Ted Rall has an opinion piece up at Yahoo News. Basically, his point is that no one should be allowed to join the military until they are at least 30 years old, because before then they aren’t capable of making decisions about wars and combat.
As I write this now, at 42, I’m a different person. I know I could handle the same Army I shunned at 18. I’ve tolerated idiotic bosses and uncomfortable living arrangements and I understand that hierarchy is required to maintain a cohesive organization. I’m in better physical condition than I’ve ever been. I know when to keep my mouth shut.
Moreover, I know now that wars are fought for economic reasons. I’m aware that the military exists to open and protect markets for big corporations and to conquer and control regions with energy resources and conduits thereto. The United States, instead of promoting democracy, is the single greatest enemy of democracy and self-determination in the world, repeatedly supporting dictators and overthrowing elected regimes. And I know that wars kill. I’ve watched war transform sentient human beings into boxes of freight. If I enlisted now, I’d go with my eyes wide open, without risk of “Born on the Fourth of July”-style disillusionment.
But I’m smarter now because I’m 42. Eighteen-year-olds have no business entering the military.
Apparently, Rall believes that 18 year olds have no idea that being shot with a firearm by the enemy can kill them. Maybe he was that clueless when he was 18 (as his current writings seem to confirm), but most of the 18 year olds I know have a firm concept of Death by firearm. As for the rest of the liberal drivel that pours forth from his piehole, it’s just another example of his hatred for businesses that make money and the United States.
The real “foot-in-the-mouth” comment here is the last sentence of the first paragraph quoted above: “I know when to keep my mouth shut.” As his cartoons, editorial pieces and other writings show, this is patently false. Examples aplenty can be found on his web site (I’m not going to link to it, Goggle it if you’re curious) of his inability to shut his mouth when appropriate.
Now, I’m not arguing his point about when a person should be eligible to join the Armed Forces; that is a point where reasonable people can disagree (even Rall). I do, however, have to point out that Ted Rall hasn’t been able to “shut up” when appropriate for several years now. If he had figured this out by now, his writings would no doubt reflect a much more formidable intelligence than it does presently.
Hat Tip: SondraK at Knowledge is Power
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