The Soldier in the Illiberal State is a Professional Dead End

The American political system and its military are in a crisis, with norms of civil-military relations being shattered amid efforts to politicize the armed forces. A recent essay proposing a thought experiment about military service in a "post-liberal" America is critiqued as a dangerous framing. The argument is made that a post-liberal state is inherently authoritarian, not a neutral alternative, and military leaders will be active participants in its creation. Therefore, senior officers should question whether continuing to serve under a government undermining the Constitution does more harm than good to the democratic values they swore to uphold.