It is because of the bankrupt nature of altruism that events such as those on June 28, 2005 in Kunar province occur, and no one can explain the rationale for 19 dead American servicemen.
Military
The Draft: Slavery as Literal as it Comes
A reader asked what my thoughts are on conscription -- i.e., the draft. I view the draft the same way I view any violation of individual rights: As slavery. In the case of the draft, since your life is at stake, the slavery is as literal as it comes. The common...
Gays in the Military: Right Policy, Wrong Reasons
Are gays openly serving in the military a good thing, or a bad thing, for the military? It depends on who you ask. Some military officials are quoted as saying it will make no difference. Others are quoted as saying the opposite. Some polls of military members says it...
What We Owe Our Soldiers This Veteran’s Day
This Veterans Day, we must call for a stop to the sacrifice of our soldiers and condemn all those who demand it.
Our Self-Crippled War
In Washington’s “compassionate” war, we give the enemy every advantage–and then compel our soldiers to fight with their hands tied . . . ever tighter.
On “Staying the Course” in Iraq
The solution is actual victory in the wider war against Islamofascism. The solution is to bomb Iran–and not just its nuclear facilities–and to crush all the states that sponsor terrorism.
Support Our Troops: How the Democrats and Republicans Can Truly Support our Military and Defend America
Whatever their views of President Bush's new "surge" of 20,000 soldiers, both liberals and conservatives continue to claim that they support our troops. Liberals say they support our troops by criticizing or opposing "Operation Iraqi Freedom," which they claim has...
Reinstating the Military Draft
Congressman Charles Rangel plans to introduce legislation calling for reinstatement of the military draft. He says, "There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was...
Jesus vs. The Marines
The Marines have earned a reputation for standing firm, even when attacked on all sides. Apparently, this legacy no longer applies when the weapon used against them is a talking Jesus doll.
The Military Doctrine of Altruism
A New York Times article recently described the military skills our soldiers will need to engage in the operations our politicians are asking them to perform ("Military Hones a New Strategy on Insurgency," October 5, 2006). The new doctrine renounces overwhelming...
The Society for Military History: A Report from the Front
I just returned from the national conference of the Society for Military History (SMH), held at Kansas State University. I presented a paper on the military campaigns of the Roman Emperor Aurelian, arguing that his use of overwhelming force had resulted in a bloodless...
A Military of the Mind: Military Has a Place At Universities
According to college opinion writer Henry M. Bowles, III ("Military has no place at universities," January 24, 2006) the military should not seek to fill its ranks with men and women of intelligence and ability because "less intelligent people are better equipped for...
The Virginia Military Institute and Abortion
The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a curious institution--it is both a military academy and a state-supported college. Its history draws back to before the US Civil War (future confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson served as a professor) and all of its...
No Apologies for Hiroshima and Nagasaki
America was not the aggressor in World War II, but the victim of a brutal attack.
The Purpose of Memorial Day: Honoring Virtue
The greatest soldiers of American history knew that freedom was sacred; no price paid on its behalf was a sacrifice.
Weaponization of Space: Designing a U.S. Military Policy Toward Space That Is Based on Reality
We are engaging in the debate over what arms control advocates refer to as the "weaponization of space." These advocates are arguing for a policy that would jettison a number of important U.S. military capabilities in space, including--but not limited to--...
Draft Equals Moral Bankruptcy
Opinion surveys have indicated that a growing number of young people and their parents are wary of the Army's recruiting pitch at a time when soldiers in Iraq are killed and wounded virtually every day. Spring is typically one of the more difficult periods of the year...
Drafts–Real and Imagined
If you are John Kerry, how do you strike fear in the hearts of twenty-somethings--a demographic that typically leans left but is notoriously unlikely to show up at the polls on Election Day? One way is to hint that your opponent plans to draft them into the military....
Questioning George W. Bush’s Military Service
Imagine for a moment Donald Trump in front of a corporate board of directors as candidate for the job of CEO. During the course of the interview a director asks Trump about an entry level job as clerk he held thirty plus years ago. The director points out that...
The Power Struggle in China: Military Strongman Jiang Zemin vs. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao
The power struggle in Beijing between China's military strongman, Jiang Zemin, and the country's two reformist government leaders, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, is of momentous importance to the United States and East Asia. As the Chinese Communist Party...
The Power of Liberty To Transform Nations
President George W. Bush, in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention: "The progress we and our friends and allies seek in the broader Middle East will not come easily, or all at once. Yet Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the...
The Moral Use of Force Against Dictators Like Saddam Hussein
Q: Dr. Hurd, you advocate the use of pre-emptive force against terrorist states (e.g. Saddam Hussein's Iraq) yet, in seeming contradiction, you assert that the initiation of physical force is never justified for any reason. Am I missing something ? A: Yes. First of...
The Media Frenzy Over Abu Ghraib Military Prison in Iraq
The American Civil War was not about conditions in Andersonville prison and the war in Iraq is not about conditions in Abu Ghraib prison. Terrible things happened in both military prisons but that was a small part of both these wars. When our troops are putting their...
The Economics of the Military Draft
Last year, Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.) and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) introduced bills calling for reinstatement of the military draft. A far more descriptive term for the military draft is government confiscation of labor services, but keeping with the spirit of...
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