The New York Times is reporting that, due to our military being stretched to its limits in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US Military will start recruiting immigrant workers who have temporary visas the opportunity to become citizens, in as little as 6 months. [More]
Good. Then we can dismiss the ridiculous notion that our standing army would ever take up arms against their relatives, neighbors and friends...
3 comments:
Personally, I've always thought that the notion that the standing army wouldn't do so in a heartbeat was a particularly absurd fantasy held by Republican military-lovers. (I almost wrote "conservative" instead of "Republican" before remembering that in America an actual conservative would want to abolish the standing army, not worship it.)
BlackFive has a positive take on the program as applied, worth taking a look at.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/02/us-military---s.html
I'm not opposed to it in principle. Some of the most fervent defenders of the free market and the US constitution I've ever met have been immigrants. I do wonder where this could go in four or eight years under Obama.
Ken: I think the prejudice against civilian disarmament among US soldiers, who tend to lean conservative, is real, so the R's have something to base their opinion on. At the same time it's hard to underestimate the willingness to follow orders in a military culture. The standing-army-won't-comply theory was tested in New Orleans by the National Guard and several state police agencies and found wanting. But that doesn't mean we can't find allies among veterans and soldiers who average closer to conservatism than the typical urban civilian.
My favorite uncle came here as an illegal alien at the age of seven. At the outbreak of WWII he enlisted in the US Army and went to war in the Pacific. After returning and out processing he was allowed to "naturalize". He was the most devout believer in liberty, constitutionalism, and the founding principles of this country I ever knew. He taught me to shoot, he taught me patriotism, and he would never have turned his weapon on Americans, a citizenry of which he was its proudest member.
Therefore, I must say that concerns either way depend more on the characters of the people who participate than any other influence. I have found some of our most fervent Americans to be those not born into citizenship, but those who earned their way in and had to learn why we are what we are and have been. Which also is much better grounding than native born Americans seem to attain adulthood understanding.
Just my $.02.
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