While the US might be an outlier amongst postindustrial western countries in terms of the military being a survival opportunity for the poor, in the grand histo

While the US might be an outlier amongst postindustrial western countries in terms of the military being a survival opportunity for the poor, in the grand historical picture this has probably been the norm more often than the exception. When lost crops meant that you would not likely survive the next winter, a plundering army could count on a steady supply of recruits, much like a fire uses its own great to prepare the raw fuel for quick oxidation.