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Originally Posted by Manx
Executing instructions to implement a point of view that you do not agree with is analogous to supporting the point of view. They are human beings, not robots, so they have the ability to say yes or no to an order they are given. It is not enough to absolve oneself of responsibility simply because you were given an order.
Apply this to any of those written rules on how to wage war and you would agree, if a commanding officer orders a soldier to fire on children, the soldier is responsible to disobey the order. I simply apply this same principle to the entire Iraq war (in fact, most wars, maybe even all of them since WWII). The Iraq war is not morally ambiguous in my mind - it is categorically reprehensible.
And yes, I most certainly hold 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. responsible, as I have said. But it is the duty of a soldier, as a human being, to refuse orders which are wrong. I also find it to be a shame that instead of allowing our soldiers this necessary recourse, our society punishes them if they take it. The less human you are, the more you are able to either deny or ignore your humanity, the "better" a soldier you are.
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Perhaps here is the real issue in this debate. We are expecting these people to make a judgement call, between doing that which they are required to do, and for which we hold them responsible. And doing what they may consider to be morally correct, knowing it is going to cost them dearly should they follow concience. Add to this the stresses of warfare, and respect of command structure, it would seem a lose, lose situation.
I have not the experience of facing warfare, and would be remiss to think I KNOW what is involved here. But, I can see some of the difficulty of these descisions, and the position these men and women are in. My personal understanding of the realities of war, are uninformed, and have little bearing on what transpires in the field....but I can certainly make a general judgement call on my dislike of policy.
Our soldiers are dying, and so are many others......I question the reasoning behind this war, I DO NOT question the military descisions, as I am not qualified, or entitled to do so.