Service Guarantees Citizenship: An Analysis of Heinlein's political thoughts

Foreward

I feet almost duty bound to write a series of analyses on Heinlein's works. Something about Starship Troopers famous line of "Service Guarantees Citizenship!" always struck a chord with me, evoking a sense of pride in one's country and giving back to the community which gave to you, the safety and luxuries you take for granted each day.

I'll admit that I haven't actually READ any Heinlein before. And I doubt you have either.

There are several works that are commonly read of his, increasing in obscurity as you shy away from the popular novels The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Farnham's Freehold, Stranger in a Strange Land, Glory Road and of course, Starship Troopers.

I will not be covering any of these. You can find plenty of information on these novels and their reflections of the times elsewhere on the internet.

Heinlein started writing at age 32, after being medically discharged from the Navy, marrying a sexually promiscuous woman with a Masters in Philosophy and a love for Hollywood, and running a failed campaign for the California State Assembly as a Social Democrat.

Something about his experiences in the 30s and 40s, catalyzed by the outbreak of WWII, caused within him a drive to start writing.

Maybe it was the multiple failures in his past, combined with an instilled sense of patriotic duty, that led him to start writing.
Maybe it was a gradual disillusionment with the Progressivism of his time, and feeling helpless about the gradual erosion of American values he was witnessing.

I'm starting off with For Us, The Living, Heinlein's very first book which remained unpublished until after his death. So far, the flow and pacing are difficult at best, yet the historical context in which it was written says more about the story than the writing itself.