"Well, Peter, this is what comes of empire-building"

Thus spoke Lt. Harry 'Breaker' Morant as he walked out into the Transvaal dawn to meet his judgment. The 1980 Australian movie, Breaker Morant, is tale of how the ordinary solider will suffer a punishment for crimes of their superior officers. Morant operating under Rule 303 which had been issued Lord Horatio Kitchener, Field General and Chief of Staff to Lord Frederick Roberts. Rule 303 established a “take no prisoners” rule of engagement. When Morant operating as a guerrilla unit relied upon that Rule or order and executed two Boer prisoners, he and two other junior officers were convicted for atrocities. Morant and Lt. Peter Handcock were executed not only for the crime they committed, but also to deflect responsibility for the crimes of their superior officers; for it was their superior officers who encouraged, condoned and ordered that no prisoners be taken.

All of that took place at the turn of the last century. Today we find that little has changed. From Abu Ghraib to the latest incident in Haditha the ordinary solider is being scapegoated for a policy that was set by their superior officers. This does not diminish any guilt of each solider who participated in these events. You are not required to follow illegal orders that lead to war crimes. However, it is very hard for a teenager to make a stand against the entire chain of command starting with the Secretary of Defense.

Once again we see men in high positions dictating policies that end with punishment for those they are leading.

"Well, Joe, this is what comes of empire-building"

In any war.

It's like in Dances with Wolves, when Kevin Costner fights with the Indians, against another tribe, for buffalo, for the other members of the tribe, for water. He says something to the effect that that fighting felt real, and necessary. It wasn't about ideas, it wasn't for some powers-that-be.

However, I would say it's still inherently stupid to fight over anything. Why engage in a form of dispute resolution that will leave many, many people bereaved and broken? Surely it would be better to compromise, always, and lose some face and some of your perceived rights (land or resources, usually) than to lose PEOPLE. Than to lose your FAMILY.

:banghead:

I just don't understand why people would think this is an effective means of dispute resolution. I also don't understand the historical phenomenon of young men being very gung-ho and WANTING to go to war, and viewing it as glorious, and as an adventure. Grow up, already, and get a clue! It's WAR. You KILL people. You MAIM people. Neither glorious nor fun, IMHO. What is WRONG with people?!

sharing seems hard to teach and retain.

RUN! do not walk to your video store, people, and rent this movie.

I can't stop thinking of it either.

Great minds think alike, eh? :hi:


Scapegoats of the Empire: From Breaker Morant to Haditha

Atrocities occur during times of war. This is not new, nor is it often reported as news. When it does come to the attention of a nation, it most often leads to a cry for justice. However, history has shown that the leaders responsible for sending military personnel to fight indistinguishable enemies in far-away lands under nebulous orders of conduct most often escape responsibility. This is an unfortunate reality and one that will probably play out in the Haditha tragedy.

"Shoot straight, you bastards! Don't make a mess of it!"
These were the famous last words of Harry 'Breaker' Harbord Morant (1864- 27 February 1902) just prior to his execution.

During his service in the Second Boer War, Morant ordered the summary execution of several Afrikaner and African prisoners, which led to his controversial court-martial and execution for murder by the British Army; his death warrant was personally signed by the British commander in South Africa, Lord Kitchener.

Scapegoats of the Empire is the title of a book by an Australian Second Boer War soldier Lieutenant George Witton. Originally published in 1907, it is the only surviving eyewitness account of the events of the famous Breaker Morant case, in which members of a British irregular unit, the Bushveldt Carbineers were arrested and court-martialed by the British Army for allegedly murdering Boer prisoners of war. Three Australian soldiers, Harry 'Breaker' Morant, Peter Handcock and Witton himself were sentenced to death; Morant and Handcock were subsequently shot by firing squad but Witton's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and he was later pardoned.
Witton's main assertion, as indicated by the book's provocative title, is that he, Morant and Handcock were scapegoated by the British authorities in South Africa—that they were made to take the blame for widespread British war crimes against the Boers, and that the trial and executions were carried out by the British for political reasons, partly to cover up a controversial and secret "no prisoners" policy promulgated by Lord Kitchener, and partly to appease the Boer government over the killing of Boer prisoners, in order to facilitate a peace treaty.

Today we are facing the Haditha atrocity in which several Marines are alleged to have gone on a killing spree in the insurgent-dominated town on Nov. 19, 2005, after one Marine died from an improvised explosive device.

The Marines at Haditha, if found guilty of committing the atrocity, can expect to receive severe punishment, which under military statutes could include their own executions.

Yet, just like in the Boer War with Breaker Morant, the leadership, which placed these soldiers on this disastrous course, remains immune from any meaningful accountability.

It would be a nice change to see the angry calls for justice directed not solely at a bunch of plankton-level marines but, instead, at the leadership that engineered this disaster.

Unfortunately, history will probably repeat itself.


Sources for Breaker Morant info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaker_Morant


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1329255

The Morant incident has been looping through my consciousness for a couple days now. The common man pays for the evil purposes of the powerful.

While the real power figures who created this mess escape justice.

"However, it is very hard for a teenager to make a stand against the entire chain of command starting with the Secretary of Defense."

stanley milgram fairly conclusively proved that resisting authority is perhaps the greatest taboo of human beings.

dissent will not be tolerated by the dominating group. one's survival is perhaps evolutionarily dependent on group cohesiveness. going along to get along may very well be wired in.

Must've been disabled somewhere during my in utero. :shrug: