ah, but on the other hand
May. 1st, 2004 08:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sisyphusshruggedDepartment of Credit Where Due: I don't believe I've ever to my certain knowledge agreed with this gentleman about much of anything, or he me.
Right now, though, "Citizen Smash" deserves all kinds of props for saying something important and true, and probably not too popular with his base, so here some are.
Now, even here, I have some reservations about the way he approaches this - the folks we're fighting could probably make a fair case for being under just a bit of stress themselves just now, they pretty much invented civilization back in the day, and we're in the course of putting the people we want to be better than back in charge - but his basic point is right, and good on him for saying it.
Right now, though, "Citizen Smash" deserves all kinds of props for saying something important and true, and probably not too popular with his base, so here some are.
THE UGLY TRUTH of warfare is that there are no “knights in shining armor” who will always fight for Good. Evil lurks deep in the hearts of all men, and it doesn’t care what flag you wear on your sleeve. We are most vulnerable when we suffer under the burden of tremendous stress — but the ultimate responsibility to resist Evil lies with every individual.
Our soldiers sometimes do horrible things. Disgusting things. Cruel things.
When they do, we must not hide from the truth. Those repsonsible must be identified, prosecuted, and punished appropriately. There must be a public accounting for these crimes.
Because we are a civilized society, we must never give in to the temptation to brush aside such atrocities as “the way things are in war.” For if we fail in this responsibility, we will ultimately become no better than those we are fighting.
And that would be the greatest tragedy of all.
Now, even here, I have some reservations about the way he approaches this - the folks we're fighting could probably make a fair case for being under just a bit of stress themselves just now, they pretty much invented civilization back in the day, and we're in the course of putting the people we want to be better than back in charge - but his basic point is right, and good on him for saying it.
