as fans of the wire, brad and i figured we would watch generation kill which is produced by the same guy (whose name, of course, eludes me). we are on the third episode and are not sure how we feel about it. it is intense.
what is intriguing me the most is some of the largely universal ethical questions that it engages. episode three main question for me: to what extent are we personally responsible for corporate actions?
in the military, there is a clear chain of command. responsibility is often passed upward until the powerful can stop that process. in some ways, i think this process of authority requires more moral agency than when acting alone. when working within complex systems of authority, the individual must have a clear grasp on what their responsibility is within the system, and be continually vigilant for injustice, so that said individual can act to stop injustice when necessary. when acting alone, we only have to worry about ourselves. when acting within system, we must be aware of what is going on around us, what others are doing, how we interact with them, and the extent to which we are powerful.
one of the sergeant's (i think that was his rank in the show) gave an order for a man in his humvee to shoot. he was acting on orders from above that said all iraqis were considered hostile, and therefore targets. at the time, this sergeant had no idea who he was ordering fire upon. later the unit discovers a young boy injured (probably fatally) in the attack. the sergeant took responsibility. was it his fault? was it the fault of the one who pulled the trigger? was it the fault of the higher ups, who declared who was hostile or who put them in that country int he first place? every character on the show seemed to have a different perspective on the question of fault.
the sergeant in question had been the most vigilant about gathering intel, protecting civilians, making correct observations, throughout the first three episodes. he is painted as the intellectual with the cool head. and he is at fault.
i know this is a "fake" situation. the details may not be real, but the question, the dilemma certainly is. how do we reconcile all of this?
i do know that God weeps.
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I'm looking forward to watching this with you (that is, if you still want to watch it!).
I remember the scene you describe from the book. I think the platoon commander said something like, "The rules of engagement have failed you," which I think rings true in this case. It seems that war often puts the people on the ground in impossible dilemmas where there is no right answer. I guess that's one reason why war can be so psychologically damaging to the soldiers.
Also- there is another book written by a member of this platoon, One Bullet Away by Nate Fick. Fick really wrestles thoughtfully with the sorts of ethical questions you mention.
most fabulous otter... thanks for the book recommendation. i will try to get to it if not before, after this semester. it can be so frustrating when the systems that we put trust in --whether rules of engagement or the church--fail us in the way.
i think you are right... sometimes there is no right answer... and war does that.
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