Posted by mair on October 13, 2006, at 14:09:58
In reply to Re: doctor jailed for refusing order to go to Iraq, posted by Dinah on October 13, 2006, at 8:11:10
Dianh - I don't necessarily disagree with you; it looks like this guy was trying to make a political statement and it's perfectly legitimate to suggest that he should have thought of all of that when he enlisted or took money for school or whatever.
However, I think it has to be very tough for soldiers to wander through the minefield of ethical issues that seem to arise in times of war. I think if it wasn't you wouldn't see the numbers of psychologically damaged vets that we see. Following orders is a pretty common defense, but there have to be lots of situations where soldiers, maybe quietly, question the legality of the order, and feel compelled to do things that they find repugnant, and that we would find repugnant if we ever knew about it.
I also think the "you should have thought of this before" line of reasoning cuts two ways. The powers that be are so horrified and outraged when atrocities committed by soldiers come to light, or when mistakes are made which result in the deaths of civilians. Unfortunately, I've never heard of a war, however, where stuff like Abu Gharib, for instance, doesn't happen. And the reality is that in spite of the best technology, sometimes the bombs go off course or there is human error and tons of civilians get killed. One of my beefs is that the political leaders who wage war seem to be so unprepared for the uglier realities.
Mair
poster:mair
thread:694101
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20061009/msgs/694503.html