If its any consolation, and I don't suppose it is, I have a friend like that (though it is the Northern Ireland conflict rather then the middle east he goes on about) but he isn't even in the military, so has even less excuse.
I imagine that it is hard to be a truly, moral individual and a good servicemen at the same time. After all your brother is being trained to kill (I do not mean this as a criticism, the USA is a great free nation and like all free nations is subject to envy of less happy lands. Occasionally and regrettably force will need to be used). Perhaps it is hard for him to do what he has to do, or what he might be called upon to do, with out seeing the world in such false black and white terms?
I am not trying to excuse him per se, just provide a reason for his regression as you term it. Is he still training? Perhaps once he has been posted to different parts of the world he will come to appreciate the subtle shades of grey which feature in these situations . I have found this with people who I know joined the army, while training or newly serving they tend to be very bullish and right wing, but once they have served a little bit (particularly the ones who do terms in Northern Ireland or the Baltics) they tend to "recover" there humanity.
Briefly on the subject of Israel I believe I am right in saying they are only one of three Countries who do not have a written consitution (the others being New Zealand and the UK). It's easier to cheat on the human rights issue when your supreme court can just "rewrite" the Constitution and dosn't read any laws that are passed by the executive in line with principals consitutional (as the US Supreme Court would).
I just wanted to close by saying that a lot of people in the UK worry that everyone in the US thinks like your Brother, that it is ok to disregard your own laws (your Founders having given you the finest written consitution ever drafted!) to punish those who would threaten or harm you, a worrying thought considering your position as the world power. I can't say how good it makes me feel to see you passionately speaking simple truths about rule of law. PLEASE RUN FOR PRESIDENT SOMEDAY!
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Family hey!
Date: 2002-12-04 01:17 pm (UTC)I imagine that it is hard to be a truly, moral individual and a good servicemen at the same time. After all your brother is being trained to kill (I do not mean this as a criticism, the USA is a great free nation and like all free nations is subject to envy of less happy lands. Occasionally and regrettably force will need to be used). Perhaps it is hard for him to do what he has to do, or what he might be called upon to do, with out seeing the world in such false black and white terms?
I am not trying to excuse him per se, just provide a reason for his regression as you term it. Is he still training? Perhaps once he has been posted to different parts of the world he will come to appreciate the subtle shades of grey which feature in these situations . I have found this with people who I know joined the army, while training or newly serving they tend to be very bullish and right wing, but once they have served a little bit (particularly the ones who do terms in Northern Ireland or the Baltics) they tend to "recover" there humanity.
Briefly on the subject of Israel I believe I am right in saying they are only one of three Countries who do not have a written consitution (the others being New Zealand and the UK). It's easier to cheat on the human rights issue when your supreme court can just "rewrite" the Constitution and dosn't read any laws that are passed by the executive in line with principals consitutional (as the US Supreme Court would).
I just wanted to close by saying that a lot of people in the UK worry that everyone in the US thinks like your Brother, that it is ok to disregard your own laws (your Founders having given you the finest written consitution ever drafted!) to punish those who would threaten or harm you, a worrying thought considering your position as the world power. I can't say how good it makes me feel to see you passionately speaking simple truths about rule of law.
PLEASE RUN FOR PRESIDENT SOMEDAY!
And good luck with your brother...