Since military might no longer rests on large conscripted forces and once again is based on small professional forces with expensive equipment, where does that leave democracy?
Many countries still have conscripted forces, at least on paper. Others have "armed militias" during times of relative peace. Robust institutions may also hold out better than Rome of ~100BC.
But I do hold the concern you hint at, and with an increasing tendency towards fewer, more expensive and soon maybe automated weapons platforms, the risk may increase of some kind of move towards some alternative system. (Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Theocracy, Autocracy, etc)
Which is why I (who used to be too liberterian to like the idea of a forced draft) now support a system based on the draft, simply because of the stability it provides.
But if and when the most effective type of military once again becomes wieldable by a small minority, it will become harder and harder to prevent a shift.
But I do hold the concern you hint at, and with an increasing tendency towards fewer, more expensive and soon maybe automated weapons platforms, the risk may increase of some kind of move towards some alternative system. (Monarchy, Aristocracy, Oligarchy, Theocracy, Autocracy, etc)
Which is why I (who used to be too liberterian to like the idea of a forced draft) now support a system based on the draft, simply because of the stability it provides.
But if and when the most effective type of military once again becomes wieldable by a small minority, it will become harder and harder to prevent a shift.