From: evleth@wanadoo.fr   
      
   On 1/07/03 0:01, in article 3F00B33B.5030907@hotmail.com, "Richard J"   
    wrote:   
      
   > Then France's military, as is the US military, a professional army of   
   > volunteers and according to Earl, mercenary.  Perhaps even more so   
   > considering the Foreign Legion if they still take as many foreigners as   
   > they once did.   
      
      
   I think the foreign legion only takes foreigners.   
      
   Again, mercenary and militarism are not coupled concepts.   
      
   Historically the ideal combination is to have a sufficient standing army   
   which can collect and effectively use those called to service when needed.   
   In WWI, even each farm horse was numbered and subject to "inscription" if   
   needed.   
      
   Militarism  arises when the entire society is infected since a military   
   culture.  Nazi Germany is an example.  The USSR was termed as a "military   
   industrial complex", not merely having one as the US did. So it was totally   
   infected, the US has become professively more militaristic as time goes   
   along.   
      
   The institution of a preemptive strike ideology into the nation is   
   indication of the final going over the line into a militaristic mode.   
      
   The Department of Defense needs to change its name to the Department of War,   
   circa WWII.   
      
   Earl   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)