unshared carnage

The all-volunteer armed forces makes war less visible to large portions of the population. The draft, taking young men without their consent, makes all of the nation keenly aware of a war’s wasteful carnage. As it now stands, the volunteers come from two classes: Those conscripted by poverty or lack of prospects. Those with romantic notions of patriotism or adventure. The rest of our youth (and their parents) remain unscathed by the foreign wars.