Until We Too Have Walked in Soldiers' Shoes
If you haven't been following this debate, you haven't missed much. In short: The New Republic hired an active-duty U.S. soldier to share stories from the war zone. His name: Scott Thomas Beauchamp. One of his reports was praised on the left and the right. Later installments sent neo-cons into a frenzy and even made reasonable people like our own Patrick Edaburn question their veracity.
Today, TNR issued a statement on the situation.
Andrew Sullivan thought that statement was a worthy effort and apparently took it at face value.
In contrast, Hugh Hewitt is not letting the matter go.
I'm not sure what to think, except to sit here befuddled by the uproar. Is war an ugly thing? Yes. Does the exhaustion and stress of war play tricks on the mind? Yes. Are there abuses by otherwise good people during wars? Yes. Does the behavior of a few bad actors damn the entire military? Absolutely not.
We've known these things for a very long time. Furthermore, from what I can tell, Beauchamp's dispatches were what they were: One man's report, one man's perspective. There are many others and we should take them all in stride and perhaps be a little more reserved in our outrages until we too – center, left, and right – have walked in soldiers' shoes.
Today, TNR issued a statement on the situation.
Andrew Sullivan thought that statement was a worthy effort and apparently took it at face value.
In contrast, Hugh Hewitt is not letting the matter go.
I'm not sure what to think, except to sit here befuddled by the uproar. Is war an ugly thing? Yes. Does the exhaustion and stress of war play tricks on the mind? Yes. Are there abuses by otherwise good people during wars? Yes. Does the behavior of a few bad actors damn the entire military? Absolutely not.
We've known these things for a very long time. Furthermore, from what I can tell, Beauchamp's dispatches were what they were: One man's report, one man's perspective. There are many others and we should take them all in stride and perhaps be a little more reserved in our outrages until we too – center, left, and right – have walked in soldiers' shoes.
3 comments:
I thought I'd toss in my 2 cents.
I am pleased that NR has conducted an investigation and that the military is also doing so.
I still have some doubts with regard to the stories and whether the writer may have exaggerated things but my only desire was to make sure that the investigations took place, and they have.
I have no plans to write on it any more.
You most definitely should write on it again. Your prior post was not one of outrage, but of curiousity. And that much, my colleague, is quite good. My complaint is not with your approach, but with those of the semi-hysterical like Mr. Hewitt.
Well thanks Pete.
But I will let the investigations go on.
I do however think Hugh had a point in that with regard to the Bradley issue, they did not really address the issues raised
IE the fact that the vehicle has treads not tires and thus the scenario was impossible
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