[Vision2020] 126th Engineer Company to Depart...

[Garrett Clevenger]

Andreas,

This isn't a tangent I wish to pursue as you misinterpreted my initial post.  I wasn't talking about soldiers disobeying orders.  I was referring sarcastically to Tom's "orders" to Dave (and myself as he sent me a similar respsonse offline) to basically not question why the ING is being sent to Iraq. I was encouraging Dave to disobey his "orders" and challenge the status quo.

Speaking of which, if someone can answer my question I'd appreciate it.

gc


Apr 27, 2010 11:55:17 PM, ophite at gmail.com wrote:

===========================================

Garrett --
>
>Except for a few exceptions -- defined by our Congress as being
>permissible -- the military absolutely does have to follow orders.
>Obeying the orders of democratic institutions, however misguided,
>doesn't lead to tyranny. Disobeying them leads to a military coup --
>and can you point to a single example of a military coup leading to a
>stable democracy?
>
>-- ACS
>
>On Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 11:52 PM, Garrett Clevenger
> wrote:
>> Andreas writes:
>>
>> "We don't want them deciding that they know better than us whose 
>lives they should be taking."
>>
>>
>> Is this really what she meant?
>>
>> If so, then that's exactly why those of us who aren't obligated 
>to obey orders should be questioning why our troops are being used.
>>
>> To go down the road that Andreas suggest is to head towards tyranny.
>>
>> If a coup is what it takes to end imperialism, then I guess our founding 
>documents had it right by suggesting that may be necessary from time to time.
>>
>> It must be the teabagger in me for I resent our tax dollars and our troops 
>being used at the leaders whim, particularly when the circumstance for using those 
>troops is highly questionable.
>>
>> I've resented the invasion of Iraq from the beginning, so I'll 
>keep on questioning that.
>>
>> Please excuse my ignorance, but why are our Idaho National Guardspeople 
>being sent to Iraq?  Aren't they supposed to guard Idaho?
>>
>> I respect guardspeople enough to make sure their commitment isn't being 
>abused.
>>
>> Garrett
>>
>>
>> Apr 27, 2010 10:10:58 PM, ophite at gmail.com wrote:
>>
>> ===========================================
>>
>>> On the other hand, it seems ignorant to just blindly obey them (and 
>at the same
>>>time allow our fellow Idahoans to risk their lives for misguided
>>>> policy), so have at it.
>>>
>>>It's not ignorant. Down that road lies a coup. We entrust our troops
>>>with the power to take human lives on our behalf.  We don't 
>want them
>>>deciding that they know better than us whose lives they should be
>>>taking.
>>>
>>>-- ACS
>>>
>>
>is