“I notice that almost no current politicians, media personalities or even Conservative spokes-people have ever served in any of these wars.”
The founders feared standing professional and mercenary armies which historically allowed imperialist powers to sustain a perpetual state of war. From their perspective the new nation was blessed with huge oceans protecting its borders from European and Asian powers. They perceived a citizens militia would be sufficient for defensive purposes. They did not envision our nation would ever project its power across the ocean and in turn would not be threatened by other large powers. In addition they believed a citizen army would resist being deployed to pursue foolish foreign adventures. Citizens would only leave to fight distant wars if there was an imminent and visible threat to their homes, families, livelihoods, and communities. Consider there would not have been an Iraq War if the man on the street had been called on to go overseas to fight it.
It is interesting the men (and now women) who decide to put American soldiers in harms way are never putting their lives or the lives of their families at risk. Perhaps we should have a rule for Presidents, Congressmen, cabinet officers, and generals. If you vote for a foreign war, your children will be drafted into the service and will serve on the front line for the duration. I suspect we might not have engaged in ground wars in Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan had such a law been in effect. In hindsight, it was the unpopularity of the draft that ultimately forced Nixon to withdraw from Vietnam. In contrast the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns in the first decade of this century were sustained for years because the average citizen was insulated from the pain by not having to serve.
Re:#104, Excellent accurate points.