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Why Our Commanders Look The Other Way During Child Rape
The Federalist ^ | September 28, 2015 | Kurt Schlichter

Posted on 09/29/2015 11:06:24 PM PDT by Vision Thing

The revelation that our generals expect Americans solders to allow screaming young boys to be sodomized and not stop it is simply the latest manifestation of the utter moral bankruptcy infecting the senior ranks of the U.S. military.

The problems with America’s military—which has now failed to win three wars in a row against backward fanatics whom the nineteenth-century Brits would have handily dispatched to hell in time for tea—are not merely budgetary. You can’t buy real leaders, leaders with strategic competence and moral courage. Aging equipment, while a problem, is nothing compared to the incompetence and moral cowardice of our military’s senior leaders.

Note the term “moral cowardice.” Many of these generals are decorated combat veterans who would gleefully charge an enemy machine-gun nest. But that physical courage in the face of the enemy does not translate into moral courage in the face of politicians and social justice warriors. It’s disheartening to see officers with Combat Infantryman badges and silver stars sheepishly nodding along with the lies of the coddled liberal elite.

There are fine generals—I served under many. But enough are not that the ranks are demoralized and the best and brightest future leaders are abandoning military careers, not because they don’t want to serve, but because they know it will be difficult to succeed unless they likewise abandon the principles that propelled them toward service in the first place.

You Can’t Just Blame Obama

It would be too easy to blame Barack Obama. As commander in chief, he is responsible for everything those under his command do or fail to do, and his political agendas and bizarre social engineering priorities, enacted by the eager band of loyalists he has promoted into the senior ranks over more capable warriors, have little to do with fighting and winning. Without a media interested in holding him to account for the dreadful performance of the military since his inauguration, Obama has a free ride.

It is not too much to expect our generals to care about winning wars and protecting their soldiers more than about getting that additional star.

Yet focusing on the feckless community organizer in the Oval Office just serves to let the generals off the hook. Obama cares nothing for the military, and no one expects him to. But it is not too much to expect our generals to care about their organizations, to care about winning wars and protecting their soldiers more than about getting that additional star.

The military certainly had a tough problem in Afghanistan. Within the military, the fact that many of our putative allies delight in raping kids was an open secret. On one hand, you can’t always expect your allies in Third World knifefights to be Eagle Scouts. On the other hand, we are talking about raping kids.

Choosing the Most Horrific Option

Without a doubt, the commander in Afghanistan could evaluate the situation, determine that we are not going to tolerate the rape of children, and instruct our troops to fire two warning shots into the sternum of anyone found doing so. In fact, in the spirit of decentralization that is the mark of a winning military, the commander could further emphasize that he is not putting a ceiling on the number of shots that could be fired—if the soldier on the ground thinks he needs to fire more rounds into the sternum of the pederast, that’s just good combat leader initiative. Soldiers have to decide whether to do what is right or do what their generals telegraph they want done but won’t say because they don’t want to be held accountable for it.

Sure, this may temporarily make some of our allies less willing to support us, but it is the morally right thing to do and, in the long run, it would send a powerful message that locals need to start appreciating the cultural norms of the people who traveled halfway around the world to save their sorry excuse for a country.

Alternatively, the American commander in Afghanistan could decide that our need for allies outweighs the need to prevent child rape, and clearly announce that our forces will do nothing to stop it when they see it. Sometimes, you need to accept the cultural mores of useful local forces, as deplorable as they are, and as soldiers you are expected to be disciplined enough to do so. Of course, that would raise certain uncomfortable questions back home, such as, “Mr. President, why the hell are your generals telling our troops to look the other way when they see a man anally raping a little boy?”

So, faced with these two options, the craven generals selected the worst possible option, and failed to give clear guidance one way or the other. Instead of taking on the responsibility that comes with the job, they punted. They chose not to give clear orders—“See it and stop it” or “See it but do nothing”—putting the risk they should bear as commanders onto their subordinates. Now, soldiers have to decide whether to do what is right or do what their generals telegraph they want done but won’t say because they don’t want to be held accountable for it.

If you think the general is going to say, ‘Oh, the captain as just following my order to allow child rapes,’ you are delusional.

This comes in the form of squishy guidance like, “If you see it, report it.” Apparently, a captain who comes across a kid being raped on some forward operating base is to do an about-face, stroll back to the main command post, call up to his battalion, which calls up to the brigade, which calls up to the division, and so on until it gets to the top, at which point the Afghan government gets told that out there in the wild one of their guys is raping kids. Presumably the pederast has finished the act by the time whatever consequences (if any) follow.

So, if the captain acts according to Army values and puts a stop to the child rape, he’s wrong. If he does nothing, and later some congressman or reporter asks the general why his troops aren’t stopping child rapes, the captain is going to be wrong again. If you think the general is going to say, “Oh, the captain as just following my order to allow child rapes occurring in front of him to continue,” you are delusional.

Symptom of a Greater Moral Crisis

This is merely a symptom, though, of the greater moral crisis inside the military. It now appears that CENTCOM, the command responsible for losing the phony war against ISIS, was cooking the intelligence books to support the Obama administration’s policies. It’s hard to imagine General James Mattis tolerating that nonsense. As a warrior with integrity, he had no place in the current leadership and was fired as CENTCOM commander, apparently for gross competence. Fighting with old, worn equipment is a challenge, but that can be overcome. The lack of competent, morally courageous senior leaders can’t be.

Then there is the Ranger School fiasco, where the generals are assuring everyone who will listen that the two women who passed the grueling course did so just like any male candidate. We’d love to believe that—it would be an awesome achievement. But, according to some close to the process, that was a lie, and the process was fixed from the beginning to obtain the politically useful result. The Navy secretary did not raise confidence that truth takes precedence over political expediency when he dismissed out of hand the lengthy, deliberate Marine Corp study on women in infantry units as purely the result of sexism.

Then there are the personal lapses. General David Petraeus slept with a subordinate and treated classified material cavalierly; not being a senior Democrat ally of President Obama, he was actually charged with a crime. Another general at the 82nd Airborne was court martialed for using his staff as a harem. In the least shocking development ever, neither general joined lower-ranking soldiers guilty of equivalent or lesser offenses in prison.

We have the greatest troops in the world, probably in all of human history. Fighting with old, worn equipment is a challenge, but that can be overcome. The lack of competent, morally courageous senior leaders can’t be.

Obama bears some of the blame because he could fix this with a few select firings and unequivocal guidance that values come first. But no one expects that of him, and there is no excuse why the generals have not done it themselves. They could demand competence. They could demand moral courage. They could resign rather than play along with misguided politics. But they have chosen their stars and positions and perks instead. It’s a disgrace, and our troops and little Afghan kids are paying the price.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; army; homosexualagenda; military; navy; schlichter
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To: Vision Thing

In the minds of liberals, quaint local customs must always be respected. In some cases, we will be scolded that such customs should serve as an example of how Christianity has inhibited western society. We must learn to be more open minded. Who are we to judge other societies?


41 posted on 09/30/2015 4:52:57 AM PDT by theBuckwheat
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To: Elsie

You are right “if” they grow up..


42 posted on 09/30/2015 5:01:56 AM PDT by just me (GOD BLESS AMERICA Amen)
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To: napscoordinator

I dunno...We feel threatened by a lack of truth while they felt outrage because of the truth.


43 posted on 09/30/2015 5:14:29 AM PDT by equaviator (There's nothing like the universe to bring you down to earth.)
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To: Bullish

We are the citizens of the USA, ans WE are in this together. I did not vote for National Democratic Socialism, but it has infected the US. Everyone who did not have the balls to talk about this with anyone is to blame.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that failure to speak out against evil is evil. The USA has as more blood on its hands than the Weimar Republic because we did not protect the unborn.

German Christians just sang their hymns louder to drown out the noise of the trains going by, and USGIs had to force the elderly Germans to bury the dead at gunpoint over the putrid stench.

WE all need to take a long hard look at ourselves right now and decide if WE are going to be Dietrich Bonhoeffers or Martin Niemollers.

We are all pretty much just a person with keyboards in front of us, but I think it’s time we made more noise at our respective churches than just singing happy songs.


44 posted on 09/30/2015 5:19:04 AM PDT by MikeSteelBe (Treason is as treason does, demons is as demUNs does.)
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To: Vision Thing

When people are expected to hold political aims ABOVE reason THIS is what happens. They are forced to compartmentalize their minds and ANYTHING then becomes possible. The unit is the sum of the individual. When lies are mouthed and saluted Evil is done. WHAT “they” expect you to tolerate goes up because, well, they KNOW you are on board...you have, after all, sold your Honor for your pay.


45 posted on 09/30/2015 5:21:05 AM PDT by TalBlack (Evil doesn't have a day job...)
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To: theBuckwheat

These are the same people who wish to ban our “quaint local customs” of tag, dodge ball,and other childhood games because of the harm they do to fragile psyches. It makes you wonder if they have either come down with a terminal case of xenophilia, or they just don’t like their parent civilization.


46 posted on 09/30/2015 5:21:26 AM PDT by jmcenanly ("The more corrupt the state, the more laws." Tacitus, Publius Cornelius)
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To: Vision Thing

My ex was abused by his mom. He said he always, always cried that SOMEONE, ANYONE, help him. Not even God helped him.

Hey, Petraeus, why weren’t the helpless children protected in your rules of engagement when “winning the hearts and minds” of civilians WAS THE CORNERSTONE OF YOUR COIN AGENDA.

A simple rule, NO child rape or you are out. Do you know how many people would have supported what is right, especially the boys who are now men and fighting alongside our boots? Do you know how many women would have given intelligence?

Oh, that’s right, you don’t always use your mind when making decisions.


47 posted on 09/30/2015 5:38:22 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: Vision Thing

Just another manifestation of multiculturalism and political correctness. “Who are we to criticize another culture as that culture is as valid as our own” and similar claptrap. Sodomizing young boys may be culturally acceptable in the Islamic cesspool that is Afghanistan, but is still immoral in any civilized society.


48 posted on 09/30/2015 5:45:23 AM PDT by The Great RJ (“Socialists are happy until they run out of other people's money.” Margaret Thatcher)
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To: Elsie


"for most of us are mere bystanders.

This is precisely the BIGGEST part of the problem.


49 posted on 09/30/2015 5:49:51 AM PDT by John 3_19-21 ("Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God." Thomas Jefferson)
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To: Hulka

Gulf 2 was a win until we started nation building and Barry took over and raised the white flag.


50 posted on 09/30/2015 7:50:25 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: just me

Or become angry suicide bombers.


51 posted on 09/30/2015 7:50:56 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: Vision Thing

It’s best not to look too closely at your allies. Once you’ve made friends that are a convenience based on a mutual enemy you know you’re not hanging with the best people, just do the job. There’s really nothing new about this. This has been known in political and military circles for centuries, long before there was an America there was turning a blind eye to “unfortunate” behavior by allies. Heck, we did some of that to become America. It’s life in war.


52 posted on 09/30/2015 7:55:34 AM PDT by discostu (dream big and dance a lot)
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To: Vision Thing
Without a doubt, the commander in Afghanistan could evaluate the situation, determine that we are not going to tolerate the rape of children, and instruct our troops to fire two warning shots into the sternum of anyone found doing so. In fact, in the spirit of decentralization that is the mark of a winning military, the commander could further emphasize that he is not putting a ceiling on the number of shots that could be fired—if the soldier on the ground thinks he needs to fire more rounds into the sternum of the pederast, that’s just good combat leader initiative. Soldiers have to decide whether to do what is right or do what their generals telegraph they want done but won’t say because they don’t want to be held accountable for it.

Exactly.

The writer really spells it out in clear and plain english.

I really like the thought of firing two warning shots into the sternum for anyone found raping children.

BTW, this whole issue of the prevalence of child rape in muslim societies is exactly why leftists aren't willing to say anything about the evils of islam. Faggotry is apparently a lefist sacrement, so they'll forgive the odd beheading in order that it continue.

53 posted on 09/30/2015 10:10:37 AM PDT by zeugma (Zaphod Beeblebrox for president! Or Cruz if Zaphod is unavailable.)
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To: John 3_19-21

Back up to verse 18...


54 posted on 09/30/2015 11:13:10 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie

Amen


55 posted on 09/30/2015 6:05:56 PM PDT by John 3_19-21 ("Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God." Thomas Jefferson)
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