Enough Already!

I am getting SO sick of the spurious argument "If Bush's war is so noble, why aren't either of his daughters over there?"

As a class, it may be true there is a much smaller percentage of children of the rich and powerful in the military, and it's an interesting, although not necessarily meaningful statistic if it's true.

But a few things that people need to remember:

• At this point in our history, the military is VOLUNTARY. It is not compulsory. That means that it isn’t up to George W. Bush whether Jenna and Barbara sign up, it’s up to Jenna and Barbara.


• The statistics of number of people over there in general are low. I have a lot of friends who are just a few years older than I and have children the right age, and the percentage of them that have joined the military is low. As a result, looking at any individual family isn’t statistically valid, because if you choose any random family with children of appropriate age for the military, the majority won’t have any children IN the military.


• Perhaps the difference between the children of the rich and the children of the poor isn’t less support for the military, but less NEED. My guess is that the military contains a much higher percentage of children of poor families or of disadvantaged circumstances than, say, the average University. And my guess is that this doesn’t necessarily correlate to a higher degree of patriotism, but a recognition that this is one way to pull themselves out of their situation.


• Finally, keep in mind what ages we’re talking about. Generally, the decision to join the military is made in the late teens, when children are becoming adults, but still have the last vestiges of rebellion against their parents. That’s why teenagers have always chosen to enjoy music that their parents hated. It’s why the boys of the 60s wore their hair long, the girls of the 80s copied the Madonna “underwear outside of the clothing” look, and why looks like goth, punk and human pin-cushion (serious piercing) have always been popular with teens. As a result, one would expect children of those in power to subconsciously rebel against their parents by NOT supporting the very war their parents got us into.

Now, do I think that there ISN’T anything there? No. Certainly I believe that the wealthy and privileged have always found ways out of going to war. I don’t believe that, were it up to him, Bush would send Jenna and Barbara over to Iraq, I don’t believe that we’ll ever reach a point where the children of the monetarily elite serve in equal numbers with their less privileged contemporaries.

But to trumpet this choice by the daughters as an indictment of the father is a logical fallacy, and gives those on the other side a very real and valid thing to point to and say “See, their argument is stupid!” while ignoring the very real concerns one might have.

I don’t support President Bush. I don’t believe this war was EVER a good idea. Further, I believe that the outcome we’re seeing now (near civil war, Iraqi women’s rights such as they were disappearing like the last donut at Rush Limbaugh’s show, etc etc) were destined to happen when we took our eye off of the ball (Osama bin Laden) and started swinging at phantoms.

But the people on BOTH sides of the issue have to start sticking to the salient points of their arguments, or we’re never going to have reasoned discourse in this country.

Liam.