[thechat] The rhetoric of war: compare and contrast
Judah McAuley
judah at wiredotter.com
Fri Mar 21 16:46:38 CST 2003
From: http://nielsenhayden.com/electrolite/archives/2003_03.html
Rhetoric of war. Compare and contrast. Excerpts from the address of
Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish,
March 19, 2003:
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will
be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.
If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden,
of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.
You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have
to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than
the Iraqis.
You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have
nothing.
Don’t treat them as refugees for they are in their own country.
Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the
light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up
and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.
Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves.
It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done
lightly.
I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I
can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.
If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in
international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family.
If you harm the regiment or its history by overenthusiasm in
killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer.
You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your
deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on
neither our uniform or our nation.”
Excerpt from the address of President George W. Bush to the United
States Congress, January 20, 2003:
All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested
in many countries, and many others have met a different fate. Let’s put
it this way: They are no longer a problem to the United States and our
friends and allies.
It's quite a sight when an officer about to lead men into combat sounds
like a statesman, while the President of the United States sounds like a
gangster.
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