With the current elections in the United States, I’ve heard supporters of both major parties, Democratic and Republican, say that if the candidate of the other party wins the U.S. will be involved in a third world war with the likes of Russia and China. Democratic supporters fear the likes of a Donald Trump being elected because of his comments made towards the Chinese government, and, likewise, Republican supporters fear Hillary Clinton being elected because of her relationship with Russia and her claims that the Russians, under Putin, have tampered with the elections.
What these people are forgetting is that unlike the first and the second world wars, the U.S. military now relies on “volunteers” to make up the military. Now, every male U.S. citizen and legal resident must register with the selective service system as soon as they turn 18 years of age. The selective service system works as a contingency plan, a sort of "last measure" for when the U.S. Military forces stretch thin, then a draft can be implemented through it. The problem that the selective service system faces, is that we are in the 21st century and people are not willing to go to wars and fight with another man because of issues that do not pertain to them but to their governments.
We live in a digital age in which information is available to the masses faster than ever and, as such, it has become more difficult to regulate propaganda that in the past would have driven the masses to follow suit with their “commitment” to serve the nation. In this age of digital media, people have become more aware of the tragedies of war and they are less likely to get involved with such horrors. In addition to this, people have a better understanding of who benefits in the wars that are waged, and it most certainly is not the common folk.
Whoever wins this election will not be waging war alone, if it comes down to it, as congress is the branch of government with that prescribed power. This means that the people have power and have a say as they should. It is up to us to come out and vote in our local elections as this is where our votes count. This November 8, all you are doing is having a popularity contest as the real presidential elections will be run by the Electoral College. Keep a close eye on the markets, as they too determine where this country will go in the not so distant future.