Life without Soldiers

I have just finished an article from the New York Times about U.S. Army soldiers marching in Moscow's Victory Parade--which makes the end of the Second World War in Europe-- when I made the dubious decision to read the comments section.



For the most part, the comments lauded the parade as a wonderful symbol of fraternity after the 50 bitter years of the Cold War.That is what one would expect from rational, clear minded, folks.



Alas, a few others decided to use that section to espouse their infantile understanding of man as well as to express their belief in their own moral superiority to the rest of man all the while FREELY sitting in their home or more likely, in some coffee house.


I really have no use for such people. Sitting in the comfort of their home, an office, or some other genteel setting, waxing moralistically about the iniquity of war and denouncing militaristic displays, all the while listening to blues and making their plans for their next outing to the local art museum or play.

While I too like visiting museums and other typically bourgeois activities, I also realize that the world is a mean, nasty, and ugly place. There are times when one has to meet the world with equal ferocity, brutality, and even cruelty, just to survive or protect what you love.

When I think of these people, I am reminded of a quote from the political theorist John Stuart Mill. It goes: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety,is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

Could not have said it any better than myself.