Th utterly appalling mass murder in the defenceless Laos village during the USA 60's onslaught of murder and abuse throughout SE Asia ? Not everyone forgets, and fields in Laos where such beautiful honourable people try to get on with their lives are still full of pepper bomblets dropped by US planes which explode in the faces of present day farming people. Often women working the fields carrying children. Why hasnt USA been made to amend their abuses, clean up their filthy mess and give aid ?
2007-11-15 21:04:53 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
I am sure this and any other similar issues are dealt with in any more recent treaties leading towards restoration of diplomatic restoration.
Would be interesting to see some Vietnamese justice for my friend Cork Graham, who was imprisoned there wrongly as a spy in the 1980s when there was no diplomatic communication at all with Vietnam: http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Chest-Adventure-Healing-Trauma/dp/0970358016/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195242626&sr=1-5
But I guess that was comvered in various treaties also.
2007-11-16 06:52:40 · answer #1 · answered by Barry C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The US did prosecute some of the soldiers involved in My Lai. If we hadn't I think the international backlash and domestic backlash would have been increased, given the growing dissatisfaction with the War.
However, there have been many other wartime atrocities in Vietnam and Korea that the US has not prosecuted, probably because government officials prefer to let sleeping dogs (victims) lie.
Very few superpowers will hold their own soldiers responsible for wartime atrocities. The US isn't "unique" in that regard. Look at England, China, India, Russia, etc etc.
That's not to say that wartime atrocities SHOULDN'T be prosecuted... but as a pragmatist, I actually think the fact that the US prosecuted SOME of the soldiers responsible for My Lai speaks well. Although, their punishments were very light considering the gravity of the offense.
Perhaps then, the My Lai prosecution was more of a political move rather than a stand on principle?
I think the only way that warcrimes will ever be treated seriously is if American voters and soldiers prioritize the Geneva Convention. However, given the stress of war, this can be hard to do. But some things clearly cross the line. At least some American soldiers right now are being prosecuted for warcrimes in Iraq... look at the prosecution for the rape of an Iraqi girl and the killing of her entire family.
But I'm sure there's a lot more going on in Iraq that is not made public, especially given the Bush Administration's exceptional record for disregarding human rights.
2007-11-16 00:02:02 · answer #2 · answered by Jimmy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Mai Lai incident resulted in the prosecution of US military personnel. Since the incident was not a US government sanction event then the US is not liable.
Besides who would enforce such a ruling. Who would go to jail for events that happened 30+ years ago.
I realize that you do not like the US but there are much better ways to express it.
2007-11-15 21:40:59 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Why Communism has not been condemned, as Nazism was, for its killing of about 60 million people, at least; and the jailing and psychiatric internment and harassment of millions and millions of others?
And, surprisingly enough, why in the hell so many people still express interest or even sympathy toward communism and socialism after that?
2007-11-15 21:18:06 · answer #4 · answered by Space Bluesman 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
40 yrs ago brother. Let it go.
As for Alakazam'ss comments, they are typical. If the US was really smart, we would pull all of our money and bail out of that useless creaky old rust bucket called the UN.
Fathead, just ignore this guy. He's got a burr up his chute about the US. I've been reading his posts and he's just another anti US crybaby. He can rant, but not reason.
2007-11-15 21:08:09 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
You obviously haven't actually read any history on this topic. If you had you'd see that people were prosecuted.
You don't like the US? Well BOO HOO. Get a life.
2007-11-15 21:12:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Kids and keyboards......
He can type paragraphs of drivel, but can't run a search engine to look up the facts.
Twit.
2007-11-16 03:25:12 · answer #7 · answered by sirbobby98121 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's just the problem.. you have the words "justice" and "USA" in the same sentence. It won't be until the US loses all of it's money and sway in the UN that anything like that could be remotely possible.
2007-11-15 21:07:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 6⤋
mr angry has a small pecker.
2007-11-15 22:45:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋