The soldiery, who are generally composed of the dregs of the people, when disbanded, or unfit for military service, being equally unfit for any other employment, become extremely burthensome. But how many Americans give careful thought to what tyranny actually means and how it is carried out? James Madison, The Father of the Constitution, voiced his concern as well: A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. That event provided all the proof the colonists needed of the true nature of the redcoats mission in the colonies. why is it dangerous to have a peacetime army? Armies at war kill people and destroy things, and their leaders must master that chaotic and risky business in peacetime. Akam takes a puritanical view of such recreational activities, rejecting them, curiously, as a form of bullying in what he argues is a pretty extreme environment., Akam duly provides the reader with thick description of the British Armys tribal laws and of life for its soldiers. Easy access to firearms, people who are mentally ill being able to purchase firearms, a lack of trust amongst others, lack of access to health care, lack of employment opportunities in some areas of the country. Seeking out conflicting ideas and encouraging genuine dialogue must be seen as prized components of good leadership, instilled in doctrine and evaluated in fitness reports when assessing leaders future potential. In the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was written by George Mason (17251792) and adopted by the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1776, it states: That a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. Out of the 100 deaths in 2013, 31 were shot, 11 were struck by a vehicle, 2 were stabbed, and 1 died in a "bomb-related . All too often the standing armies of Europe were regarded as, at best, a rationale for imposing high taxes, and, at worst, a means to control the civilian population and extort its wealth.. Foreign military bases and the stationing of troops abroad are for offensive military actions, not defensive ones. If you are one of those people who never likes being away from the workplace, then the military is not for. For those who have little or no contact with the military, many of the customs and traditions Akam describes in his weighty tome might be regarded as exotic. When Maj. Gen. Jonathan Shaw, the Parachute Regiment officer who had previously led the United Kingdoms special forces, found himself taking over command from Maj. Gen. Richard Shirreff in 2007, he was well attuned to the complexity of the security situation. If you are one of those people who never likes being away from the workplace, then the military is not for you. As Williams statement points out, when the president issues an order the soldier isnt going to reflect on whether the order is constitutional or not. Those with a job related to the military have an incentive to keep their job. This article is republished with permission from the AntiWar blog. The Dangers of a Standing Army In both todays and tomorrows world, however, effective organizations must make decisions almost instantaneously in response to data that flows at the speed of light. All rights reserved. In other words, it's not the central government's peacetime standing army that is dangerous. What did the Anti-Federalists mean by a militia? Yet an explosion of bureaucratic requirements means that Army leaders at all levels are often forced to compromise their integrity in order to meet an ever-growing list of recurrent demands. He draws a caricature sketch of a regiment, without saying much in particular about the militaristic bonds and sense of belonging that keep the system together. Please, enable JavaScript and reload the page to enjoy our modern features. Senior leaders need to seek feedback from their subordinates to help identify the worst of these practices and enact common sense approaches that treat soldiers like the professionals that they are. Driven by a sense of purpose. Napoleon's goal was to win a quick victory that forced Alexander to the negotiating . Pilot/flight engineer: 53.4 per 100,000. This incoherent books crippling weaknesses are an absence of acknowledgement that some generals serve the country pretty well, and apparent obliviousness of the political dimension, Hastings fumed. He also was an adjunct professor at the University of Dallas, where he taught law and economics. It is stark evidence of how counterproductive global military dominance is to American interests. The soldier obeys orders. Of course the states . They should increase the opportunities for officers to attend civilian graduate school, which enable students to develop deeper critical thinking skills and to learn from a diverse set of faculty and classmates in ways than can never occur in a purely military degree program. Such sentiments may be understandable during wartime, though they inevitably have harmful long-term consequences. Unlike almost any other career, it is possible to spend a working lifetime as a soldier without ever doing the job for real. Intriguingly, Akam moves through his opening chapters painting a picture of a peacetime army busily preparing to refight its last war. Trade with the Indians, especially the fur trade, was profitable. Previous article by Laurence M. Vance: Ron Paul, History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution, The Anti-Federalists: Selected Writings and Speeches, War, Christianity, and the State: Essays on the Follies of Christian Militarism, War, Empire, and the Military: Essays on the Follies of War and U.S. Foreign Policy, King James, His Bible, and Its Translators, CNN Host Shockingly Blasts Teachers Union Boss Over School Closure Lies, Fox Newss Existential Crisis After Tucker Carlsons Firing and Audience Flees, with Buck Sexton, ABC News Admits It Censored RFK Jr. Interview For False Claims About Covid-19 Vaccines, Documenting the Greatest Crime in History, New Lyme Disease mRNA Vaccines Being Developed for Humans, How Not to Solve the Boys Wanting to Use the Girls Restroom Conundrum, The Gnostic Parasite I James Lindsay New Discourses, Nations Ditch Dollars Thats The Real Debt Ceiling. In his fifth essay, referred to above, the Anti-Federalist who called himself Old Whig stated that our future rulers can invade our rights of conscience because of the authority which is given them over the militia, by virtue of which they may, if they please, change all the officers of the militia on the continent in one day, and put in new officers whom they can better trust; by which they can subject all the militia to strict military laws, and punish the disobedient with death, or otherwise, as they shall think right: by which they can march the militia back and forward from one end of the continent to the other, at their discretion.
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