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An Army Wages War, Right?
This U.S. soldier declared before Congress that he would not deploy to Iraq in June to participate in an “illegal” war. Other soldiers were paraded in front of members of Congress, all of them spewing horror stories of the murders and rapes committed by U.S. troops in Iraq. I find this shameful on several levels. First, Mr. Chiroux signed up with the army knowing full well that he would most likely be put in harms way. It is not his position to make decisions on the legality of the war, rather he is to serve as a valuable piece of machinary in the military machine. To run an army any other way is absurd. I can already hear some among you arguing that soldiers can abstain from fighting in a blatanly “evil” war. That may be true but the illegality or evilness of the war must be so apparent that there can be no question as to the illegitimacy of the war. That is simply not the case here.
Second, I am offended that partisan groups would parade these soldiers who are against the war in front of Congress and the national media, with the hope of demoralizing our soldiers in Iraq by demonstrating how “unstable” or “lawless” our troops are. I would argue that these few men and women are the exception to the rule of competent and reasonable military men and women who make up our armed forces. Why are their voices not being brought in front of Congress? I have had the opportunity to speak with several individuals who have fought in Iraq and not one of them thinks that the war was wrong and that we cannot win and that our armed forces are conducting themselves as we would hope. This dog and pony show in front of Congress is akin to Hanoi Jane and the Vietnam Vets against the war in the early 1970s.
Third, and Bill already addressed this in a previous post, is the constant focus on post traumatic stress disorder that some soldiers return home with. I have no doubt that some if not all soldiers return home changed and with baggage. Undoubtedly it is serious baggage. However, did soldiers not have this baggage in any previous war? War is hell and soldiers who voluntarily sign up to engage in war will have to deal with it, just as U.S. soldiers have been since the Revolution. The idea that this is some new problem and those diagnosed are any different or more harmed by the stress of combat than any previous soldiers makes no sense to me. This stress is not unique or special. It comes with the territory.
