Soldiers - Redux

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by Adam, Feb 28, 2003.

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  1. Adam §Þ@ç€ MØnk€¥ Registered Senior Member

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    Tiassa's concept of the soldier:
    John Stewart Mill's concept of the soldier:
    As for me, I suggest that a true soldier (as opposed to a civilian thug with a gun such as we saw in Rwanda) is one who places more value on the lives of his or her fellow citizens than he/she does on his/her own. A soldier volunteers to stand between the thugs and the ones who would be their innocent victims.

    Yes, I have an idealised vision of what it means to be a soldier. However, as in most real-world applications of principles, the ideal is corrupted. Throughout history, armies have been filled with thugs here and there, driven by immoral politicians and merchants, and involved in atrocious acts of barbarism. The politicians and uniformed goons who organised, authorised, and performed the nuclear weapon attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I don't call them soldiers.

    In an ideal world, a soldier is part of a society's defensive mechanism. Plato envisioned soldiers as guardians, as do I. But soldiers are driven by civilians, by politicians and merchants, and so are not what - in my opinion - they should be.

    In response to Tiassa, I say a true soldier does care for the cause, and that cause is the protection of innocents. However, unfortunately, either the world does not allow many the luxury of living by their ideals, or most are too weak to do so in the world they are given.

    Particularly for those of you who have served or are serving now, what is your concept of the soldier?

    NOTES:

    1) Please stay on topic.

    2) I am interested in your concept of the soldier, not in your ideas regarding military governments.

    3) Please do not infer that sub-Saharan Africans are "monkeys", as was done in the previous version of this thread.
     
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  3. Xev Registered Senior Member

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    Adam, overriding a closed thread is enough.

    I inferred no such thing. You, however, used a rather common and vile insult. Then you override my edit. Then you override my close - which, incidentally, is re-opened on another poster's recommendation.
     
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