You are, to my mind, unquestionably correct about their intent. But achieving that goal also leads to a weaker military. It leads to a great combat awareness outside the military. Most moral rules when examined, come down to putting your group ahead of yourself. People bemoan that the immoral and self-serving climb unfairly in society, but the corollary is that a society where they do is weaker. And ends up at the mercy of other societies. It ends up weaker because self-advancement and boot licking take the place of merit. It ends up weaker because when the leaders are visibly corrupt, those below no longer feel obliged to be honourable. It ends up divided because purges lead to that. And usually very soon you have a demoralised society collapsing from within all stemming from leaders who are not held accountable and who punish anything less than total loyalty. And then the Huns are marching through the gates of Rome.
It's unarguable at this point, that we're facing a bid for total control of society. Those making that bid have spent years perfecting propaganda, soft controls, "optics" arguments. All the things they think they'll need to maintain control over society. None of it will stop that such a society will be weak.
If you want to keep it, the time to do something is now.