The United States went to an all-volunteer military force in 1973. The ill-advised Vietnamese conflict of that era made conscription—the “draft”—a symbol of protest.

Now, at first glance, military service has again gained in approval. Soldiers are stopped by strangers to thank them for their service.

Recently, however, a recruiter for the U.S. army told a reporter that “paying lip-service to the armed forces, as opposed to doing military service, is all most Americans are good for.” (The Economist, October 24, 2015).

For decades, military veterans have gone on to serve in Congress and other areas of public service, their knowledge of other countries an asset as the U.S. became a global leader. However, no president since George H. W. Bush has served actively in the military. Fewer of the power shakers and the big spenders for political campaigns understand the violence war entails.

The military, while popular, is distant from the country’s ordinary life. Few highly educated young people consider joining the military. Attempting to solve problems with military action becomes easier because the consequences are felt by fewer Americans.

We increasingly pay the poor to risk their lives to protect the more well-off.