Saturday, June 01, 2013

More on the Volunteer Army

Earlier this week I wrote about an Op-Ed by Karl Eikenberry and David Kennedy in which they raise the issue of how well the volunteer army fits into a truly democratic and involved citizenry.  Eikenberry has expanded on his article in the Winter Issue of The Washington Quarterly.  While he does think that the volunteer army is the way to go, he questions just how well it has performed.  A lot of the problem is due to the separation of the army from the citizens.  Eikenberry argues that we do not assume our responsibility as involved and informed citizens when it some to the army; basically, it does what it wants in matters of both war and peace.  The problem of non-involvement vis-a-vis the military is not only when it comes to citizens' responsibility.  The Congress and the media are not doing their jobs either.

It's a fascinating article and well worth a read.

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