Re:Robert Heinlein and the Harsh Politics of Science Fiction...
by watwut on Sunday December 23, 2018 @06:32PM
(#18749145)
I am more talking about reality then opinions of book characters.
The part about not voting while in service does not oppose anything I said. First, you must not be strongly anti military. Second, you have to be indoctrinated and adopt military values and habits. Practically, such widespread militarization of civil life was one of factors in Germany in Hitlers reach for power. (See Richard J Evans and his Coming of Third Reich book). The military values in civil service and life played role and not for the better.
Of course military discipline does not imply responsible decision making and such stereotype is even unheard of for real world soldiers. Neither does going through something grueling. Lastly, beyond doing something grueling, military service often requires you to inflict grueling on others and you are forced to make peace with that.
The part about not voting while in service does not oppose anything I said. First, you must not be strongly anti military. Second, you have to be indoctrinated and adopt military values and habits. Practically, such widespread militarization of civil life was one of factors in Germany in Hitlers reach for power. (See Richard J Evans and his Coming of Third Reich book). The military values in civil service and life played role and not for the better.
Of course military discipline does not imply responsible decision making and such stereotype is even unheard of for real world soldiers. Neither does going through something grueling. Lastly, beyond doing something grueling, military service often requires you to inflict grueling on others and you are forced to make peace with that.