesis to consider: They want those on the left politically to be forced to acquire the sorts of skills one acquires in the military, because they're certainly not going to join on their own.



Oh, and Stanford? Next time you're looking for professors, I can point you at several hundred thousand who will embarrass you less than this guy.



(HT: Instapundit for the links)