Broken
Quietly, privately, my heart is broken."Doctors Without Borders closes Afghan hospital, says U.S. may have committed war crime." LATimes, Sunday, October 4, 2015.
Somewhat, somehow, actually, factually, in reality, like the archaic notion of heresy, the reality of war crime evaporated with the end of WW2 and trials, sentences and executions of vanquished German and Japanese. It is not possible for the winner to commit war crime. Realistically, politically, impossible. A war crime is an outrage the loser is charged with and hanged for. Nor can an extant superpower commit a war crime, be charged, brought to trial, found guilty and executed. Otherwise, My Lai, and the Iraqi War that began with Shock and Awe in March 2003. History may find otherwise, but only in retrospect long and far hence.
But given precautions and competence, and reports to date, not the tragic accidental bombing of the hospital in Kunduz, as anyone will realize who can visualize the risks of combat air control in such an environment. Given integrity, investigations will clarify: horrific accident, miscalculation, incompetence, but not deliberate, a war crime, notwithstanding understandable outrage of survivors on the ground. Children are dead. Heartless as the term "collateral damage" is, nothing to do but weep. Nothing to do but weep?
From a wise commentator, “The bottom line is that this is a political problem without a military solution.” Russia found this out and withdrew years ago. In due course, we also may wisen and leave those folks to their own incompetence, self-hatreds and cruelties without our blood. In due course, or hopefully, surely, at least in Time.
Perhaps in another few thousand years, mankind will have become less barbaric, more civilized and civil. Perhaps, but not probably. Meantime, prayers for peace will not stir Heaven to create peace on earth. If prayer for peace is efficacious it will only be to any extent it stirs those who pray.
Somewhat, somehow, actually, factually, in reality, like the archaic notion of heresy, the reality of war crime evaporated with the end of WW2 and trials, sentences and executions of vanquished German and Japanese. It is not possible for the winner to commit war crime. Realistically, politically, impossible. A war crime is an outrage the loser is charged with and hanged for. Nor can an extant superpower commit a war crime, be charged, brought to trial, found guilty and executed. Otherwise, My Lai, and the Iraqi War that began with Shock and Awe in March 2003. History may find otherwise, but only in retrospect long and far hence.
But given precautions and competence, and reports to date, not the tragic accidental bombing of the hospital in Kunduz, as anyone will realize who can visualize the risks of combat air control in such an environment. Given integrity, investigations will clarify: horrific accident, miscalculation, incompetence, but not deliberate, a war crime, notwithstanding understandable outrage of survivors on the ground. Children are dead. Heartless as the term "collateral damage" is, nothing to do but weep. Nothing to do but weep?
From a wise commentator, “The bottom line is that this is a political problem without a military solution.” Russia found this out and withdrew years ago. In due course, we also may wisen and leave those folks to their own incompetence, self-hatreds and cruelties without our blood. In due course, or hopefully, surely, at least in Time.
Perhaps in another few thousand years, mankind will have become less barbaric, more civilized and civil. Perhaps, but not probably. Meantime, prayers for peace will not stir Heaven to create peace on earth. If prayer for peace is efficacious it will only be to any extent it stirs those who pray.