For years I’ve heard the indignant screams of self-proclaimed patriots bellowing about how some people, for some irrational reason, don’t deserve certain benefits or respect bestowed to those other Americans who have “earned” them. These patriots have a growing list of privileges that other folks don’t deserve.
One wet petard is about how the G.I. Bill should only be given to G.I.s, because no one else deserves it. I seriously doubt that all but a small handful of these angry people have a clue why the GI Bill was created and passed into law.
What Motivated the Passing of the GI Bill?
To be certain, there was a national wave of pride and gratitude for our returning military. Many of whom would carry the physical and emotional scars of World War II for the rest of their lives and require services for that long. So too has every service member that has stepped into harm’s way defending our nation and values from WWII to now and Iraq and Afghanistan. Just a few weeks after D-Day, 1944, the GI Bill was enacted. It has served our military and nation well for 76 years.
But the Bill wasn’t just the act of a loving, grateful nation. It was a carefully crafted economic plan to keep our returning soldiers busy until the massive civil shock caused by these millions of battle-hardened men returning to Peacetime America. An America that during the war had employed millions of people who had been excluded from the decent paying jobs in the national workforce: women, people of color and poor. All these people finally experienced what they had been denied for centuries; self-reliance, prosperity and self-respect.
It was going to take years to re-integrate our troops into a modern economy. To do this it would be necessary to push the wartime workforce back from whence they came, 2nd class citizenship.
For a short while this attempt would partially succeed. But in the long-term fail because many Americans had experienced a society that offered greater reward. They were, and remain, determined to become Citizens equal in name, rights, and opportunities.
The world had significantly changed. Business was exploding and millions of educated men were needed to be the cogs and gears of the new 20th century Capitalism. So, they were provided education, healthcare, decent cheap housing that could be bought with government backed loans and well-paying jobs.
Why would the American Capitalist System do such an altruistic thing? History has repeatedly shown us that it wouldn’t. Something forced business and government to act benevolently. It was fear.
In the past, returning armies, victors and vanquished placed an immense strain on society. If the troops weren’t put to work and earning a living, things could get ugly fast. When Russia stopped fighting in WWI the returning troops joined with several revolutionary groups, primarily the Bolsheviks and took power in Russia. In Germany, the rise of Hitler was another clear lesson of what an idle Army could do when ignored.
However, American Capitalism was on the threshold of an historic economic explosion. It couldn’t afford to have anything obstruct reaping enormous profits. The GI Bill was first, a defensive economic move to protect profits. Then came altruism.
How Effective Is The GI Bill?
It has been a great success, providing resources for military members to advance in life and create prosperous lives. The Bill has worked far better than anyone could have imagined.
A few months ago, the issue of sharing with the general public, services similar to the GI Bill resurfaced. The immediate reaction by some was that only service members who had earned them through sacrifice were entitled. This argument surfaces periodically.
This time it started when Representative Ilhan Omar (MN, DEM) quoted a Veteran who had said that he thought GI Bill services should be expanded to everyone. This set the Republican’s hair on fire. Then they wheel out the old trope. You must earn them in some sacrificial way.
As always, they missed the point completely.
What did the GI Bill do for America? It gave millions of Americans, who otherwise wouldn’t have had, the resources to reintegrate into a fast-changing America. They then could pursue their American Dream. Returning Veterans have provided a steady flow of educated and energized people ready to contribute to America.
So why wouldn’t we want to expand a proven, successful program to all Americans? Wouldn’t our nation become even more successful if all Americans have the tools that they need to prosper and pursue their happiness? Imagine the dynamic America we would have.
Who Pays for It?
Predictably, the big squawk is, “Who’s Going to Pay for It?” Which, I am certain translates to, “Why do I have to pay for someone else?”
We are! We always do! Where is the mystery in that?
The point is, what do we get in return? Damn little since the idle rich use Capitalism to soak up all the wealth that we create by working. What we can have, if we take the time to seriously consider the idea and enact it, is a much safer, healthier, happier, more prosperous nation and world. Not perfect. But a hell of a lot better than now.
Remember, currently, we’re all paying for the train wreck around us now.
Edited for clarity 03/02/2020.