While true, the fact is that as abhorrent as the MIC is, we are seeing why it exist with Putin going full retard over Ukraine.
Kind words to not dissuade genocidal madmen, bullets do, and unfortunately genocidal madmen turn out to be distressingly common as leaders in some parts of the world.
The US can be better about civie casualties, and actually punish people for bad intel calls that cost civies lives; however the money going into the MIC still is showing it's worth, after many decades of frivolous and stupid conflicts.
The fact we tax our troops, particularity the Enlisted who make pretty poor wages, is actually kinda fucked up.
Like, the US public is already paying for you to be there, get trained, etc.; grunts having to pay taxes on the money they make serving seems like the US gov double dipping on the revenue stream to get more money on paper, but not actually in people's pockets or the treasury.
You don't tax a Abram's hull, and from a military perspective both a tank and soldier are effectively just replaceable equipment.
Seems wrong on a certain level to first pay for our troops, as taxpayers, then have the gov turn around a double dip by taxing that wage.
I mean I get taxing non-gov work soldiers do, like with reservists, and taxing officers who do civie 'consulting' from the consulting fees they collect. Plus the usual stock transaction taxes and other non-military work taxes.
Like, if the US gov really wants to up recruiting, make all enlisted wages tax-exempt.