Yep, this. Not to mention that the film practically opens with the Bugs destroying Buenos Aires. What are the Terrans supposed to do at that point? Some (including wiki) have speculated that the humans attacked first, but that just isn't in the film. It also tacitly acknowledges that the war as presented is just: I'm quite sure the Bugs would have been extremely pissed if humans nuked Hive Cluster 16 or whatever. Why wouldn't they be?

So it's a movie about coming of age and fighting a 100% justified war in defense of (as you said) a very free and prosperous society. I mean, they let their boot camp trainees just quit at any time. Some repressive nightmare.

Yep, this. Not to mention that the film practically opens with the Bugs destroying Buenos Aires. What are the Terrans supposed to do at that point? Some (including wiki) have speculated that the humans attacked first, but that just isn't in the film. It also tacitly acknowledges that the war as presented is just: I'm quite sure the Bugs would have been extremely pissed if humans nuked Hive Cluster 16 or whatever. Why wouldn't they be?

So it's a movie about coming of age and fighting a 100% justified war in defense of (as others have said) a very free and prosperous society. I mean, they let their boot camp trainees just quit at any time. Some repressive nightmare.