Iraq

I think that the continued presence of the US in Iraq is leading to a general coarsening of attitudes regarding whats permissible by US forces stationed in a war zone. No one will say that its okay for our forces to kill and rob, because its not -- but when that does happen, I think the feeling is tending towards 'well, hell, this is a country where the kids carry lethal weapons, and blowing up your opponents is normal ; regular rules are off.' I don't think its that far a step from that attitude to saying that murder is, if not acceptable, understandable.

That's not civilized, but I'm beginning to wonder if 'civilized' behavior is a luxury that we cannot always afford. At the same time, I wonder: does it have to be a black or white question? Is there such a thing as situational ethic, where what would be intolerable here is condoned there? Is there a level that is civilized here, and a different one that is civilized there? If so, what does that make us? Some would say pragmatic; others, hypocritical. Can both be right?

This is the kind of thing that sometimes triggers the phrase 'national debate'. These questions need emotion and intelligence. We need to speak forcefully yet respectfully. We need to be adults, and we need to state what we want our country to be, what we want it to stand for, what we're willing to do to achieve that, what we're not. We're not currently capable of that level of discourse, so the discussion goes to the demagogues.

Good things to think about on a day dedicated to freedom.