Soldiers deserve respect for their courageous sacrifices, and a strong military is necessary to the safety of any nation, but militarism—excessive emphasis on the military and its interests—threatens the cultural balance of society. Militarism endangers the quality of school music education due to its tendencies to (1) encourage allocation of a disproportionate share of funds to military projects, (2) emphasize practical skill development (rather than creativity and critical thinking) in schools, and (3) promote patriotic songs, thereby narrowing/distorting the music curriculum. Military leaders and scholars have noted an increase of militarism in the United States since 9/11. The U.S. military remains large and well funded while schools are underfunded and arts programs are targeted for cuts as educational policy emphasizes literacy and numeracy.