This is the sober truth.  Unless we enter a world without enemies and without war, we will need young men and women willing to risk their lives for our nation.  And we’re not entering any such world.

Bill Kristol is the chief media proponent of our current world of many enemies and lots of war.  He is the prince of the neoconservative movement, son of founder Irving Kristol, and one of the principal "intellectual architects" of the Iraq War.  As is well documented, the neoconservative wing of the GOP, which Kristol presides over, was birthed by onetime Democrats turned off by the anti-war faction of the Democratic Party in the 1970's.  These former Democrats flocked to the GOP en masse following the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, and never looked back. 

As I said, this movement was founded as a hawkish response to the Democratic Party's antiwar wing during the Vietnam War.  Bill Kristol turned 18 on December 23, 1970—right at the apex of the Vietnam War.  Despite the golden opportunity of  military enlistment, Kristol declined to serve, instead thundering off to Harvard to fight the "war of ideas".  This war addict has no problem lecturing the mothers of America on the "sober truth" of our country's need for "young men and women willing to risk their lives for our nation".  No matter that he declined to be one of them. 

Cleverly, Kristol gives himself, and every other pontificating chickenhawk, a big out in his next paragraph:

We do, however, live in a free country with a volunteer army.  In the United States, individuals can choose to serve in the military or not.  The choice not to serve should carry no taint, nor should it be viewed with the least prejudice.  If Alex chooses to pursue other opportunities, he won’t be criticized by John McCain or anyone else.

Got that?  Our country's very survival depends upon "young men and women willing to risk their lives".  But Bill also sees nothing wrong with those young men and women who don't care to enlist in the wars he claims central to our very survival.  People, you know, like Bill. 

Also, the claim that Alex "won't be criticized by John McCain" for not enlisting in the military is bullshit.  I seem to recall John McCain doing that very thing to Barack Obama a few weeks ago, stating the following: 

I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did.

Personally, I will not accept from Bill Kristol, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on the wars he demands we wage, or towards the mothers he demands shut up about the sons and daughters their country is sending off to die for no good reason.