Militarism and Education in America

William J Astore

doi:10.5195/rt.2020.764

Abstract

The United States today is marked by a culture that is both militarized and commoditized, in which education has become both an enabler to a state of permanent war and a facilitator of business and industry imperatives. The increasing militarism of America’s schools, colleges, and universities demands a response. Active and informed dissent is what’s required, for nothing is more truly American or patriotic than well-informed dissent that seeks to protect vital liberties. This article suggests several ways that educators can alert students to the twin perils of militarism and an education driven too narrowly by "learn to earn" imperatives.

Highlights

As a young military professor at the USAF Academy, I co-taught a course in 1992 on the making and use of the atomic bomb that included a trip to Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Trinity test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico.[1]
The previous year, the Cold War had seemingly come to an end in a clear victory for the United States
I had had to think about the unthinkable – nuclear war – and how it would devastate humanity if we couldn’t prevent it. This is yet despite self-declared “victory” in the Cold War, America still confronts the threat of nuclear Armageddon aggravated by its own policy of total military dominance

Summary

Introduction

As a young military professor at the USAF Academy, I co-taught a course in 1992 on the making and use of the atomic bomb that included a trip to Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Trinity test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico.[1].

Results

Conclusion