Newton’s Third Law?

It’s a funny thing when you are reminded that for every person with a strong belief or opinion, there’s someone with an equal and opposite opinion.

Had some interesting conversations last week about the role of the armed forces, and reasons for joining. The people I was talking to asserted that they had joined up to “defend Queen and Country”. We had an interesting debate around who exactly our armed forces are defending Q&C from, which I guess is basically around semantics, but let's say that between us we had "equal and opposite" views!

However, it reminded me of something the monks used to say at school, which was that there were only three useful and worthwhile careers for someone to have – teacher, doctor or farmer (teaching, healing & feeding). While this view is somewhat restrictive, and certainly, in this analysis, my own chosen career would have nothing to offer (!), I wonder whether there is a fourth worthwhile career – defending those who cannot defend themselves. This could redefine the role of our armies, navies & air forces (the UN, Nato, Peacekeepers & national forces alike) to provide that security for people who are deprived it, whether from outside aggressors or from their own corrupt or unlawful governments.

With no agenda other than defence of those people, it would seem that there are a number of candidate countries for such an intervention. After which, the teachers, doctors and farmers can be allowed to do what they do best – teaching, healing and feeding.