[arpyzo]

Disappointingly little discussion in the article about the moral and ethical problems associated with the US military. If military service were simply about "defending freedom", I suspect there would not be a recruiting problem.

While it feels to me like US military service may exist for the purpose of "defending freedom", it's mostly utilized for defending and promoting the interests of the wealthy. As others have mentioned, this has been the case for a long time, but there is a far broader understanding of this now than in decades past.

Who wants to sign up to put their life, or the life of a loved one at risk for the purpose of making someone else wealthier? It's completely absurd.

[halJordan]

This is a common anti-establishment trope but it clearly lacks cognizance into the recent military past. The us military is more clear-eyed in it's role than some like the Korean war. It was a better argument when the us was in iraq. Morale and senselessness were worse in the 90s/80s and the 70s the military was absolutely reeling from Vietnam & counter-culture.