This is coolbert: Some comments on a contemporary issue. The degrading and
humiliating behavior forced upon Iraqi prisoners at the U.S. run prison in
Iraq. You have already heard of it. Nakedness in humiliating positions,
glow stick forced up the butt, etc. And the idiots in control had pictures
taken with themselves in the pictures!

What is of particular interest to me is the response of the sergeant in
charge of the facility, his comments, and what was the response to the
charges by this "leader".

Well, did the individual, this sergeant, respond to the charges by denying
them or just remaining mum? NO!. What did he say? Well, his response was to
say, "I had only seven people to guard nine hundred [prisoners]. I asked for resources and did not get them. I was in over my head. I was told to do this." This is the type of response you would expect from a small child caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar!

[The Brigadier General in charge of the Military Police in Iraq also was quoted as saying that, 'don't expect me to be held responsible for something that happened at the squad level." Guess what? You will be.]

Now, is this sergeant alone in this type of response? Well, of course not!
This reminds me of the incident a few years ago now with the at the time
U.S. Senator Kerry of Nebraska [now President of New York University, a
member of the 9/11 commission, and at one time touted as a possible
candidate for President].

It seems that Kerry, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for action in
Vietnam, was accused by a former SEAL team member of possible war crimes.
Kerry, after hearing the accusations, gave a long hard thought to the
charges prior to responding. Responding to I believe Dan Rather in an
interview, Kerry recounted what occurred to his knowledge in the action for
which the team member had accused him of war time atrocities. And during
the discussion, Kerry said, "we found these five civilians, tied them up and
gagged them, and then killed them [perhaps by slitting their throats]." At
this point, Dan Rather then interjected, "you were really brutal." At which
point, Kerry responded, "well, the VC were a thousand times more brutal than
we were." Well, once again, this is the sort of reply that you would expect
from a small child. "Yes, I did it, but look at what the others are doing."
Not a good answer. But that is the best this distinguished man could do.
Seemingly so.

Now, in one of his books about Oriental mythology, Joseph Campbell recounts
a different approach to responsibility as done in another culture, the
culture of Japan.

It seems that in the 1860's, in Japan, during the reign of the Meiji
Emperor, an incident occurred where protesting foreigners residing in Japan
were fired upon by Japanese troops. Some of the protestors were killed, as
you might expect. The Meiji Emperor ordered the person responsible to be
executed, and for the responsible part to be executed by his own hand??!!
The responsible party, a Japanese army officer, did commit hari-kiri, with
great ceremony, before representatives of the Emperor and representatives
of the foreign residents in Japan [a Mitford from the famous British family
was present]. Prior to the ceremonial hari-kiri [and subsequent
beheading], the officer made a statement that went somewhat like this, "I,
and I alone, was responsible for the firing on the foreigners, and again for
the firing on the foreigners as they tried to flee. For this crime I atone
with my life". Whereupon the officer disemboweled himself and then was
beheaded by his "second", a close friend especially chosen for his expertise
with the sword. Thus is how another society handles responsibility for
"incidents" and "atrocities".

coolbert.