Do most people understand that the military and politics are 2 separate subjects?

Question

I'm a marine mom, and while I support my son, I do not believe in this insanity we call the war. My son believes he is there helping people who can't help themselves. While 'they' are over there in Iraq, building roads, schools, and helping the civilians, they're under sniper fire, car bombs, and engaging everyday, nothing would make me happier than sending him home, and nuking the whole damn country, and sending our boys to a country who welcomes our miliary assistance. This war will go on for a generation, at least. The politics of our country will be the death of us, while the military will take the heat, and our sons and daughters will die for politics, where is the jusification in that? Think before you answer, and remember, I am a proud marine mom, and I come from a military family. This action has been a big mistake, why doesn't someone admit it(gov't).

HELEN P. It must be nice to know everything, how's that working out for you? You've never asked one question on this, site. You must be all knowing and powerful. Hail Helen P.

Answer 1

No many people don't. A very minor few actually blame members of the military!

On an occasion yesterday, one woman asked "should I join the Army? What's the Training like?" She also mentioned that she had children.. The first answerer actually told her she was making the most stupid mistake in her life, practically guaranteeing that she would die in the desert! How insensitive is that.

I commend anyone who decides to serve and while I don't always like the decisions our governments say, I want to serve my Nation in defending it's interests at home and abroad.

Answer 2

The military is, in large part, a tool of politics and going to war is often more about political strategy than it is national security. The military will take some of the heat (and it should) because it does not operate independently of the politcal process.

Our military needs to be here at home protecting this country, not establishing a new government in any other country. I do not pay taxes for them to protect Somalians, Iraqis or to do "humanitarian assistance" for tsunami relief either.

When the people responsible for the war have left the government, the government will admit the mistake.

Answer 3

It's a very strange position you're taking there. You support the Marines, but you hate what they're doing. They don't act independently from the government, hence they both are the opposite of separate subjects. "Our boys" are not peace corps, they're people trained to kill. "Their boys" are trained to kill "Our boys", because this is not about helping anyone, it's about monetary gratification and pride for the US.
The reason why nobody "admits it" is because there's simply too much money already spent and so far not much gained. "Our boys" are worth a few thousand dollars a pop, dead or alive... their oil companies are worth billions of dollars per month. Guess which is more important to the government?
I hope your son comes back in one piece and with no mental repercussions, but out of all the careers he could've chosen, he took the one where he'd either kill or be killed. Let's take responsibility for our own actions.

Answer 4

The Military are the tool of the politicians - one cannot divorce the two completely - the military are the executive arm of what the politicians order should be achieved. The politicians think of the orders - the military carry them out.

However under the Geneva convention soldiers cannot claim that they were 'just following orders' when they commit an atrocity - eg Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. Under US law soldiers have a duty not to follow illegal orders. The current American administration's definition of torture would seem to contravene the Geneva Convention and so it would seem if Rumsefeld did order investigative techniques of the sort we have heard of at Abu Ghraid (testified to by General Janis Karpinski) then a serious war crime has been committed, admittedly on the orders of Rumsfeld, but carried out by Lindi England and Charles Graynor and possibly other military personnel. These two individuals were probably specifically chosen for the tasks in Abu Ghraib because they were prepared to follow orders, not inclined to question orders and got a kick out of hurting others and using inhumane techniques against other human beings whom they deemed to be less than human just because they were not American - this latter being a common attitude amongst American troops.

The type of unethical experimentation that has been refined to use on those incarcerated in the facilities at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay is frankly very very disciplined - sensory deprivation experiments are listed in THE SEARCH FOR THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE and detail psychological experiments designed to confuse prisoners. These are not the techniques of a couple of out of control hillbillies enlisted from State penitentiaries.

To say this type of treatment is not torture is frankly mendacious.

The role of American troops in Iraq has been to protect American commercial interests and in particular oil intersts, although reconstruction companies have been predominantly American too. The state of the reconstruction has in some cases been extremely poor - An American lawyer has testified that no legal action may be brought against those companies to make good work on hospitals for instance infested by ants with poor drains and less than wholesome operating theatres as the law - imposed by America - makes any civil action impossible.

Ultimately the people responsible for the war in Iraq are those who voted for Bush in the USA and those who voted for Blair in the UK and gave these two leaders a mandate to act less than ethically. But if American troops carry out atrocities then they too will get some of the flack even if they are only 'carrying out orders.'

War crimes are never war crimes when committed by the victors as the Soviets found out at the end of the second world war. I hope we are civilised enough to recognise war crimes when we see them so bleakly and shamelessly carried out in the 21st century. So don't bleat about your son's problems when so many mothers have lost over 100,000 children in Iraq and no one can be bothered to do a head count or even admit the tactics being used are less than humane against people - most of whom have committed no crime.

The mass of deaths in Iraq have taken place within the civilian population and it seems that the military are not inclined to do any headcounts - perhaps because foreigners are simply.not worth noting. The commercial interests of America are being served by the military and the politicians are in hock to the commercial barons of America. the only way to get out of this mess is to stop voting Republican or Democrat and find a truly independent party who will really respresent the people. WE THE PEOPLE have to seize back democracy before you are all enslaved to corporate bully boys forever.

Answer 5

AMEN to that!!!! I have a brother-in-law over there, I do not blame the men and woman in the military for what is going on, in fact I fear for there safety.

Our President is the one who has put our military men and woman in harms way just to satisfy his sense of fulfillment.

I will keep your son in my thoughts as well as the rest of them there that they come home safely and soon.

Answer 6

politics and warfare are interlinked intimately. The protection of a nations rights and welfare are the concern of the government. In a democracy that means politics are involved. You have the vote use it!

Answer 7

Maybe I am wrong and I am going out on a limb to say this, so please no bad mouthing me, but doesn't political agendas usually dictates the need for military actions?

Answer 8

Have you seen Vietnam or our current blunder of a "war" that we are in.... I consider these linked.... This is comming from a marine family....

Answer 9

Sadly, not many people welcome outside military assistance, but they sure love to accept the funds and benefit of it......sadly our own nation fights among themselves, our own enemies our ourselves.......