>> But, more to the point, where IS P Kaye?
I wasn't at the computer at all yesterday... spent the Saturday doing home renovation work.
>> Although I do not like what you said, I respect the characteristics that I believe it shows....
Thanks PBI. I think my post started a very worth-while debate. All the subsequent posts certainly made me do some hard thinking about my comment, and about how morality and armed conflict can be reconciled.
I stand by my position that we should try to avoid an attitude that killing is "fun", regardless of how we may feel about our enemies.
I firmly disagree that it is necessary to hate ones enemy to be successful in combat. I respect the soldier who understands that combat and killing is his duty and his job, but that it doesn't have to be a personal vendetta fuelled by personal rage.
I think that a professional attitude is critical for soldiers, for all sorts of reasons. It's been interesting to debate what constitutes a "professional" attitude about killing.
My thanks to all those who have taken the time to comment on this, and critique my original comment. Were I to do it again, I certainly would have phrased my comment more carefully, and been sure to specify exactly what it is that I object to.
As for the Marine LGen, I don't know anything about his career or soldiering abilities. He is, in all likelihood, a fine and accomplished soldier. I stand by my belief that a General has to be more than just a good soldier. A general is in the public eye. A general has a serious responsibility to be sensitive to the fact that his comments will shape the views and attitudes that the public holds toward the military. His comments will also shape the attitudes of the soldiers and officers within the military. I stand by my belief that this particular general was not honouring this aspect of his responsibility when he made his comment about killing Iraqis being "fun". I don't think his career should end over this, but I do think that he should be made to consider the impact his words may have had on the Marines.
Again, I think the debate has been valuable. I think it very important for soldiers to hold themselves to a high moral standard, and to periodically re-examine how that can be done when his job is ultimately about killing. This forum provides a great place for debates about this kind of thing, and I salute all of you who have made this discussion so interesting