When Juan Comes Marching Home Again, Hurrah, Hurrah...

Modern warfare has rarely been fought by the monied and privileged. George W. Bush is a good example of this meme. When the Vietnam war was in full swing, he somehow finagled a slot in the Texas Air National Guard, even though the billets were filled and there was a waiting list to sign up.

Service in the U.S. military has typically been viewed by the underclass as a means to an end - college education, job training, and/or a steady paycheck - and so, a vast majority of enlistees come from other than middle or upper class lives. It is no surprise that military demograhics are not really a reflection of the homogenous nature of the U.S. population, but rather, an indicator of social and economic mobility paths.

Military recruiting is becoming harder and harder, even in the working classes, where most of the recruitment effort is concentrated. Mom and Dad simply don't want to send Johnny (or Jane) off to a war that has lost the support of nearly 75% of the country. So as the debate over illegal immigration continues to heat up, those who won't fight are beginning to champion another potential class of military recruits - illegal immigrants...