The Unpopular History of the United States
Our lads know how to ride and shoot. That’s the thing that counts.”
You hear that kind of talk all over the country—especially about individual initiative.
Your Uncle Samuel used to think that same way, until developments in modern warfare knocked it out of his head. Modern warfare is a question of team work. You can’t accomplish anything nowadays by every fellow pulling his own way. Where would the Giants, or the Phillies, or the Red Sox be without organization? You could put a thousand fine individuals into the diamond, and nine trained players plus team-work, would play rings around them. Soldiers, like baseball teams, can’t get anywhere on an individual basis. That’s another kink that we Americans must get out of our heads—individualism. We are habitually intolerant of restraint. We resent the slightest encroachment upon our personal privilege to do as we please. If the notion strikes us to play at soldiering, very well, soldiers we will play—whenever we get ready and for just as long
[10]
