Military

The Real Problem With 'Politicizing the Military'

Most of us have come to accept civilian control and the normative antipode of politicization — political neutrality — as both necessary and desirable in democracy if it is to survive and thrive. Neither of these fundamental precepts is mentioned in the U.S. Constitution – or for that matter in statute. Rather, they have come to be embraced and accepted as matters of practice over time.

Civilian control can exist in any form of government, but democracy can’t operate as it should without duly elected and appointed civilian authorities — executive and legislative — calling the military shots, issuing direction, providing oversight, and exercising final decision-making authority. But civilian control is a minimalist condition, the floor of relations among the military, its civilian masters, and society. Its intrinsic value lies in giving authority and legitimacy to what the military does (presumably on behalf of the country) and in restraining and justifying military action.

The ceiling of the civil-military relationship — the ideal — is what might best be referred to as civilian supremacy, where there are layers of public oversight of legislative oversight of executive oversight of a willingly accountable, self-policing military. But civilian supremacy is an illusory ideal, considering our persistent public apathy and congressional inertia, thereby leaving civilian control in the hands of the commander in chief and his minions.