What kind of Army do you want?

This academic paper makes interesting work of the questions surrounding the developement of a "Warrior Class" that may be forming within the U.S. military. It's an academic work, so if you're going to read it, set aside about 30 minutes in your schedule.

However, it makes for an interesting read. The conclusion summation makes the point that we (the big "we", as in Americans) need to think about the kind of military we want to have defending us. Right now the military seems to be trending towards a self-selecting group of citizens, influenced by heritage and familial ties, who have born the burden of defending the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. The latest numbers I've seen bandied about was something like <1% of American citizens have servied in the Armed Forces. Our experience as Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines is foreign to most Americans.

Is that good? Is it bad? The author makes some conclusions about it, and offers some recommendations in how to "fix" the possible problem.

Good food for thought...

A Question of Legitimacy