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Old 05-11-2013, 09:51 AM
 
Location: Riverside
4,088 posts, read 4,379,286 times
Reputation: 3092

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest View Post
The same powers that have been doing it all along.
When Obama ordered the military to kill an american citizen by drone absent due process, no one in the chain of command dared question him because they were just following orders
When various governmental agencies rousted people out of their homes at gunpoint in Boston, they were just following orders
When the guardsmen mowed down the protesters at Kent State,they were just following orders

Soldiers, cops, agents, etc., do what their told, because in their lne of work critical thinking gets them disciplined.
You are wrong. "Only following orders" is not a valid defense, when those orders are illegal. The Nazi's were hanged at Nuremburg. Lt Calley went to prison. The Kent State Guardsmen were indicted by a grand jury, tried, and acquitted. What do you want to do, try them again?

Several prosecutions and convictions have arisen out of the Terror War. There are laws, and our soldiers and police officers are expected to obey them. Everyone is legally and morally responsiblle for every decision he or she makes. In my career, I received hundreds of hours of training in ethics and critical thinking. I used them every day on the job. Trying to decide on the "right" thing to do in each situation was often very difficult.

Freedom vs constraint, rights vs responsibilities. There are serious arguments to be made about the moral and ethical dimensions of policing and soldering in today's US.

Your over-simplified post doesn't help advance those arguments.
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Old 05-11-2013, 01:07 PM
 
Location: Portland, Oregon
46,001 posts, read 35,097,852 times
Reputation: 7875
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank DeForrest View Post
The same powers that have been doing it all along.
When Obama ordered the military to kill an american citizen by drone absent due process, no one in the chain of command dared question him because they were just following orders
When various governmental agencies rousted people out of their homes at gunpoint in Boston, they were just following orders
When the guardsmen mowed down the protesters at Kent State,they were just following orders

Soldiers, cops, agents, etc., do what their told, because in their lne of work critical thinking gets them disciplined.
So what you are saying, we need to cut the Department of Defense's budget? I wonder if the Republicans agree with you, you would think they would want to stop the President from using the military.

Do you find people in the military to be untrustworthy people?
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