Necessary and Surplus Militarization:Rethinking Civil-Military Interactions and their Consequences

Recent scholarship on militarization suggests that Western democracies are threatened by military influence spreading into civilian domains. I contend that this research has identified problematic forms of militarization, but that more careful attention should be given to different manifestations of this phenomenon. I borrow Herbert Marcuse’s distinction between necessary and surplus repression to show that militarization can be excusable or excessive, depending on the context and its extent. Militarization is potentially harmful and should be opposed when it is coercive or promotes militarism. By contrast, militarization may be necessary if it is beneficial or ineliminable. A degree of militarization may be desirable insofar as contact between civilians and soldiers promotes the spread of information, ensures that civilians have some influence on the military, and prevents members of the military from feeling detached and resentful. Some militarization may also be indispensable for guarding against plausible threats or promoting social stability. Thus, militarization should be treated as a process that has mixed costs and benefits depending on how it is enacted.