The American South always contributed more than its proportionate share of military participants -- except maybe during the draft era until about the time Vietnam got escalated. Culture of honor communities (I surmise) are more inclined that way, not a condemnation. But what worries me is not so much that it's conservatives who are attra…
The American South always contributed more than its proportionate share of military participants -- except maybe during the draft era until about the time Vietnam got escalated.
Culture of honor communities (I surmise) are more inclined that way, not a condemnation.
But what worries me is not so much that it's conservatives who are attracted to the military as it's blood-and-soil conservatives. All those kids entering the military at the most formative stage in their adult lives -- are we creating a bakery for "illiberal democracy" as Orban explicitly calls it? So when they come out, are we making nascent brownshirts?
Garbage in equals garbage out. The standards for recruiting were very low during the peak of combat in the 00's. We didn't have enough volunteers, so a lot of waivers were made for incoming recruits that would have been otherwise rejected during normal years. DOD cares a lot more about prior drug use--including marijuana--than it does a recruit's political outlooks. As long as the "blood and soil" neo-nazi types don't come in with obvious tattoos then chances are they'll be let in. I've had a few people like this in the units I served in and kept the fact that I came from Jewish stock a secret for what are now pretty obvious reasons after we see where groups like Atomwaffen and Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys like to get their favorite members/leaders from.
The American South always contributed more than its proportionate share of military participants -- except maybe during the draft era until about the time Vietnam got escalated.
Culture of honor communities (I surmise) are more inclined that way, not a condemnation.
But what worries me is not so much that it's conservatives who are attracted to the military as it's blood-and-soil conservatives. All those kids entering the military at the most formative stage in their adult lives -- are we creating a bakery for "illiberal democracy" as Orban explicitly calls it? So when they come out, are we making nascent brownshirts?
Garbage in equals garbage out. The standards for recruiting were very low during the peak of combat in the 00's. We didn't have enough volunteers, so a lot of waivers were made for incoming recruits that would have been otherwise rejected during normal years. DOD cares a lot more about prior drug use--including marijuana--than it does a recruit's political outlooks. As long as the "blood and soil" neo-nazi types don't come in with obvious tattoos then chances are they'll be let in. I've had a few people like this in the units I served in and kept the fact that I came from Jewish stock a secret for what are now pretty obvious reasons after we see where groups like Atomwaffen and Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys like to get their favorite members/leaders from.