Eikenberry does not advocate a return to the draft. He says he understands that there is no political constituency in the American body politic for such a dramatic reversal—and that military leaders, now accustomed to a level of competency attainable only by a force of professionals, wouldnt embrace conscription if given the choice ... Yet Eikenberry is not alone among his former peers in his desire to somehow renegotiate the compact between citizens and soldiers, to close what many see as a dangerously widening gap in perspective and values. Somehow, Eikenberry says, we have to find ways to reconnect the American people and their armed forces, so that there is a more direct and visceral understanding of the political, social, and economic costs of war. This is a much more thoughtful and focused (not to mention much less shrill) discussion of the current state of civil-military relations in the United States that the recent piece from James Fallows that has inspired so much debate. Of particular interest is Eikenberrys framing of the question as one of reconnection rather than restoration (as did Gary Harts working group, for example). The world is not what it was, and rewinding the civil-military clock is not possible. The question is what we want the relationship between the military, the government, and the larger polity to look like and how we can achieve those ends.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 18:16:47 +0000
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