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Old 01-16-2012, 01:27 PM   #73
spence
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim in CT View Post
Even those Marines ARE acting on a higher standard than our enemies, and here's why. If our enemies laid down their weapons, so would those Marines. If those Marines laid down their weapons, our enemies would kidnap and decapitate the Marines.

I commanded young Marines, and I was in no-sh*t combat once. I'm not saying I personally condone what they did, but I sure wouldn't bring charges against them either.

When you're in war, particularly against an enemy is barbaric as these Islamic extremists are, you simply cannot win without doing some things that you would never otherwise consider doing. And unfortunately, the reality is we need people who are willing to be super-aggressive when the situation calls for it.

I lost 2 kids under my command, and I've stood over the bodies of those who helped kill those kids. I can't say it occurred to me to urinate on them, but I sure know where that rage comes from.

But to me earlier point...there is zero moral equivalence between the acts of our enemies, and the act of urinating on the body of someone who was just trying to kill you.

I don't condone urinating on the bodies. But don't tell me that urinating on the body of a murderer makes you no better than the murderer. That's stupid.
Good post...

...although I'm not sure there are many, outside of the Taliban, who would argue moral parity in this specific instance. Seems to more be a case of "outrage about the outrage" as Lewis Black likes to say.

Perhaps the strongest condemnation I've heard interestingly enough has actually come from members of Congress that are veterans.

Generally though I think most people are pretty rational on subjects like this...

Except for this guy, I'd give him the douche of the century award.

Ethan Casey: Marines Urinating on Dead Taliban: How Low Will We Go?

-spence
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