RE: Killing in the Name of...?

That's a problem. How can you kill and die for something you don't understand or even care about? Are you just doing what someone told you was the right thing to do?

That's not what I said. The volunteer soldier is putting his life on the line for an idea in which he deeply believes: the American way of life. Understanding the current vagueries of the American political dialog is unimportant to his dedication. He is a patriot.

In the course of learning the military way of life, one must understand that the rules of the battlefield do not allow for the questioning of every detail of the mission. The soldier who stops to ask why is going to be a dead soldier. Worse yet, he will get all his friends and colleagues killed as well. The volunteer soldier gives up some of his autonomy in exchange for a fighting chance on the battlefield.

When you understand this, then you understand why the situation you imagined, of volunteer soldiers who are fighting out of impoverishment or desperation, is a complete fantasy.

If you have the time, I highly recommend you read The Art of War by Sun Tzu.