Progressives and the Military
Bridging the Gap
The divide between progressives and the military is rooted in cultural differences and reinforced by decades of misunderstanding. This separation is not benign: it harms the credibility of progressives in the national security sphere, and hinders progressive leaders' ability to make good policy with a full understanding of military capabilities, strengths, vulnerabilities, and needs.
Turmoil within the military, largely due to strains from the Iraq War, is causing many in uniform to question long-held political assumptions—providing a crucial opportunity for healing this unnecessary, deeply harmful division. If progressives ignore this opportunity, the general military perception that progressives do not care about military concerns will remain—or, tragically, the internal military narrative of progressive distaste for America's defenders will be strengthened. This paper is the first in a series aimed at building at healing this divide.
