Military multifunctionality and democracy: a dangerous coexistence

Abstract

Present changes in the world political system are obliging reconsideration of the functionality of armies, failing which they could take on roles that will end up in their obsolescence or uselessness. This critical point leads to a debate in which three arguments converge: the abolitionist, which could be regarded as ingenuous; the adaptive, which adopts the logic of the three Rs (redefine, resize, and reconvert); and the pragmatic, which ends up justifying multifunctionality of the armed forces. Multifunctionality of armies implies militarisation or, in other words, normalisation of the use of the military —or extension of the use of force— in the provision of services outside their traditional roles. In the worst case, this can lead to militarism. However, multifunctionality can also be achieved without having the use of force as a goal but, rather, an attempt to benefit society by means of the military’s status as a catch-all administration. This approach aims at tempering the military mindset, when its members are not expected to use force in the various tasks they are entrusted with.