We have been anti-war since we were a child and roomed in the same bedroom with our decorated uncle from the second world war and all of his continuing nightmares that eventually led to his suicide many years later. Most everyone, however, is probably anti-war. The gung ho recruit out to kill a bunch of people is probably rarer than we think. However, on the other side of that equation, in our gun crazy society, there are more of them out there than we might think. We do not think, however, that the military really wants these types because they are super individualistic and impossible to mold or control.
You describe Smedley Butler and his book, "War is a Racket" and the two Medals of Honor that he received. probably during the first world war. Probably one of the most gung ho generals that we have ever seen was also one of the wealthiest--George S. Patton. If ever there was a lover of war, Patton was probably it. However, if we had drafted the upper class, we would have gotten him anyway.
We resent you stating that those who join the military are psychopaths. Those who join do so for a variety of reasons including a life of security if they are able to stay for twenty years or longer. Many like the regamentation of military life. War, they say, is for heroes, and most heroes become that way by death in combat.
It is interesting to note that general Butler, in his book, talks about how the United States offended the Japanese by holding naval war games not far off of their shores. That may be so but it was probably done to let the Japanese know that their militarist bend would be opposed. It did not create that bent.
The United States has fought very few aggressive wars in its history and the one that the idiot George W. Bush and his band of followers fought in 2003 is an except to that rule. What that war did prove is that even the most unprovoked nations can be taken over by war lovers for a time and the lesson to be learned by this democracy from that misadventure is not to let idiots and very arrogant souls get to positions of power. Probably the best antidote for that ever happening here again would to be to bring Bush and his cohorts up on charges of treason and let them twitch and struggle at the end of a rope before they finally expire. The very bullying and the arrogant are also usually great cowards just as well when their personal safety is threatened.
What we have learned from our anti war stance is that there are probably, for the forseeable future, always going to be a war resulting from some set of circumstances that arise from some over zealous and probably mentally unstable individual such as a Putin in Russia or some set of religious nuts in the Middle East. It is the ugly side of humanity and every so often, its urges must be served.
IOVHO,
Regards,
Joe
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