We Need Wars

I have always said that I believe one of the hardest tasks any Government must face, is keeping the nation employed.  Many choices it makes are to keep people making enough money to survive.  Retail sales, and theft and retail sales make up a huge percentage of our employed.  Either making or selling stuff.  However, there are an awful lot of people in this nation, and not enough jobs at Walmart or Burger King.

The military employes people.  Not only that, but it employes a lot of people that are otherwise unemployable.  I won't say stupid people, because there are certainly a lot of very smart people who choose military service as their career too, but the truth is - the Army is the choice for many people who would otherwise live a poor life of unhappiness.  It gives them a great dicipline and lifestyle.

The problem arises when we have a nation filled with trained military types with nothing to do.

So we have a war every decade to keep the postion fascinating and enticing.  We also get to kill off a certain percentage, thus creating a need for new recruits.  A whoe batch of youths that would otherwise be hanging out around a video store, or perhaps resorting to a life of crime.

War keeps our lower class fed and off the streets better than crime.

I understand some good people choose military service because they bbelieve in the cause, or beccause their father did, and his father did... or mother perhaps, but I would guess (with my usualy disregard for actual facts) that more than half the lower ranks or the army and other military service - are made up from a collection of people that somehow failed at civilian life.  They crave the rules and structure of being told what to do.

It's the best place for them.  I respect their duty.  I'm not trying to be disrespectful or call all military people idiots.  I just mean that for big nations, the war is almost a requirement.  We need a place to put these people, and something for them to do.