sometimes they make mistakes
People are still responsible for their actions.
sometimes they make mistakes
That's fair, but at the same time it's no reason to be afraid of the truth. America is supposed to be an open society, and secrecy merely fuels the imagination. Anything that can be explained should be explained. If the audience is unable to understand the explanation due to their own biases, that is a fault of the audience, not of the truth.
It does not do the military any good to pretend that they are the "adults" and their countrymen are "children" who must be protected from the bogeyman. You do not encourage critical thinking by preventing its onset; you encourage it by forcing people to grapple with realities that may not be present in their everyday lives. The attitude that all this must be kept secret lest the "children" get the wrong idea does more damage to the way the military is perceived than the truth will ever do.
I guess my biggest concern is that so many of our fellow citizens do react like children and will eat whatever the government decides to feed them regarding what they want the "truth" to be. When people are open to other opinions and educate themselves to try to seek out the truth it is fine. Just seems like there are a lot of people who don't do that.
If you cannot stomach what it takes to save our citizens from further harm, then step aside and let those with the courage and the will do so.
Also it would be helpful if those who are weak would SHUT the Hell up!
I will be the first to admit I've done some very bad things always to bad people and never for my own gratification. I have slightly more than three years combat experience as a soldier and another eighteen months(so far) as a private military contractor. I've been in a lot of shall we say "ambiguous" situations. I have a very strong sense of morality and have always followed it. I am responsible for my actions but not to you. I am the one who carries the weight of my experience we do not share this burden. I assure you if that bubble that you live in ever bursts you will thank whatever it is you worship that people like me exist.
That's fair, but at the same time it's no reason to be afraid of the truth. America is supposed to be an open society, and secrecy merely fuels the imagination. Anything that can be explained should be explained. If the audience is unable to understand the explanation due to their own biases, that is a fault of the audience, not of the truth.
It does not do the military any good to pretend that they are the "adults" and their countrymen are "children" who must be protected from the bogeyman. You do not encourage critical thinking by preventing its onset; you encourage it by forcing people to grapple with realities that may not be present in their everyday lives. The attitude that all this must be kept secret lest the "children" get the wrong idea does more damage to the way the military is perceived than the truth will ever do.
But we're not getting the truth. We're getting Pravda--the current Administration's spin on whatever truth there is.
Frankly, I would not trust any pictures from the current Administration. After all, the media, in their haste to crucify Bush, still used photos from the temporary quarters at Gitmo that haven't been used since 6 months into the Afghanistan war (let alone the Iraq war).
As usual, they're trying to convict in the Court of Public Opinion in lieu of any actual pursuit of justice. This isn't an investigation, it's a witch hunt.
Here's some truth for you:
Both Peolosi and Reid were in the decision loop on using things like waterboarding for interrogation. They've had 2 years with a majority in both the House and the Senate. Why is it only now that the Democrats are "investigating" this? In another forum the "local leftist" argued that they didn't bring it up earlier because of "political expediency" but if that's the case, how do we know that it's not "political expediency" rather than any pursuit of "justice" that's driving things now?
I don't want your gratitude you sanctimonious knuckle head. I just want you to stay in the lane you chose. You can keep your bubble I just wish you would sound proof it.
There is a big difference in doing something with evil intenet and doing something because there is not another option.
I have no quarrel with anything you've said. At the same time, like I said earlier, I believe reason will prevail. Sure, there'll probably be some initial public furor, but most people will go back to watching American Idol and forget about the whole thing. Those who are truly interested will do the digging and find out the truth. And the easier the truth is to get at, the better off we all are. That way, when some ninnyhammer starts up with the yakkity yak about our soldiers, a la post-Vietnam, the truly informed can shut them down. I don't see why this is so hard to understand.
So now you're opposed to the idea of civilian control of the military?
So now you're opposed to the idea of civilian control of the military?