Roger Shermon, the famous Civil War general, once remarked "war is hell." This was slammed into me today by the news story today. It's a collision of Journalism, civilian deaths, and difficult decisions. A word of caution, it's a graphic set of videos.
Here is the story as Al Jazeera told it:
CNN had a different take on this story told here. Thankfully, it add balance to this situation. On a side note, it's interesting to see how they each presented a different set of facts to paint the situation how they wanted you to see it.
I really don't have much analysis about this situation, except that war is much, much more complicated than what I used to think was. I knew it was complicated before, but it is something about actually seeing it that brings it all into focus.
I would love to hear your comments on this situation. Please comment below.
This really puts the war into perspective. You can see how any participation can change people's lives. As a soldier, it is probably best to detach yourself from the fact that you are actually taking lives, especially if you are required to follow orders. That probably explains the callous tone of these helicopter pilots.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, you can see the organization and restraint the U.S. Military exercises in a combat situation. The pilots had to await confirmation to shoot at any target. Call it brutality or an educated attack, the face of war is far more than we know.