Unpopular Opinions

There are opinions I almost never advance, because of their unpopularity.  It is weird that I do this with some things, but not with others.  After all, my experience with the internet, and many friends I have had, is that I tend to speak my mind too much.  Why not all the way?  Why not much less?

Anyway, here's a couple of my least popular opinions.

The first involves the military.  I don't applaud the military for their service.  I think the military in the countries that I have lived are people who have decided to be trained to kill people they don't know in other parts of the world for money.  The difference between this and a mafia assassin is difficult for me to determine.  The USA has not been attacked by a military force since the time that my parents were born.  I understand the concept of defending oneself, and one's country, from outside aggression.  I am not a pacifist, or against the idea of a military.  However, if you join the US or British military you know that by far the most likely use of your talents is to be part of an organization that goes to a place full of poor people who couldn't attack you if they tried and kill lots of them.

I think this is horrendous for those who go and do it, as I expect being a mafia hitman is awful.  I wish both groups would get all of the care they need, but I wish that of anyone.  I think the reason for the flags, and the parades, and the talk of heroes, and the great sacrifice, and the concept of protecting our freedoms, are all devices used to get people to do this stuff.  If you just looked at the job description nobody would dream of accepting the job.

My second is about children.  There is a concept so universal within our culture, and almost every culture around the world, that children are more special than adults.  It's a great tragedy if a child dies, a lesser thing if an adult dies.  Hitting a defenseless child is worse than hitting a defenseless woman, and a man who can't protest himself is likely to be held in contempt.

Now, I agree that children are less capable of taking care of themselves than adults.  I agree that children have less skills.  If a child comes up to me and asks me to help them get home I will do so without question.  If an adult asks me to help them get home they are going to have to come up with a pretty good reason why they need help.  I agree that children need more protection, just as disabled people do, and for the same reasons.

I also agree that we should all chip in to help to educate children.  I will have no children but have willingly paid thousands of dollars to educate the children of other people.  In fact, I willingly pay more than others to do so (we do not fight our property tax assessment as is usual here).  This is because educated children become educated adults, and produce a better, wealthier, healthier, safer community.  However, I would just as willingly pay for graduate degrees for thirty year olds, for the same reasons, while this is far less popular generally.

However, what I really object to is the idea that because other people have decided to have children that this then requires me to do anything.  The casual nature with which parents (with notable exceptions) have told me to look after their child, get them this, be wherever at whatever time, has always struck me as appallingly self-centered and contemptuous of me.  There is an assumption that because someone has decided to have children that I must then help them or be considered a bad person.  If I don't want to hang around watching Barney so that children won't stab themselves in the eye then I don't feel like I should have to.

I understand there is a thing that happens to the brains of parents, and for excellent evolutionary reasons, that their children are the most important things in the world.  What I object to is the idea that if I disagree I am an awful person.  Children are very pleasant and interesting in small amounts.  Most of the time they are deeply unpleasant.  If they weren't we wouldn't need to spend so much time teaching them how to behave.  You would never in a million years dream of having a friend who acted like a three year old.  I have no objection to children, and am actually pretty good with them.  They are simply not my responsibility because I didn't choose to have them, and thinking so does not make me evil.  However, liking this song does.