Hiro Protagonist is defined from the second page as someone who kicks ass:

“Since then the Deliverator has kept the gun in the glove compartment of his and relied, instead, on a matched set of samurai swords, which have always been his weapon of choice anyhow. The punks in Gila Highlands weren't afraid of the gun, so the Deliverator was forced to use it. But swords require no demonstrations” (2)

Throughout my reading of “Dawn,” I found myself torn between where my sympathies should lie. The Oankali seemed compassionate enough and Lilith’s relationship with Nikanj struck me as genuine and surprisingly not creepy. And yet it is difficult to trust the motives of a group of creatures that put humans asleep for centuries and then keep them trapped in a ship. There were moments when Lilith’s resistance annoyed me and then at other times I was shocked by her ability to cohabitate with these seemingly grotesque features.

Of the many interesting things that Heinlein addresses in Starship Troopers, the thing that captures my attention the most is his discussion of power, both its origins and the ultimate responsibility which comes along with it. As American voters have, over the last fifty years, become less and less engaged in the political discourse and more dissociated from the violence (or threat thereof) from which their political power is derived, Heinlein's views on this have become even more pertinent, not less.

Someone in class on Monday had mentioned that in the MI, humans are the (vessel for) technology. I think this is an interesting point, especially in conjunction with the developments of our current military. The United States Army has been implementing robots in the Middle East to prevent unnecessary casualties. Soldiers can now direct these robots, which can detect and disable mines and have the capability of firing back at any hostiles, with remote controls from a safe distance away. There remains that element of human judgment, although in a much more diluted form.

To continue a discussion begun in class today, what is the function of violence in Starship Troopers?

Of note:
-Suffrage was available only to those who completed their 2(+) years of voluntary service.
-Those who wish to serve a term of service can participate in non-overtly-violent ways (as terraformers, technicians, logistics, and human guinea pigs).

So, is violence the only way to gain merit in this society?