Donald Trump’s threats to carry out mass bombing of civilian infrastructure in Iran present US military officers with a dilemma: disobey orders or help commit war crimes.
It is an urgent matter for the US chain of command. In an expletive-laden threat, Trump set a Tuesday 8pm Washington time deadline for the Iranian government to open the strait of Hormuz or face “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one”.
There is little debate among legal experts that such an attack on the life-supporting infrastructure for 93 million Iranians would constitute a war crime.
“Such rhetorical statements – if followed through – would amount to the most serious war crimes – and thus the president’s statements place service members in a profoundly challenging situation,” two former judge advocate general (JAG) officers, Margaret Donovan and Rachel VanLandingham wrote on the website Just Security on Monday.
“As former uniformed military lawyers who advised targeting operations, we know the president’s words run counter to decades of legal training of military personnel and risk placing our warfighters on a path of no return.”
SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY FUCKIN’ EASY DECISION.
Is it? If you follow orders you will most likely not be punished in any way. If you don’t then you definitely will.
I mean, it’s easy for you to tell others to take that risk I guess, maybe that’s what you meant.
Yes agency - what an awful thing to have. Better be a mindless drone and just coast through life being someone’s bitch huh
I’m not directing this at you btw. Just this mentality of “oh I have no choice but to submit” is what got us in ww3 to begin with.
Its what let the Holocaust happen too
It’s not about agency it’s about a very real risk. You will be court-martialed for disobeying an order. Period.
You will then need to fight a lengthy and public legal battle against the US government to prove that your disobeying was legal. And the result is very much not guaranteed.
That is a significant risk to ask of a soldier and should not be underestimated. I hear your armchair “well they should be brave” whining but this is reality.
And even if you won that Court battle, politicians including the president might call you out by name, they absolutely would call you out by name, and make you a hated figure and a target across the entire country. Not just for the maga diehards, but for all of those conniving police and prosecutors looking to curry favor with the administration.
Don’t you make the choice to risk your life for your country already by joining the military? Sounds like this is that risk for them. Risk stepping on an IED killing children or getting a court martial for not killing children is a risk either way, but one is infinitely better than the other.
Sure but it’s only reality because everyone’s too pussy to take responsibility thus the framework is not protecting agency. So it becomes and endless circle of no one’s taking responsibility out of fear thus no one’s agency is being protected.
The answer here has been clear since ancient Greek philosophers - virtue. As a soldier, or any professional for that matter, you have to rule your position through virtue not fear. This is the only way to resist oppression and deception.
Sure but it’s only reality because everyone’s too pussy to take responsibility
It’s always easy for somebody with no skin in the game to demand another person risk everything they have.
No I take my existence seriously and take responsibility. Just because a person is not capable of holding responsibility doesn’t mean they’re entitled to the position - can’t do it? Then fucking do something else.
We could have a very long Nuanced discussion about what led us to this place, I’m not entirely sure your factor is the overriding one either, although it is a factor.
I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is simple. Disobey illegal orders.
aren’t they illegal orders?
placing our warfighters on a path of no return
Can we go back to calling them soldiers?
Its not a hard choice, don’t commit war crimes
Thanks you fucking maga idiots. We all told you what was up and you ignored us.
They also ignored all their teachers.
That’s how they became MAGAts.
Pedophile orders you to commit war crimes for which you know you eventually WILL be judged…
Mmmmm, that IS a tough one…
They are going to automate weaponry so soldiers never face a moral dilemma and get in the way of the war machine.
Reminds me of what’s that show, the one without canned laughter, in Orange County California where the dumb brother joins the Army and is running Drone operations and they suspect his morality, suspecting he has some, and try to force him to crush a kitten and he refuses and they kick him out.
The orange cancer won’t be here forever. You commit war crimes, you will find yourself on a very unpleasant trial.
Grow some fucking spines. You commit these war crimes on the demand of a pedophile rapist felon, then you deserve the same fate. You will be a disgrace, a pariah.
Everyone with a functioning brain-cell knows that Trump is going to throw kegsbreath under the bus to save himself, and I for one can’t wait to see his smug slick backed face hung for war crimes.
Hanged. Ain’t no way this textbook case of overcompensating masculine fragility is hung, lbr.
I bet all those big macho MAGAs are breaking down the doors at the recruiting office, riiiight?
There are plenty of brainwashed talibangelicals in the military who will happily push the world into global war at trump’s command.
You gotta be pretty low on the evolutionary ladder to obey orders from a felon rapist pedophile with dementia.
Is is legal to commit war crimes in the United States? Because if it is, this becomes an ethical argument rather than a legal one.
With this Trump-appointed crooked SCOTUS and the Trump-appointed crooked US Attorney General, combined with the fact we are not signatories to the ICC? I’m going to sadly say yes.
I don’t think it’s just because of this administration… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_war_crimes
Certainly not, but seems this Admin is attempting a speed-run for a new record in both quantity and severity.
