Звездный десант

           Butitwasn’trevolution;itwasmorelikewhathappenedinRussiain1917--thesystemcollapsed;somebodyelsemovedin.

           Thefirstknowncase,inAberdeen,Scotland,wastypical.Someveteransgottogetherasvigilantestostopriotingandlooting,hangedafewpeople(includingtwoveterans)anddecidednottoletanyonebutveteransontheircommittee.Justarbitraryatfirst--theytrustedeachotherabit,theydidn’ttrustanyoneelse.Whatstartedasanemergencymeasurebecameconstitutionalpractice...inagenerationortwo.

           ProbablythoseScottishveterans,sincetheywerefindingitnecessarytohangsomeveterans,decidedthat,iftheyhadtodothis,theyweren’tgoingtoletany"bleedin’,profiteering,black-market,double-time-for-overtime,army-dodging,unprintable"civilianshaveanysayaboutit.They’ddowhattheyweretold,see?--whileusapesstraightenedthingsout!That’smyguess,becauseImightfeelthesameway...andhistoriansagreethatantagonismbetweenciviliansandreturnedsoldierswasmoreintensethanwecanimaginetoday.

           Sallydidn’ttellitbythebook.FinallyMajorReidcuthimoff."Bringasummarytoclasstomorrow,threethousandwords.Mr.Salomon,canyougivemeareason—nothistoricalnortheoreticalbutpractical—whythefranchiseistodaylimitedtodischargedveterans?"

           "Uh,becausetheyarepickedmen,sir.Smarter.