Following Unethical Military Orders - Essay Example

Following Unethical Military Orders Introduction Ethical considerations as a mode of conduct cannot be ignored in any institution in the society. This is attributed to the fact that through them it is expected that the employees and the employers will know how to relate through them. It limits the mode of interaction with reference to an individual’s gender, religion or cultural background. The swearing that is undertaken by individuals in the military is one that makes them have no option but to adhere to the ethical considerations that have been stated at the workplace. They have to defend both the constitution and the members of the government especially their security. In most cases the military discipline and effectiveness is based on the fact that they have to obey the orders that are given to them. The emphasis on military ethics can be seen with the recruits who are taught how to obey without question especially if the orders are from their superiors. There are serious consequences for members who do not adhere to the orders stated. In the military it is considered a crime not to obey the orders stated (Dream, 2011). Consider for instance the ethics of killing criminals which in most cases has been criticized by the public. This is because, they table their argument that it can never being right to use deadly forces to enhance law and order against people intentionally. It cannot be ignored that killing is always wrong since it is the responsibility of God to give and take life and not human beings. It is a sign of violating human dignity since statistics show that even the innocent people end up being victims. Military officers do not have a right to retaliate over their enemies. However, members of the military argue that killing in some cases is justified, especially as a form of defense. Power, security and economy are the great determinants of the international relations that exist among different countries. This is an implication that countries that have not fully stabilized their military institutions are likely to feel unsafe and this makes them want to establish the best economic relations with those that have a military stability (Mobley, 2009). The policy of cooperation is best underpinned by the realism theory that fosters national interest and security over ideological differences. The military ethical orders are an evolving inquiry. This means that experts are always looking and studying the past for purpose of understanding the future. In most countries, ethical policies in the military are considered to be those that are about the choices and goals which appear to be outward looking and those that are mad of an aggression to both opportunities and challenges. Most of the ethical considerations in the army are influenced by the domestic considerations and also by the past experiences. This is an indication that the actions undertaken by the military officers are not made in the vacuum. Containment as thought of could actually require a much larger military presence than the normal number (Fieser & Pojma, 2009). This is an illustration that most of the relationships that appear among different countries have hidden interests behind them and this has been indicated especially in countries that could be of economic or military benefit to the developed countries. It is the economic hidden interests that make the citizens to consider the services offered by the military as those that are unethical. The foreign policies that are made by the government are implemented by the military for the greater benefit of the government officials. However for the case of Iran, this foreign policy must be seen to support the spirit of true diplomatic engagement with Iran as this remains the most feasible and tenable solutions to solving Iran nuclear technology which appears to be of threat to many militaries. It will also provide an opportunity for both states to understand each other and share information (Fieser & Pojma, 2009). It has also emerged that the intention of most political leaders in different countries is to dictate the activities of the military and this in itself is unethical as the military will end up serving the interests of the government officials and not the citizens. This was attributed to the fact that there were several grievances that were facing individuals from the marginalized areas and it was their wish that they would get a representative who would be able to improve their situation. This also explains why several systems were being set up in order to be able to handle the issues affecting all individuals in the country. This in most cases is unethical since deontologists argue that an action will only be considered to be right if it is in accordance with the moral principles of the institution and those of the society. The members of the military have to therefore be aware of the ethical dilemma that could be as a result of their roles in the military. It would therefore be advocated that special roles be set up in order to avoid conflict of interest where they find themselves lacking a clear protocol to follow. The quest for moral knowledge cannot be ignored in the military due to the need to have social conventions in the military. The issues of conflict are common in any institution and leaders ought to be aware of how to handle such issues. Leaders in such an institution are charged with a greater responsibility of ensuring that their followers are in a peaceful atmosphere, one which is nurturing and full of trust (Fieser & Pojma, 2009). The managers and others in authority tend to do what favors them most in the organizations. This could be things like taking bribes, employing their relatives in the best positions or even increasing their salaries even at that moment when a company is facing a financial crisis. Finance is an inescapable discipline in a company and an issue which if not handled properly may result to great losses. Role division should be of fundamental importance and those handling money should be experts who can account for every cent used. The economic meltdowns that frequently occur tend to affect the organizational cycles in the companies. They should not be handled by the executive officers or management but those responsible for money. Finance ethics should therefore be considered as a vital step in the success of any company and should be considered first. However in other companies issues pertaining to finance are usually overlooked since they are seen as matters of the law and not ethics making ethics a vital financial paradigm. This is because in most cases welfare always comes first causing a conflict with liberty since it is not always that managements consider the principles of fairness and honesty. This is common when the environments are not regulated. Therefore, there should be a strict moral code that is followed by everyone whether in management or in the normal office work without considering what happens in the financial market. Not accepting the pay increase is an indication of the fairness in financial contracting and management. It is at this point that many positive advisors are needed. They could pick some from the company or hire others from outside (Mobley, 2009). They have to collaborate in order to solve problems and deal with the issues that affect the company. As they consider the advisors, they should also be well equipped with answers on the questions they want answered. They should note that as the management, their personal values and moral philosophies are among the factors that will enhance their decision on the pay increase. Moral dilemmas should be dealt with. Ethics in the workplace are regulations that have to be adhered to by everyone whether a junior or senior officer. This is because of the stereotyping nature of workers on others hence need for a limit to those stereotypes. It helps to limit the level of interaction among workers and those they are serving. This is applied in all institutions including the military setting. They have over the years been known for receiving bribes in order to do away with certain crimes. Criminals are left free yet they have committed big crimes and are considered as being dangerous to the society. Given the nature and complexity of the ethical dilemmas in the work place the employers are rushing to come up with ethic that will help curb the situation. In handling the ethical dilemmas, holding a discussion in order to reach the appropriate decisions is considered as the best. The professional implications in this case are that the officer is self centered one who is not interested in retaining the dignity of the organization but satisfying his interests. A good military is one that is ready to sacrifice for its country and citizens in order to ensure that there is stability in terms of security and economic development. Militaries with no vision are regarded as being self centered hence countries tend to experience cases of insecurity and poor development. In a more direct sense, it might be argued that the military that is celebrated in most countries is a horizontal type. The differences between the opinions of the leader and his followers will be one of degree rather than kind. However it can be argued that, only by mainstreaming the participation of the followers within the space of leadership can a society lay claim to principles of democratic governance. This celebrates the creation of a new world order that is informed by active followers and not the passive type of followers that naturally thrive within the vertical forms of establishment. By its very nature, the military is decidedly a challenge to despotism, autocracy and other forms of governance that marginalize followers to the peripheries of the leadership by only allowing space and expression to the leaders. The military may not want to develop a healthy and consultative relationship with its highly skilled subordinates in a corporate environment, risks losing his control of the country. This also explores the perceived weaknesses within historical structures of governance as understood within the context of followership. In this context, for instance, analyses are made of fascism in America and the problematic relationship between the America and its attackers. Other cases are equally brought to the fore to illustrate how disconnect between the military and the country residents will naturally gravitate towards collapse. Culture in this context cannot be ignored either as it is a great determinant to the way in which the military that will be adopted and agreed upon by the leaders and their followers. This therefore means that culture plays a bigger role in determining how to handle different people and gender. In cases where the culture will not be involved in ensuring effective military performance then conflict of interests becomes a common trend that leads to outbreak of frequent wars in a country. In the current lifestyles, a global attitude tends to be on the rise and people are learning how to lead without including all cultural traits in leadership. This implies that for a leader to be effective, he should be curious to learn other cultures, accept them and adapt to that cultural environment (Achouri, 2010). Communication skills for the military are an aspect that cannot be ignored either as they serve as a channel for knowing what is going on currently in the country. What is considered as being ethical in communication by the military may be seen as being unethical and rude by their subjects. Communication creates a baseline for decision making process between the military and their subjects. This can be seen as a sector where the American airline management had failed in terms of ensuring security that would ensure that the center would not be attacked It is through critical thinking that the military can be able to head in the right direction together with their followers. In decision making both the military and the followers are involved in a process of thinking whereby they can be able to table the issues at hand and at the same time be able to discuss and argue on them. The beauty of critical thinking is that is action oriented and through the thinking process those involved will come up with a mechanism through which they can be able to handle the situation at hand (Smith & Aristotle, 2006). This applies to the case study in the sense that with critical thinking, the military management will be able to formulate long term policies that will see to it that the country protects itself against future attacks. In order to navigate away from the sharp challenges being experienced in the security sector, it is advisable that sharp thinkers be recruited as leaders in order for them to be comfortable in cases where ambiguity appears. Sharp thinkers are able to come up with stronger policies that will ensure that all negative aspects that are likely to be experienced are avoided. They are able to think about where they are headed as well; as the choices they can make about the future. They should be able to reason out on options and weigh out the options they have as well as insist on alternatives in order to ensure that their security team is able to survive and defend the country against the attacks. Critical thinkers are also able to formulate strategies of preventing the country against attacks and they could serve as advisors to the airline management team. References Achouri, C. (2010). Modern Systemic Leadership: A Holistic Approach for Managers, Coaches, and HR Professionals. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Dream, Reality. Personal Leadership Development: Become the Leader you always wanted to be. January 5, 2011. Fieser, J., Pojma, L.P., (2009). Ethics: Discovering Right and Wrong. Canada: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Mobley, W.H. (2009). Advances in Global Leadership, Volume 5. United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing. Smith, A.J., Aristotle, L.M. (2006). Ethics. Middlesex: Echo Library Publishers. Read More