MILITARY TIME

I’ve spend large chunks of my life here in the States and large chunks over in the United Kingdom, and I’ve gotten used to the vast cultural schism between the two. As a dual citizen I have learned to embrace both sides of the pond as part of my heritage, and that informs my political makeup as much as it does my personality.

One of the things that interests me greatly is the difference of opinion on the military, and how that is portrayed to the public. In the States, it’s a given that we support our troops, and further than that under many of our presidential regimes it is a given that the rest of the world must know how great we are at fighting other countries, or pretending to fight other countries, or preparing to fight other countries. The service has become patriotised to within an inch of its life – it’s seen somewhere close to treason to hold any viewpoint other than that the military are the jewel in America’s crown, and must have all the funding it needs to buy more and more nuclear weapons to add to its ever-expanding arsenal.

In the UK it’s quite different. Those who have served and those who continue to serve are held in high esteem and treated with a reverence that is deserved for the most part, but that is where the similarities end. In the UK the armed forces are given a lower percentage of public funds, and to actively celebrate the act of fighting, pretending to fight or preparing to fight is seen as a kind of gloating bluster. It’s seen as vulgar.

The armed forces are too often the spearhead of the American political weapon, which detracts from more current, pressing issues, whereas the forces of the UK remain active, remain training, but in a more reserved and secretive way, which does not detract from more concerning issues. The engine room of the weapon rather than the spearhead.

And that’s why the moment I saw the War Machine I knew they were a part of the US military. Loud and proud, full of brashness and completely unaware of anything that didn’t involve fighting. The world has changed since Hitler, boys, and full frontal force just doesn’t cut it any more. The real soldiers are those with nuance, fighting the battles BEHIND the battles. Saving the troops from wars that never begin.

The world doesn’t need ballistics and tanks to solve the problems we have now. The world needs technology and collaboration between all nations. The world needs international delegates and positive relationships. Problems now are solved by critical thinking and budgeting, rather than casualties and bullets.

There’s a different kind of war taking place on our planet, that needs a different kind of soldier to tackle it.

I have a message to give you, and you’re not going to like it. The time for trenches has passed.

Military time is over.

Come see the new world army.

Vote Whitlock.