Sir! No Sir!

[vaz02]

Originally posted by Salome
where in this article were there any signs that we have to do with "hippies smoking pot" here?

there must be something in between "Befehl ist Befehl" (for lack of a better, succinct description) and "hippies smoking pot"

That was actually a joke, sorry if it offended you.

[Salome]

nah, it didn't offend me
I don't care if you would have called me a pot smoking hippy even
it just didn't seem to enhance the point you were trying to make

[anitram]

Originally posted by BonoVoxSupastar


Well of course this government will never allow any true questioning of this war's legality, but many experts don't agree with your view that it's obviously legal... and it's dangerous to just accept it.

That is how you get all those war crimes stories and charges of genocide when it is all said and done and the soldiers say, well we were following orders. I'm not saying that this is happening here, but in every case it happens, that is the defence. Is there nothing to be said for one's own morality?

And no, not everyone agrees that this is a legally sanctioned war either.

[Irvine511]

Originally posted by anitram

And no, not everyone agrees that this is a legally sanctioned war either.

we all know that Resolution 1441 makes everything George W. Bush has ever done legal and moral.

[MadelynIris]

Understood, but this cat's orders are legal, at his level.

I think most are ok with the idea of working really hard to get Iraq straightened out asap. That's where I'm at now.

[maycocksean]

Originally posted by vaz02


Its supposed to be the army not a greenpeace rally with hippies smoking pot. The orders from the top is to maintain peace and route out trouble, thats not murderous so dont try to imply their the 25th century robot death squad or universal soldier.

Ever seen the movie "A Few Good Men"?

It's pretty good. It'll give you a few things to think about.

[MadelynIris]

A few good men is a good example of the tragedy of following illegal orders. There's a scene in saving private ryan where almost all of the soldiers where ready to disobey the captain's orders to take out a radar site... The seargant was about to shoot one of the soldiers who was threating to leave.

Politicians set the policy. The armed services execute. If the military decided to do their own thing... well I can think of a lot of BAD examples around the world today....

[Purplereign]

Originally posted by MadelynIris
Politicians set the policy. The armed services execute. If the military decided to do their own thing... well I can think of a lot of BAD examples around the world today....

Correct me if I misunderstand but I thought we were talking about an individual soldiers right to question the legality of what he/she has been asked to do? Agree wholeheartedly that letting the military (or any organisation, political or otherwise) do as they please and unanswerable to anybody just leads to devastating consequences.