Give Them Purpose Before They Find It For Themselves: The Reality Of Military
Canadian journalist, Gwynne Dyer, is a columnist and military historian who wrote a book about ‘War’ in 1985. He explains the means of “socializing men out of the civilian role and into the soldier/killer role has become institutionalized as a result of centuries of experience”.
In the excerpt ‘Anybody’s Son Will Do’, Dyer demonstrates how society needs soldiers. In this story, Dyer explains the different perspectives of socialization. In this case, the reality where people who live their lives knowing that killing is wrong are eventually trained to be merciless killing machines. He explains with stories of soldiers that we live in a world where perspective is due to change at any point of our lives. What causes these changes are influenced by numerous things; Peers, economic changes, social class, government, and a purpose for life. Our military wants one thing from our soldiers and that would be their loyalty. The position to control a person (with their consent) to a point where they will lay down their lives for our country. Many of these soldiers were brought into the military at young ages. They were merely just children in the eyes of someone with far more experience in the world. Some of these kids were searching for purpose, some may have taken some wrong turns in life and just coincidentally found themselves as a part of our military.
Still, the military seems to like a being that has not found purpose for themselves. This means the military can sculpt them into a soldier of their desire. They give these kids morals, they brand them with a set mind, it is actually very peculiar, almost as if they are puppets on a string. Young human beings are easily manipulated for a “higher purpose. ” If you look back through history, almost every country has used the same techniques for acquiring valuable, strong, and loyal soldiers for their armies. Give them purpose and something to believe before they find it for themselves.
To me, that is betrayal. On the soldier’s part, it is purely ignorance to what they could become. Dyer explains how men do not fight solely for their country’s honor and slogan. But, they fight for what they believe in, what they portray themselves to be. This portrayal is corrupt though. It is brought into the minds of men at young ages that it is highly honorable to fight for your country. “You will be a man if you lay down your life to defend what we stand for. ” Is this really a life of honor? Or is there a much finer way to find honor and value in one’s life?
To our military, the only way to be someone with purpose is to fight. You must kill or be killed. However, if you kill so many you will be praised for your efforts. The country only appreciates you if you are killed, wounded while trying to save others, or how many enemies you have exterminated. Granted, saving someone’s life and fighting for what you believe in is highly admirable. But for what purpose were these people in this situation? Had we not lust for bloodshed over indifferences and resources, over perspective, we would not have anyone put through these battles. But it is human nature to fight, we are primal species no matter how intellectual we may become and that is why were are susceptible to this manipulation.
