Friday, January 12, 2007

Terribly Misguided

More crazy protesters courtesy of zombietime. This time via Little Green Footballs: Anti-War Antisemitic Moonbats Take to the Streets



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On the face of it, this poster seems represent a legitimate criticism of President Bush sitting in the Oval Office ordering American troops into Baghdad to fight insurgents and terrorists. If he's so eager to defeat them, let him do some of the fighting.

However, if you think about it...

The sign seems to blur the line between a civilian leader and a member of the military. Civilian control of the military is a critical component of any liberal democracy (which includes our form of government):



A state's effective monopoly of force is an issue of great concern for all national leaders, who must rely on the military to supply this aspect of their authority. The danger of granting military leaders full autonomy or sovereignty is that they may ignore or supplant the democratic decision-making process, and use physical force, or the threat of physical force, to achieve their preferred outcomes; in the worse cases, this may lead to a coup or military dictatorship. A related danger is the use of the military to crush domestic political opposition through intimidation or sheer physical force, interfering with the ability to have free and fair elections, a key part of the democratic process.

Even beyond the high-minded doctrinal discussion, there's a much more practical one that speaks to the issue of moral equivalence and legitimacy. I don't want to get too far into that because it's a tad off topic but, when's the last time you saw the US Military conducting a parade carrying a poster of Bush? Or, any current or former president, civilian leader, or general? Now, for example, how about the Iranian military? Or, Hezbollah?

This is not an insignificant point.

Another possibility is that the protester is merely so opposed to the policy that he wants to force President Bush to personally implement it in place of others. Afterall, we know that at least some, particularly Democrats, favor a draft. Forcing political prisoners opponents to engage in warfare on behalf of the state is not new. Especially on the left. You should read up on the history of penal military units that drew many of their ranks from the pool of gulag inmates. You should note, in particular:


While these camps housed criminals of all types, the Gulag system has become primarily known as a place for political prisoners and as a mechanism for repressing political opposition to the Soviet state.

So, to me, that sign and the sentiment behind it, represents something to be actively resisted. It is far from democratic in thinking. Especially so when compared to today's civilian led all-volunteer force.

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