How does this make sense? There's no conscription. These soldiers knew exactly what they were getting into. They choose to do this so why not hold them accountable for their choices as we would anybody else.
2007-01-25 00:44:20 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
and I don't buy this following orders crap - most of the soldiers in Iraq joined after the invasion
2007-01-25 01:01:34 · update #1
and I don't buy this following orders crap - most of the soldiers in Iraq joined after the invasion
2007-01-25 01:01:55 · update #2
Soldiers must follow orders not morals.
2007-01-25 00:50:47 · answer #1 · answered by Richard Cranium 3 · 6⤊ 3⤋
Blaming the soldiers is a damned if you do, damed if you don't situation.
Soldiers for the most part are order takers, that's their psychological makeup. Soldiers follow orders. Push a button, program them with a message and off they go. So they are literally following the orders from the president, unconditionally.
On the other hand, where would we be with out soldiers who know how to follow orders properly? We'd be English and paying taxes to the King.
6 one way, 1/2 dozen the other.
2007-01-25 01:04:56 · answer #2 · answered by huckleberry 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow, I could go all day on this topic!
Who elected the leadership? YOU DID! So YOU are to blame. You will probably say you didn't vote for Bush, but remember congress approved the war also!
Civilian leaders decide when and where to employ troops. Troops join to serve, period. When I joined 23 years ago, I did it for various reasons, admittedly some personal, but also to serve my country. I took an oath to obey the orders of the President and the officers appointed over me. I stand by that oath.
We can NOT have a military that allows each individual soldier to choose that they don't support this particular war, so they aren't going. We call that a crime in the military.
The military is NOT losing this war, the American people are. The only way we can lose, is by losing the will of the American people to fight. When the war started, the polls showed overwhelmingly in favor of this war. Now, they don't. Someone must have changed their minds. YOU civilians have the option of changing your mind...I'm sure you are saying you were against it from day one! Yeah, right. Not many people were initially. Yes there were a some that can show that they were. Please point me to the editorial you submitted, or the letter you wrote your congressman or senator that documents your opposition to the war at the onset.
If you can't do that because you didn't write, call or voice your opinion and participate in the process, then my friend, YOU are to blame for this war and no one else.
We certainly hold soldiers accountable for war crimes and misconduct during armed conflict. We do NOT hold them "accountable" for following lawful orders during a conflict approved by the President and Legislature, and by extension, the American people.
Do NOT blame the troops for your failings as a citizen in holding your elected representatives accountable.
Honestly, I'd bet you were for the war when it was the popular thing to do, and are now opposed that it is the popular thing. Then you have the gall to suggest blame to men and women that have twice the courage and moral fortitude that you could ever hope to have.
Shame on you, blame on you.
2007-01-25 01:49:43 · answer #3 · answered by Captain Jack 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
i wold say if there doing as there told and they volunteered then they are very brave people and they take orders from the leadership this is why the leadership is to blame .
on the other hand if they knew there country and pretty much every so called civilised country was run by the global elite the people that own the world banks ,the "federal" reserve , the major oil companys, the corporations , the media and pretty much every company with a monopoly , if they kney they were fighting for this minority ofsick and twisted power hungry freaks and they knew they were fighting for a new world order , if they knew they were fighting for that they would be cowards .
what you have to remember is they think there fighting for there country and there not , they take orders and this is why the buck sometimes stops at the top.
2007-01-25 00:57:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
troops, join the military, some even joined before this Iraq thing. The leadership decides how to use the military, and where to send many of them. So other then individual actions (that rape deal in Japan I think last week), yes blame the leadership for broad decisions.
2007-01-25 03:34:22 · answer #5 · answered by John B 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Let's put this in a way that you will understand. Your boss runs your company into the ground. Are you held accountable or is he? You chose to work there and knew what was going on........
And jl_Jack: there are currently about 22,000 reserve and National Guard troops deployed. No where near to close to half of the total deployed. They enlisted knowing full well that they could be called at anytime. Use your head for something more than a hat holder..............
2007-01-25 01:01:54 · answer #6 · answered by tallerfella 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
They joined to serve their country. I bet you wouldn't whine if one of those same soldiers pulled your butt out of a flood (Vermont '91, Louisiana 2005') or fed you a hot meal. I'll bet you wouldn't be crying here now if they had gotten you *** off a ship just before it sank, or burned a marijuana field just before your kid sister drove into a tree while smoking the ****. And no matter how you slice it bonehead, it's because of a soldier you are not speaking speaking the- Russian, German or Japanese language and you are still not a subject of the Crown. This gives you all kinds of free time to protest this or protest that, but what I would like you to do right now is go play in traffic.
2007-01-25 03:21:55 · answer #7 · answered by SGT. D 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The soldiers don't determine the strategy. The Administration does. Unfortunately, the Administration sucks at it.
2007-01-25 02:52:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Have you ever served your country? People need to lay off of the troops they are doing a fine job. If you must point fingers point them at me. I am a citizen and I voted. Point them at people who fail to vote. Point them at people who think their vote is to be cast for a popularity contest. Enough with the blame we as citizens had our say and we said GW. Did you vote? If you did how much research did you do before casting your vote. Did you blindly vote for a person because of party affiliation? The war is a US war not a Bush war, A republican war, an oil war, a democratic war. Last I checked the military fights on behalf of all US citizens.
2007-01-25 01:17:18 · answer #9 · answered by joevette 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
A service member does the job, they follow orders. In the USA all in the military know we have a civilian commander. The guard makes up half in Iraq. they did not sign up for 3 tours. They signed up for one weekend per month State side service. The Guard is being used as a draft now.
2007-01-25 00:52:02 · answer #10 · answered by jl_jack09 6 · 2⤊ 4⤋