the Coup

Convicts as Soldiers

Oddly, there’s a growing fear of felons in the military.

The pentagon has started granting an increasing number of “moral waivers“ to allow former convicts to enlist, and maintain the military’s size. Some people worry that soldiers “unfit” for service are a dangerous ingredient to add to already unstable situation in Iraq.

Fear and Compassion

Surprisingly, this fear comes from some progressive folks who otherwise have compassion for people caught up in the criminal justice system. But in their effort to critique the military, they mistakenly worry about “permitting recruits with … weak educational background to serve,” who will “be called heroes and released back into society.”

Remember

People are understandably upset by the violent behavior of soldiers against Iraqi civilians, and they fear that such incidents will happen more often.

But… It’s important to remember a few things:

1. The military and its recruiters prey on poverty, lying to vulnerable children to enlist them.
2. Shitty training, conflicting orders, and the insane conditions in Iraq lead trapped soldiers to do terrible things. Ultimately, Washington and top brass cause the violence.
3. Prison is an enterprise, parole a means of control. The US locks people up with fervor, and does it at a rate like no other country. The majority of people convicted never deserved it.

Detest the Violence and Hypocrisy, not your Neighbor

Yes, we should detest the violence against people in the Middle East. But don’t slander your neighbors who’ve never been to Iraq. To assume that someone who sold pot in Chicago would be more out of control than anyone else in Iraq is silly. Instead, we should argue that:

• Waivers are a hypocrisy, the government labeling people fit and unfit as needed.
• Waivers are a form of indentured servitude, offering people a ticket out of a poverty maintained by parole.

Critique the moral waivers and other attempts to feed our war business, but don’t let your fear accidentally support the idea that lawmakers, police, and courts have done their job right.