Women should not be allowed in combat (at the very least). The draft is selective slavery but I would see it return before approving women in combat. OTOH, there is nothing wrong with soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen being paid and treated at least as well (and better) than civilian government clerks. No POTUS should ever again be allowed to behave like Lyndon Johnson or Nixon drafting men who were reluctant to go and to smugly cop an attitude of "you will go where we send you for as long as we demand or you will be jailed. My father and all three uncles enlisted voluntarily on 12/8/41. One uncle was killed when his destroyer was sunk by a German U-Boat off Salerno. The others survived.
There is nothing wrong with giving young men the freedom to choose military service or not. The politicians should have to plead with them since it is the young men whose lives are at risk. That said, if we take the Maoists out of control of gummint edjumaksshun, we can again raise patriots eager to serve in causes that appeal to their sense of patriotism and country.
I have no interest in "the timeless wars of others." The others can die in those causes. If the camel jockeys only killed each other, I would say: Have at it! Save us the trouble! But they behead Christians and CRUCIFY Christian children for refusing to convert to the religion of the desert child molester. And when they blow themselves up they take a lot of us with them. They love death so much? Let's help them die!
When called for, strike them suddenly, brutally, memorably and effectively, taking whatever assets from them as are necessary to pay every nickel of expense incurred. Then promptly get the hell out. Repeat as often as necessary until they learn the lesson of not crossing us.
Finally, this cliche about being "the world's policeman," that, like "national self determination" and "national liberation" is a Cold War era communist cliche normally used to demoralize the American public. I do not suggest that you are a communist but rather that you are not being a practical patriot in this time any more than Neville Chamberlain was in his time.
I feel the same ‘no war’ way regarding the Mid East and Far East. Would you also feel your same way about wiping out China if they took over the China Sea? Regards,
Also keep in mind historical superpowers met their demise not at the hands of enemy fire-power, but because of over-spending and debt.