Go read the Interview with expert from the Brookings Institute in Der Spiegel "The Soldiers Call It War Porn"
One quote stuck out, in regards to how war has changed...
War used to be a very serious decision. Now we don't even declare war anymore. We don't pay war taxes, we don't buy war bonds. Now we can carry it out without having to deal with some of the consequences of sending our sons and daughters into harms way.
The willingness of many war supporters to "sacrifice" is always 100%---at least when I speak with them. But the willingness to actually do things like raise taxes to pay for the war, or pay for the treatment and support our soldiers need coming home, or raise pay to bring in the number of soldiers we need to that we aren't using are reservists as if they are active duty---saying stuff like that will get you called a socialist.
I don't think socialists are the only people that care about paying for the things they do, or taking care of our soldiers when they come home. I just think its the right thing to do....
Taking war seriously means actually raising revenue, and meeting obligations to our soldiers and our reservists. Taking war seriously is one of those things we should do...
Side note: Isn't a sign of empire's decline when the populace no longer is connected to the imperial ambitions it is taking part in? Or am I reading my Roman history wrong?
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