Marine colonel quits after 24 years citing concern for future of US under Trump
Marine colonel quits after 24 years citing concern for future of US under Trump
www.theguardian.com
Marine colonel quits after 24 years citing concern for future of US under Trump
He quietly urged other military personnel to reflect on their own positions. “They should be confident in questioning possibly immoral or illegal orders,” he said, “remembering they are responsible for their own actions, and knowing others are asking the same questions.”
“If they have doubts about their orders, they are not alone,”
All these comments are telling him to stay and fight, but they’re ignoring that could be devastating to his family.
He’s over the 20 year mark and can retire. If he stays and gets a dishonorable discharge, his family gets none of his retirement, no medical, and a family member with financial mobility akin to a felon.
What would you do in that situation?
I don’t think I’d be willing to put my family through that. We don’t have enough in the bank to take a blow like that. I’d probably do what he did. Try to fight another way.
He's read SunTzu. He knows a good strategy sometimes is to be safe.
I hope he can move with his family out of range of the re-activation order.
Bullies and fascists do not stop unless they are forced to stop. If every american capitulates like this, then we are lost.
This is what it means to fight for country and freedom. It's not just words in a country music song. Standing up for your beliefs sometimes means real risk and sacrifice.
If the armed forces want to be recognized for their service and sacrifice, this is how its done.
It's not that Americans can't and will not fight, it's that half the population is illiterate. How do you fight 175 million neighbors?
one of the first thing fascists do is getting rid of the people that are more likely to oppose them, which is usually top military generals, and Intellectuals; scientists, teachers,,,etc. thats why scientists are usually to flee the country long before the conflict gets worst.
Death and imprisonment, and collective punishment of wife and child. Are not a ask a sane person asks of any man unless the alternative is death.
People are having their entire livelihoods destroyed for mocking ICE or not rending their shirt with sufficient passion over the death of a nazi. People are risking everything you listed every time they go to a protest and wonder if THIS will be the day that the cops swarm through.
Everyone needs to decide what risks they will and won't take. But I am not going to say "Come on now. He figured he would be fine either way and didn't want to risk any repercussions. Cut him some slack".
Could be even worse, look at what happened to Stauffenberg's family.
Arguable whether he signed up for that.
Fight and die in defence of a NATO ally? Yes. Same as the aggressor, if the elected government decides so, such as in Iraq? Also yes.
Risk having his wife, children, grandchildren taken away and put in Sippenhaft (collective punishment) or put in a reeducation orphanage? Not sure there is a moral obligation to that. Safety for his family was one of the things he got out of all this.
His risks for resisting beyond what he already did are higher than they would be for the average citizen. On the other hand, he also could do more than the average citizen.
A tough call, and I would not judge.
plus trump and the gop can SIC thier supporters on the people opposing him. stalking, death threats,,,etc.