A “Socialist” Model Already Thriving in the United States: The U.S. Military
UPDATE: The point of this article is to highlight welfare programs which should be expanded in the U.S. These programs are similar to those found in social democracies as opposed to true socialist societies characterized by social ownership and democratic control of the means of production.
With free healthcare, housing, food, education and a camaraderie unmatched in the rest of American society, the U.S. military gives us a glimpse into a successful socialist model that is often overlooked in political conversations on the left.
As an institution, the military is unrivaled in reverence by a vast majority of citizens at a time when trust in institutions seems to be eroding, for better or worse. Since the War on Terror, support for American G.I.s has been a staple of American life, broadly speaking, bridging the political spectrum. A gesture of protest by Colin Kaepernick who knelt for the national anthem before NFL games sparked cries that he was “disrespecting the troops”. While the majority of military personnel self-identify as political conservatives they enjoy the benefits of what many would recognize as a socialist community currently accessible only to the “few and the proud”.
Although they largely reside among the rest of the population, military members live very distinctly from ordinary citizens. Members have access to government services those citizens are not eligible to receive. This arrangement is quite popular among members and you’d be hard pressed to find any soldier that would prefer to seek them on the free market. With discussions on the left of campaigning for single payer healthcare via calls for “Medicare for all” due to Medicare’s familiarity and popularity among the general public, those discussions should include broadening the effort to appeal to Americans’, perhaps unrealized, sympathetic attitude towards the socialization of basic services.
The left has been calling for single payer healthcare for decades, meanwhile, all active military members are guaranteed universal healthcare for themselves and their immediate families. And when they leave active duty service, many are eligible for VA healthcare for the rest of the lives. Female service members and military spouses receive free pre-natal care and members of both genders receive paid leave after their child is born. Subsidized or free childcare is also available for members on many active duty bases.
In addition to healthcare, all active duty service members either receive free housing on base or a living stipend to cover their living costs if they choose to live off base. A subsistence stipend covers the cost of food that they can use on discounted goods at commissaries on base or stores off base. Younger members, who live in dorms or barracks on base, also have access to free chow halls that serve meals around the clock.
The military doesn’t provide these services for ideological reasons. America’s top generals and policy makers are not secret Marxists who believe healthcare and housing are basic human rights. The military knows that in order for its members to successfully execute their mission requires their basic needs be met as seamlessly as possible. In other words, it knows that in order to be a truly free and productive member of it or any society, you can’t spend most of your time worrying about your healthcare and basic survival.
But military socialism extends beyond meeting its members’ most basic needs. The military also provides job training and free higher education. They receive tuition assistance towards a bachelor’s degree while on active duty. After three years of service, members become eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill which covers 100% of the their tuition and fees as well as a stipend for books in addition to a living stipend for non active duty members. If they used tuition assistance to achieve their degree it can be transferred to their spouse or dependents.
What about the pay ratio between the top generals in military versus a junior enlisted worker? The right crucified President Obama for suggesting some CEOs make too much money but military pay is capped at the top comparatively modestly. The base salary for a 4 star general doesn’t even land her in the top tax bracket. The ratio between the top and a junior enlisted worker, measured by their base salaries, is approximately 10–1. A 2015 study by the Economic Policy Institute showed that the ratio between top CEOs and the typical worker in the civilian sector was 303–1 in 2014.
It should be noted, the military has a very rigid hierarchical structure and official class distinctions between officers and enlisted members. Top generals often fly around with their staff and service workers in private jets while junior enlisted members are shipped off to fight wars and live in tents in Middle Eastern and North African deserts. However, the wage gap in the military is mitigated by the fact that each rank comes with the same pay. An E-5 makes is paid the same regardless of gender.
None of this to say that the military is a utopia. It’s not of course. For one, the military is not a democratic institution. Members have little or no say in their lives or assignments. They follow orders. Second, issues with U.S. foreign policy aside, 15 years of war takes a huge toll on those charged with fighting it. Saying the military, as well as the VA, have done a poor job of dealing with the physical and psychological effects of war on its members would be a massive understatement. The military is still rife with sexual assault and a rape culture that most recently manifested itself in form of the Marine Corp nude picture scandal. Top leaders have shown little ability or genuine interest in combating these issues and with Donald Trump, who has tweeted women in the military are to blame for their abuse, as commander in chief there is little hope the situation will improve for at least the next four years.
The military also veers away from its progressive policies in regards to criminal justice. When junior enlisted members are convicted of a crime equivalent to a felony under the Uniform Code of Military Justice they are sent to prisons or jails which more closely resemble dystopian work camps than institutions of reform. Members are incarcerated with the intention of punishment rather than rehabilitation. However, all members are still guaranteed legal counsel in their court martial.
Of course, by necessity, military members are subject to strict standards of appearance and conduct not required of the general public. While many aspects of military life should be extended to everyone, we do not need to give everyone a high and tight and insist they all wear the same, shiny black boots.
Bernie Sanders gained popularity by juxtaposing the failures of American capitalism with the progressive policies of Nordic social democracies but overlooked the only successful implementation of socialism in U.S. history, one that is still thriving even among Republican’s calls for austere policies. Americans have an ingrained sense of respect for the military. Employing rhetoric that compares socialist policies to those found in the military can be an effective strategy at winning over the minds of voters. After all, if it’s good enough for the troops, why not the rest of us?
