Sunday, July 30, 2006

You Do Not Send Soldiers To Die For Their Country

It does not matter what country you are from.
If your country has a military, the answer is the same. Often, you here about giving your life for your country when soldiers are sent to war. On patriotic holidays, no matter what country you are from, we here about those who gave their lives for their country, freedom, communism, or whatever.
This is all wrong.
It is wrong to expect someone who has volunteered to be in the service of your country, to now expect to die. It is even more wrong to tell someone who had no choice about joining the military (drafted) that they are there to die for their country.
Yes, I know there the potential that they will die. They are being sent into harm's way.
You do not send soldiers into the field to die.
This is a common mistake all too many polititians make. This is how to lose a war or cause.
You send soldiers to make the enemy die for thier country or cause.
Not for your soldiers to die for yours. Not just to be in the way in case trouble breaks out between other factions. Not as a police force. They are there to kill the enemy, not be killed.
If killing the enemy is not wanted, then it is wrong to send troops into any situation. They are not there to die. General Patton was very right on this point, too often his remarks are not really taken for the real wisdom they were.