Is The U.S. Military Becoming Politicized? -- A Commentary

MCCHRYSTAL RESIGNATION - President Barack Obama announces that he has accepted Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's resignation from his post as the top NATO and U.S. commander in Afghanistan and that he is nominating Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, to replace him. Left to right, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, Vice President Joe Biden, Petraeus, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates accompanied Obama in the Rose Garden. White House Video Screenshot

An Increasingly Politicized Military -- Bruce Ackerman, L.A. Times

Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's criticism of Obama administration officials symbolizes an accelerated partisanship of the officer corps.

It is tempting to compare Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's criticism of Obama administration officials to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's defiance of President Truman during the Korean War. But something important has changed over the last 60 years. Although MacArthur challenged Truman, the larger officer corps was then thoroughly committed to principles of civilian control. But today, McChrystal's actions are symptomatic of a broader politicization of the military command.

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My Comment: The military has always been politicized. The difference is that with the internet, blogs, and 24/7 cable news coverage .... what would have been a non-story 20 years ago can .... and will .... become viral in today's connected world. The idea that grandpa or dad was not political while serving in the military during World War 2 is silly .... they were all politicized and they all had very strong viewpoints and beliefs. I should know, I grew up with people like this. And when I listen to the altitudes that these old timers have when it comes to civilian control of the military .... and compare their comments to today's generation of military commanders .... I see very little (if any) difference.

What has changed is the political environment .... and how they perceive the military. For example, a John F. Kennedy with his pro-military point of view would never be accepted in much of today's Democrat Party .... in fact .... he would probably be thrown out.

The media and Hollywood has also undergone a radical change since the 1960s .... and this is reflected in their news coverage and the movies that they make on the military.

But what has changed the most is academia itself and how they view the military .... and Bruce Ackerman, a professor of law and political science at Yale University .... should know more about that then anyone else.