Old Men, Old Lies, and the Business of War
Maybe it’s time we changed the military draft. Ages 50 to 62. Seriously. After a career in uniform, I’ve learned there’s a difference between defending your country and fighting somebody else’s geopolitical chess tournament. At West Point, we memorized the fourth verse of The Star-Spangled Banner, written during the War of 1812: “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just.” Those last six words matter. Sometimes overwhelming violence is necessary, but war should never be a spectator sport for politicians willing to sacrifice somebody else’s children. Let the old men fight the next war. Something tells me there would be considerably fewer of them.