ROTC and the Ivies

It is nice to see both presidential candidates agree on something - both candidates agree that the ban of ROTC on the campuses of many of America's elite universities is a mistake. Looking past the reasons ROTC is no longer welcomed at Columbia, Harvard, Yale, or Brown (first Vietnam, now "Don't Ask Don't Tell"), could prove to be even more interesting. Perhaps the children of America's elite that make up the large majority of the student body of these schools is above military service? Perhaps they would much rather talk about world peace and criticize the military than see what they could do for their nation when their life depends on it (Ivy League "Teach for America" volunteers teaching in the South Bronx are excluded from this criticism - they put their lives on the line everyday)? Or, perhaps, they are just, God forbid, liberally intolerant?

The editorial board hints of the divide between regular society and elite society in their last paragraph when they say, "the restoration of ROTC at the Ivies might help reconnect two important American subcultures -- elite academia and the military officer corps -- that have grown apart." I'm sure a better working environment and a six figure starting salary as a military officer would help attract some Ivy leaguers; afterall, there are many searching for jobs due to the collapse on Wall Street. I guess they "lost" their "war" too. Speaking of which, if we are in a de... recession, and we are already at war, how are we going to get ourselves out of this fine mess?

See also:
Obama: Right on ROTC

Columbia Students May Vote on ROTC