A Problem in the Huntingtonian Universe: The Military Side of the Gap

Abstract

This article investigates the military side of the civil–military value gap in societies with fully professionalized armed forces. The “Huntingtonian Universe” is a paradigm of civil–military relations in which isolation and alienation of armed forces are inevitable once the military becomes separated not just from politics but from the entire political realm by its full professionalization. It is argued that the emergence of a value gap, a sentiment of moral superiority, and contempt toward civilian society is less probable in societies which rely on mandatory military service, as conscription preserves the necessary link between the military and the political realm by keeping the military profession in constant contact with society via conscripts, that is, “temporary soldiers.” Article offers a potential solution for saving the “Huntingtonian Universe” and the concept of objective control of the military by asserting that the optimal way of solving the problem of civil–military value gap is reinstating conscription along with meaningful changes in military education.