Rant number 72
Today, the news had more sad news from Afghanistan. This time, its us the 'good guys' who have dropped the ball, and its at times like this that we need to look at why.
A U.S soldier on tour, walked calmly out of the army base, walked a mile - fully equipped with night vision goggles and full arsenal, walked into an unlocked house - put the family together, and shot each one - adult and child, in the head.
This kind of thing helps no-one, the bloodshed will be redoubled and every soldier will become a marked man. So why do it? I am sure we will never really know.
We can only speculate.
Here then is my theory.
I'd like to think that no-one I know is capable of this kind of act, regardless of any conditions they may have found themselves under - so why can a soldier do it so calmly?
Because, to make a man fight an enemy - you need to brain wash him first.
Its no secret that the army have to do this because, the average persons reaction to seeing another through the gun sights would always be to put down the gun. It takes a certain instinct to force you to do that, to shoot another man - and its bound to have side effects.
And this is why I feel this man crossed a line. He may have been suffering mentally, he may have been drunk - but the instinct to hate and kill these people must have been there to start with.
You can't look at life the same way when its your job to end it, potentially day after day. You have to have the part of you that stops these thoughts from becoming reality turned off - and that's why these kind of things happen. Just look at the previous ways that soldiers have tortured and raped and abused prisoners and civilians time after time.
While we need war, we need soldiers and there is probably no choice but to continue things in this way, and while this continues - these kind of breaks probably are going to happen.
I wish it wouldn't though - because it makes us just as bad as the terrorists, and that makes me sick.
Rant over.
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