the author titled this: we have met the enemy and he is us, though i'd say its about crazy and stupid as the empire gets all puffed up looking for trouble while its pool of eligible soldiers collapses;

The military can’t meet recruitment targets. NBC reports that the Army is well below 50 percent of its annual target, with just three months left in the fiscal year. The Air Force is also behind by about 4,000 men. The Coast Guard has filled just over half of the active-duty enlistments it needs. The Marine Corps will probably meet its target, but is struggling. “This is arguably the most challenging recruiting year since the inception of the all-volunteer force [in 1973],” Lt. Gen. David Ottigon told the Senate on April 27. The Space Force will reportedly meet its goal, but the new branch needs only 500 “Guardians.”

Few young Americans are even eligible for military service.

The Hill reports:

The number of Americans qualified to join the military is getting smaller. Of the nation’s 31.8 million 17- to 24-year-olds, only 9.1 million meet the initial requirements. Of those, only 4.4 million meet academic requirements. The pool is further reduced by those who have police records, drug/substance abuse issues, or are obese. These factors rapidly shrink the initial pool of 31.8 million to about 465,000 attractive recruits, many of whom will have opportunities in the private sector.

Military.com reports just 23 percent of Americans aged 17–24 are eligible for service. According to the CDC, in 2017–2020, more than 22 percent of Americans aged 17–24 were obese......more........