Right Wing Hippies

[SnyderShrugged]

Right-Wing Hippies

Bruce Fleming | February 12, 2007

Here's a kind of riddle: what does a short-haired Marine have in common with a long-haired hippie? Answer: both probably see themselves as some sort of "libertarian." The hippies are gone, and my concern here is with the military. But if "modo" military people are really like hippies in even one fundamental way, that says something about the self-image of the military-namely that it doesn't jibe very well with reality.

The writer Ayn Rand, author of such cult novels as Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead and a heroine to many on the right for her "damn the rabble" views, famously called libertarians "hippies of the right." Libertarians are the ones who insist on doing it their own way, perhaps with their own big "guns" - biceps (and possibly a real gun or three-right to bear arms is guaranteed in the Constitution, you know) all by themselves in a log cabin they built themselves on the edge of Injun territory. The libertarian says: Nobody is going to tell me what to wear, think, or do. The world outside is hostile; whatever defending gets done will have to be done by me. My job is to protect my womenfolk and kids, whose job is to let me protect them.

Many people in the military have libertarian leanings or at least sympathies. They're the rugged individualists, at least in their own mind: doing it their way. Many people in the military had to overcome adversity to get where they are, or at least put up with drill sergeants and COs. It made them tough. They have no sympathy for the weak ones, those not hard. As a result, they'd probably choke on the word "hippies" in Ayn Rand's remark: hippies, for many of those in the military, personify all that went wrong with America in the '60s: not just the hippies' long hair and their refusal of military service, but the general lack of respect they seemed to show, their apparent rejection of the work ethic and inability to see the sacrifices of those who had gone before. Still, the hippies "marched to a different drummer," in a phrase of Thoreau's much quoted in the l960s. The Marines, and all the military services, are proud of the fact that they too march to a different drummer than the civilian world outside. Both groups would be able to sing along with Frank Sinatra's song, "I did it my way." Both are natural libertarians.

link or full article

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,125000,00.html

[Tarhog]

Interesting read....he's way off-base in the last 4-5 paragraphs though. There's an incredible amount of competition in the military. Every leadership role is available, largely based on merit, and theres some heated competition almost continuously to occupy those spots. They aren't simply 'appointed'. And unlike a lot of civilian jobs, where once in, the system works to keep you in a leadership role (often regardless of personal performance, at least in my experience), if you don't get the job done in a military leadership position, you won't have it long. And failure in the military (even once) often has long-term career implications. The idea put forward by the author that 'rugged individualism' is more or less a myth in the military because one is restricted to doing 'what ones told' simply doesn't ring true to me. Of course, the nature of the military, particularly in a combat setting, is to reinforce discipline at all costs. It has to be that way. When bullets are flying, theres no time to debate or explain 'why' in many cases. You react, you issue orders, and you expect them to be carried out. But there is still an enormous amount of personal choice every day in a soldier or Marine's life. And although it might seem like a weird concept, the military gives young men and women power and responsibility they woud never be entrusted with elsewhere. As a 22 year old, I was responsible for 12 lives, and a million dollars worth of weaponry....you are living real life, not playing grown-up in some other setting where the biggest thing you have to worry about is committing some faux paux at a meeting. At age 30, I was responsible for 250 lives and all the equipment, vehicles, and weapons needed to arm them. Thats far more responsibility than the CEO of a major corporation will ever have.

I've said it before - THE most independent and free-thinking humans I've ever met I met in the Marine Corps.

[SnyderShrugged]

Interesting read....he's way off-base in the last 4-5 paragraphs though. There's an incredible amount of competition in the military. Every leadership role is available, largely based on merit, and theres some heated competition almost continuously to occupy those spots. They aren't simply 'appointed'. And unlike a lot of civilian jobs, where once in, the system works to keep you in a leadership role (often regardless of personal performance, at least in my experience), if you don't get the job done in a military leadership position, you won't have it long. And failure in the military (even once) often has long-term career implications. The idea put forward by the author that 'rugged individualism' is more or less a myth in the military because one is restricted to doing 'what ones told' simply doesn't ring true to me. Of course, the nature of the military, particularly in a combat setting, is to reinforce discipline at all costs. It has to be that way. When bullets are flying, theres no time to debate or explain 'why' in many cases. You react, you issue orders, and you expect them to be carried out. But there is still an enormous amount of personal choice every day in a soldier or Marine's life. And although it might seem like a weird concept, the military gives young men and women power and responsibility they woud never be entrusted with elsewhere. As a 22 year old, I was responsible for 12 lives, a million dollars worth of weaponry....you are living real life, not playing grown-up in some other setting where the biggest thing you have to worry about is committing some faux paux at a meeting. I've said it before - THE most independent and free-thinking humans I've ever met I met in the Marine Corps.

Funny, I thought the same exact thing about the section too, but wasnt sure if I was off base.