Political Warnings from a Warrior Turned Author
As controversial today as when it was first written, Robert Heinlein’s 1959 novel Starship Troopers first appears to be a short, exciting science fiction jaunt common to the pulp era; an adult revisiting of his 1949 Space Cadet. Chronicling the adventures of fledgling space solider, Johnny Rico, who in his pursuit of full citizenship volunteers for military service and ends up fighting in an interstellar war (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). However the Hugo award winning Starship Troopers is actually Heinlein’s attempt to address U.S policies during the Cold War and to illustrate his belief that voting rights should be earned instead of given at birth. Heinlein wrote Starship Troopers to reply …show more content…
The interstellar Terrain Federation has descended from the failed unearned suffrage governments of earth’s past, with Heinlein’s wisdom wield professor pointing to our 20th century American government more than once (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). In this way the author not only criticizes the current United States system of full citizenship at birth but offers an alternative not unlike that of the historic Athenian Democracy or the Roman Republic. The majority of the Terrain Federation population have limited citizenship, with all other rights and freedoms, but without the right to vote. However, if someone is over eighteen they can volunteer for Federal Service and upon completion of their service, exercise their franchise (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). Heinlein explains this need to retire from Federal Service before being able to vote through his character who says “Quote from Starship Troopers (Heinlein, Starship Troopers).” And while the books protagonist, Juan Rico ends up in the Mobile Infantry after volunteering for Federal Service, Heinlein’s intention is that service could include any type of government work or civil service (Heinlein, Expanded Universe Revised edition ). The protagonist’s father eschews his federal service and is angry at his son for volunteering (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). This character is a representation of liberal democratic policies of the time and is used by the author to give voice to his political opposition on Cold War policy and the arguments against earned citizenship. Obviously the influence of Heinlein’s patriotic upbringing and his family and personal history of service to one’s country is at play here. He plainly believed that the right to vote was vital to citizenship and used Starship Troopers to highlight the need for
As controversial today as when it was first written, Robert Heinlein’s 1959 novel Starship Troopers first appears to be a short, exciting science fiction jaunt common to the pulp era; an adult revisiting of his 1949 Space Cadet. Chronicling the adventures of fledgling space solider, Johnny Rico, who in his pursuit of full citizenship volunteers for military service and ends up fighting in an interstellar war (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). However the Hugo award winning Starship Troopers is actually Heinlein’s attempt to address U.S policies during the Cold War and to illustrate his belief that voting rights should be earned instead of given at birth. Heinlein wrote Starship Troopers to reply …show more content…
The interstellar Terrain Federation has descended from the failed unearned suffrage governments of earth’s past, with Heinlein’s wisdom wield professor pointing to our 20th century American government more than once (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). In this way the author not only criticizes the current United States system of full citizenship at birth but offers an alternative not unlike that of the historic Athenian Democracy or the Roman Republic. The majority of the Terrain Federation population have limited citizenship, with all other rights and freedoms, but without the right to vote. However, if someone is over eighteen they can volunteer for Federal Service and upon completion of their service, exercise their franchise (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). Heinlein explains this need to retire from Federal Service before being able to vote through his character who says “Quote from Starship Troopers (Heinlein, Starship Troopers).” And while the books protagonist, Juan Rico ends up in the Mobile Infantry after volunteering for Federal Service, Heinlein’s intention is that service could include any type of government work or civil service (Heinlein, Expanded Universe Revised edition ). The protagonist’s father eschews his federal service and is angry at his son for volunteering (Heinlein, Starship Troopers). This character is a representation of liberal democratic policies of the time and is used by the author to give voice to his political opposition on Cold War policy and the arguments against earned citizenship. Obviously the influence of Heinlein’s patriotic upbringing and his family and personal history of service to one’s country is at play here. He plainly believed that the right to vote was vital to citizenship and used Starship Troopers to highlight the need for