This is my line of reasoning, not necessarily the OPs. There's a book called Thinking that (I think) covers this topic. I'm assuming you're a well educated ma

This is my line of reasoning, not necessarily the OPs. There's a book called Thinking that (I think) covers this topic. I'm assuming you're a well educated man that had a good upbringing. As that man, do you want to go to war and kill people? Most likely not. Killing for war is morally a very grey area. A lot of well educated, intelligent people understand this. Why risk your life or your mental and physical health when you can go work an office job for six figures? Now imagine everyone in the USA was as educated as you. They all think the same thing. I don't want to be in the military. Not everyone has the opportunities you've been given. A lot of people in the south and Midwest have very little choices and opportunity in life. The military is most people's best option. Treating the USA as a single country means you get the military might from the less educated and the innovation from your more educated.