[Urlik]

Heinlein is a bit of an odd one really
a lot of his views are very anti war and especially anti conscription yet he is also anti pacifist and believes that those who enjoy the benefits of a nation/society should be prepared to lay down their lives to defend it.

in some ways his point of view strikes me as anarchistic, but realistic.
laws are there to let him know what the risks are, and they are followed or broken depending on whether they suit his purpose or not.

there is an almost parallel setting in one of his short stories (can't remember the name but I'm sure it is in The Man Who Sold The Moon) where you can wear a gun and get privaleges or wear a brassard and be a 2nd class citizen.
those with guns have to be extra polite as they can be challenged to a duel to the death if they offend yet those with brassards always have to give precedent to those with guns yet are safe from being challenged.

that simple bit of background is a brilliant illustration of the old dilema; peace or freedom

Heinlein, like the other greats, is a master of giving depth character to alternative societies with very few words so that the story has context yet the social/political issues of today are called into question