I have no reserve or military experience.
I wanted to point out that a lot of people joined the reserves in the U.S. and figured they would never be called up to active duty. Anyone joining the reserves should expect they may be called up, with all the financial and family disruption this involves.
I have the greatest respect for those who have served. I have no respect for those who send them there without good reason.
Unfortunately in the U.S. the system works like this: Poor people and average working-class people (who are disproportionately minorities) send their sons to fight for the interests of rich white people and various powerful corporations. Upper-middle class and rich people would never send their kids off to be killed. Meanwhile the rich take all the benefits of the society that the poor people are getting killed fighting to protect.
If we are going to send our young people to die, perhaps a draft based on a random lottery would be the fairest way to do it, rather than enlisting people based on the fact that they are poor and black and have no other economic options. Senators, congressmen and other corrupt big-shots would be less likely to support a war if it meant their own sons and daughters would be sent into combat.
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