Two things not mentioned it that article:

1. Why would anyone want to fight for a country that is so callously disinterested in the welfare of it's citizens?

2. In the last quarter-century it has become extremely apparent that the US Military is not the "global force for good" that it wants to portray itself as. Most young people probably aren't interested in joining up to commit war crimes in the name of making money for the military industrial complex.

We've seen the bullshit reasons the US government use to send people to war and we've seen how the veterans are treated by Congress.

No, we don't want to fight for racist, corrupt, misogynous, traitorous shitheads like Trump and DeSantis.

Eustice, who served 26 years in the Minnesota National Guard, noted that young adults were the military's prime target for new recruits—currently Generation Z, or those born after 1997—and argued that growing up in the internet age had made them used to "immediate gratification."

Oh look, another out of touch boomer. ItS tHoSe DaMn CeLlPhOnEs! Gen Z grew up watching America get involved in, then stay involved in, a deeply unpopular war. Gen Z grew up in an age where you can fact check someone on the spot and it makes it that much harder for recruiters to lie. They grew up in an age where half of the government is trying to drag the country backwards by any means.

I am in the military. I overheard my leadership talking with a woman who wanted to get out. When they asked her why she said it was because of the Roe V Wade decision. "Why would I fight for a country that won't fight for me?" I don't blame her.

Ah well, soldiers haven't fought for their country for decades. Instead they've been fighting for the interest of industrialized military, and the whims of politicians.

A country is supposed to provide 4 things to it's citizens, and the united states are failing on all 4.

1. food: “We are in danger of running out of food,” said Vince Hall, Feeding America’s chief government relations officer. “We are doing everything we can to avert a major hunger crisis.

2. safe to drink water: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’ government study finds

3. shelter: Homelessness rates have been climbing nationally by about 6% every year since 2017, the alliance said.

4. safety: The record 48,830 total gun deaths in 2021 reflect a 23% increase since 2019

additionally, nearly every fundamental system (education, healthcare, insurance, car-dependent city designs, etc.) within the united states is designed to take everything away (or restrict access to everything) from it's citizens through poverty, thus making the above problems exponentially worse.

What is there to fight for?

Raise a hand. Who wants to sign up as cannon fodder for the rich?

why in the fuck would any sane person sign up to die in a failed attempt to implement some shitty politician's whim half a world away? no one has fought for America in decades, they fight for the aristocrats.

Killing brown people so the oligarchy can exploit their natural resources is not fighting for your country.

That's because Democrats are brainwashing people to hate their country and has absolutely nothing to do with Republicans voting AGAINST any and all help for veterans, Republicans constantly stopping service member pay with government shutdowns, billionaires killing us so they can make an extra dollar, billionaires using us to do dangerous tasks for minimal pay or Republicans voting to dismantle the VA. It's OBVIOUSLY the Democrats fault!

This lie is akin to "No one wants to work anymore"

It's not remotely true. It's just some bullshit the employer says when they're not paying enough and they treat their employees like shit.

I'm not convinced a soldier has been sent to fight for my country at any point during my lifetime.

Millennials are killing the killing industry.

I mean why would someone want to fight for a country that doesn't care about them?

Doesn't feel like my country cares about me, so why would I die for it?

Where they ever fighting "for their country?"

How has the majority of people in the US benefited from the US-caused wars in Vietnam, Panama, Iraq or Afghanistan?

Forced draft ruined the lives of my father and uncle. (Vietnam) My husband is permanently disabled from his time in the balkins and the VA fought us tooth and nail for every cent of his disablity pay. I would never, ever, ever join the miltary. All you get is a broken mind, body, and a shitty flag when you die.

Vietnam

Iraq

Afghanistan

Is anyone surprised

Fighting for a shit government full of crappy politicians is already a weird choice.

Going in other countries to kill random innocent people for the profit of said government is an even weirder one.

"Fight for their country"

...

Ten thousand miles away

Of course not, what sane American would buy into that bullshit?

i won't fight for people who voted for Trump.. not ever, for any reason.. i won't protect you people from any enemy..

I mean when we watch decades of wars that kill thousands of American's and MILLIONS of people in their own countries for no reason, maybe we need a little additional justification rather than "fight for your country". Nah! Probably just the fault of the "instant gratification" generations being selfish again.

We see more, and trust less now. Seems like a good first order explanation to me anyway.

You'll end up with PTSD, divorced and homeless, but think of all the brown people you'll get to kill in the name of our Lord and Savior, Walt Disney.

Do you remember when the US Army asked "how has serving impacted you?" on Twitter and the most common answers were PTSD, harassment, rape? Maybe that's why.

Hmm, maybe it's because they're actually fighting for their country's billionaire's interests instead?

They give us every reason not to, a country that doesnt care for its own is not worth fighting for.

As a veteran - at some point it starts to feel like it's all about oil and colonialism.

This is quite old now, but it still works.

Jello Biafra - Die For Oil Suckers

I've finally reached the age where I don't ruminate about being drafted anymore. I turned 18 shortly after 9/11 and registering for the SS was terrifying. Now I just have to worry about my two sons coming of age and being drafted into WW3. 😞

Government sees this and thinks: time to make college more expensive and regulate more professions to require college.

Americans don't want to fight for ~~their country~~ the fossil fuel industry anymore

Ftfy

I'd wager a good portion of Americans would rather literally go to war with other Americans than deploy to some foreign conflict.

They ever heard of "The boy who cried wolf"? You bullshit people enough times about defending the country and other noble causes and they going to stop believing you. It's been 80 years since the US fought a war that was even remotely plausible as defense.

Terrible title. People are still patriotic and would fight for our country. They don’t want to join our military that is not currently fighting for our country to enter adulthood with worn out joints and PTSD.

Any country that is a threat to American sovereignty has nukes. We don't use armies against those countries. Ergo, joining the army is not fighting for your countries freedom. So, asks recruits, what are we fighting for?