this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2025
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--Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers
You know that's satire, right? Right..?
The book is not satire. The movie loosely based on it is.
Remember in the movie when Professor Rasczak was teaching the class about service and the right to vote? The class room is a significant portion of the book and isn't satirical at all. Heinlein was dead serious about his views.
Heinlein absolutely loved the military. I highly doubt the book is satire. I just read it. Dude seems to think everything really would be chill. All the over the top sauce came from the movie but the movie left out the dope jump trooper suits.
I mean, even if it was satire, does that mean it's wrong?
I would say so.
Granted, it'd depend on how you define "issues" for one. If you consider just everyday issues as well, usually it's easier to agree to trade with someone than violently robbing them.
If it read "most of hardest social issues impacting entire communities/societies in history were solved with violence", then I'd prolly have to agree.
But like usually a dispute with a neighbouring kingdom/clan/town would be easier to manage with some small appeasement or something.
I'm not saying violence doesn't solve many issues and is sometimes called for. But literally most? I'd have to disagree.
Heinlein addresses this, too:
It's really quite a good book.
That reminds me of an exchange in an old Bloom County cartoon. Opus is asked the difference between a politician and a statesman, and replies with "a statesman is a dead politician. Lord knows we need more statesmen."
It's not wrong. It's just stupid. "Settled more issues". You know, when you genocide an entire people, every issue you had with them is now "settled".
It's not a recommendation for violence as a solution. It's simply pointing out that it's a common way to end things, good or bad. Usually bad.
Nobody said it was a recommendation. It's a cynical view of how disputes have been solved in the past.
*truthful view
Both can be true at once.
Walk softly and carry a big stick.