A military force is not inherently good or bad. It takes on the character of the regime that controls it. Under a responsible regime, the military can be a benign or positive force (albeit famous for wasting money). But under an evil regime, the military sooner or later manifests the same evil as the regime. I will say it as often as you like, no apologies. Human beings have no automatic obligation to like or praise the military of their own countries. Ask any German, or Russian, or Chinese, or Argentine, how much sense that makes. The pre-war German military is a particularly good example. They had institutions and traditions that predated the Nazis. Military leaders knew and discussed the risks of Hitler's rise, but they did not stop it. Instead, they became Hitler's army.

Perhaps you would say the US military is better than that, and at some point would say no before serving an un-constitutional president or torturing and disappearing its fellow citizens. Maybe, but it's not a safe bet. The military is in an inherently difficult position, forbidden to question the political calculations of civilian leaders. But our political process is broken. The corporate media exclude all but a narrow range of voices. Politicians are nearly all bought off by big-money lobbies. Our current regime is in the process of dismantling the constitution before your eyes. They are promoting a "war of civilizations" which will take the form of endless holy wars and Israeli proxy wars in the Middle East. If the American people decide to "go soft" in the war of civilizations, do you think the true believers will stand aside and accept that decision? Or will they find the Argentine solution more satisfactory? In the latter case, what would the US military do? I will say it again: in the current circumstances, the U.S. constitution, our legal and moral traditions, and the lives of dissidents would be distinctly safer if our military were smaller.

American men and women join the military for the best of reasons, to defend their country. Except for fundamentalist Christians, they do not join hoping fight Israeli proxy wars, occupy foreign countries, and rain collateral damage on foreign people too helpless even to get out of the way, let alone attack us. But once they are swept up in the system, they are subject to forces beyond their control. On the far side of Haditha, they are dangerous, sorry to say. A wise government does not force its own people down that path, but as you might have noticed, we don't have a wise government.

You say I despise the military, which is not quite true. I fear the military, with all the stew of emotions that fear entails. And ironically, the military would be better off if people like me were in charge. Then they would be re-focused on what they originally wanted to do: defend America. They would not be fighting messy and useless foreign wars under a cloud of lies, and coming home with PTSD and missing legs.

You also suggest, on no evidence whatever, that I am a Democrat and that my opinions tell something about the Democratic party. In fact, I belong to no party, and participate in no party's affairs. Democratic party insiders, as I noted, are mostly bought off and on board with the war of civilizations. Hillary will keep the military as busy as W did, don't worry. She will love and support the military in all sincerity, on their way to whatever hell you want, and for the lucky ones, half way back.