The distinct contrast between the views of soldiers and the views of civilians fuel the disconnect between them. Soldiers operate under a condition with a few principles.
They have a job. Their job is to protect their men at all cost. The lives of their men is worth more than the lives of their combatants. They are fighting to sustain the strength and ideals of America, because they strongly believe that the United States is worth suffering and dying for.
These principles are heavily loaded, and often lead to expressions of outrage while they are doing daily civilian tasks, such as going to the mall or shopping in a grocery store. The soldiers in American Sniper and The Hurt Locker become frustrated while they are not on tour, because they know there are American men dying in war at that very moment.
Chris Kyle, famous American sniper, and Sergeant William James, leading IED technician and bomb defuser, have entirely bought into the beliefs of the military and support them in their entirety as a result. Soldiers are almost forced to accept the principles of military life in order to psychologically survive the war and the horrendous acts against humanity they are ordered to commit. However, as Dr. J pointed out in class, defending the ethical decisions and morality of military acts from the stance of the ends justify the means is a dangerous way of approaching moral and ethical dilemmas. As Nagel wrote in “War and Massacre,” “In the present war such measures [the deliberate killing of the harmless: civilians, prisoners of war, and medical personnel.] are sometimes said to be regrettable, but they are generally defended by reference to military necessity and the importance of the long-term consequences of success or failure in the war.” Although, the military is a necessity to our American way of life and military men deserve both honor and praise for their sacrifices and contributions to our country, this does not negate the need for ethical criticism when evaluating our military practices as a whole.
As civilians, we harbor the rights of U.S. citizens without having to experience the cost of protecting those rights first hand. For this reason, I am grateful for the military members and their sacrifices. American Sniper and The Hurt Locker highlight the way that the excitement and socialization of war is so intense that it is difficult for military men and women to acclimate back to civilian life. Immoral acts are nearly always a derivative of selfish behavior. The acts of individuals in the military should be judged on whether or not they are ethical, based on their reasons for committing them. If they commit acts with the intention of protecting their own men and women, their acts, depending on the severity and philosophical viewpoint, can be argued as permissible. On the other hand, if their acts are a result of their lust for the excitement of war, then their acts are of a selfish derivative, in which they expended the suffering of others for their own superficial gain.
I like how you show respect and appreciation for the military, while acknowledging that we can hold individuals and organizations responsible for their actions, good or bad.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching one of the GOP debates, I was not surprised to see how often the solution was a shaking fist and the word WAR. Most candidates acted as though that would solve the nation's problems. It was drug-like, and almost to the point of arousal for some.