Ethical Issues Currently Facing the Army - Essay Example

This paper aims at critically discerning ethical issues in the military. Military section is one of the government’s most sensitive cogs hence the level of discipline associated with it. In military, orders are taken without questioning and this interprets that they are able to kill, maim, and torture civilians or any other perceived dissident without any other consideration. In this regard, this paper tends to examine the ethical evaluation and restructuring that has taken place in the military in relation to killings. As such, this paper takes a case study of the United States of America in the context of the aftermath of the 9/11 attack of the pentagon and the world trade centre. With the attack being at the center stage of making references, this paper unearth on how the American response to the attack related with the ethics as stipulated in the military. The paper then discusses factors that necessitated the emergence of the issue, its impacts in the military and the perceived enemies and civilians. Thus, recommendations after a scrutiny of the above concerns are made in attempt to enable the military amicable strike a suitable balance regarding the ethical conduct and response. Following the chronology given above, this paper tends to account for every stage as considered below. Introduction With reference to the abstract, appreciation that in military, the junior officers take orders without questioning is construable. In this case, we will be considering the act of killing in military. Given the level of orders execution in the military, chances are that they can partake in mass killing without justification on the perceived enemies and observes nothing sinister. This is because they are not given the chance to evaluate what is ethical and, which is not. Considering the religious teachings from Christianity, Hindu, and the Buddhist, there is unequivocal respect to the sanctity of life and that none should deprive the other such right. Killing in this context is prohibited and not tolerated-it is immoral and unethical. This consideration has sparked animated debate within the military since the ethical aspect of killing has gained tremendous momentum and it is now being given keen inclusion in the military training. Currently, the military training has been restructured to include stringent observation and adherence to the cardinal principle of respecting life whether it is coming from the direction of the enemy or the civilian. Since the period of World War I and II, Period of the cold war where America and Russia with their allies resorted to fighting proxy wars, many people were killed, maimed or tortured. There was massive humanitarian crisis witness all over the world. In the 9/11 American Attack, the response was equally ruthless and we saw Iraq bearing the greatest consequences in a retaliatory attacks. Afghanistan also had its fair share of the attacks; moreover, the former raised the issue of respect of human life irrelevant of the status-enemy of ally. Thus, I support full entrenchment in military respect of human life on ethical grounds. Following the position of this paper, these subtopics are discussed below for corroborating the thesis statement stated above. Ethical issue facing the Army The military faces a plethora of issue ranging from honesty, loyalty, respect, caring, fairness, and promise keeping. In the recent past, the most debated ethical issue is that which encompasses caring, fairness, and promise keeping (Cook, 2004). The dilemma here is which side to obey, the military requirement or the ethical one. The conventional knowledge has it that military officers are trained ostensibly to be reliable and effective killers. This has been manifested in several ways considering the historical past and the recent past. During the period of the World Wars I and II, the armament program employed by various countries was to cushion them from any external invasion. It is one of the factors the facilitated the wars, this was by the fact that countries resorted to war even by slightest provocation (Cook, 2004). Countries relied on the military as a major factor and this was for attacking perceived enemies. It has then remained that in military, killing is like a hobby. Similar situation was seen when America was attacked by what was floated to be the al-Qaida terrorist group. The American response was attacking Iraq and Afghanistan, which were perceived to be the strong hold areas of the criminal organization. Observers have resented the American attack and have reported that excessive military force was used in the two countries culminating into widespread death, suffering and appalling humanitarian crisis. It is in this context that the issue of ethical consideration on grounds of respecting human life and its sanctity been fiercely discussed. Following these development, the military are required to demonstrate restrain in using force or killing as the only way in their operation but to embrace dialogue perceived to be more mindful of the people’s lives. Unfortunately, this provision does not exist in the military domain, the officers are trained not to defy orders, and when ordered to kill, they will abide by it. This situation has presented the military with a hard decision to make given the loyalty expected in them (Tripod, and Jessica, 2011). Traditionally, it has been known in the military that discipline and loyalty are the requisites of achieving objectives and mission, contradicting any of these will be tantamount to being disrespectful and may be treated as mutiny. Designing a balance between the expressing the required degree of loyalty and being ethical has been quite a challenge in the military sector. Given the difficult situation, In the US, military training has been restructured to accommodate ethical training and how to consider alternative response in areas where brutal force would otherwise been used has taken precedence (Lucas, 2009). This is an effort to instill the sense of ethics in the military-the need to revolutionize the mindset in the military for the sake of humanity. Root Cause of the Issue For as long as the military has existed, it has been associated with massive killings and infliction of serious humanitarian crisis in various areas of the world; in fact, one of the results of the First and Second World Wars were serious reduction of the world population. As such, we find that during military action, not only the targeted place end up being casualties but also other unsuspecting areas. Actually, it is those who suffer collateral damage that always constitute a huge chunk of the casualties (Tripodi, and Jessica, 2011). Various interested groups have then been keen to find ways in which the massive military operation can be mitigated to cut down on the aftermath consequences. The human rights activists have always taken the lead in calling on sobriety from the military when carrying out their operations. The peak of the military brutality that occasioned exertion of pressure through agitation by the groups was the American response to the 9/11 attack. It is said that extrajudicial killings were committed by the US army under the banner of eradicating acts of terrorism in the world. Thus, the human rights activists resolved that there must be guidance and limit through which the military operations should be tolerated. In this case, several documents have been cited as providing for the right to life and that its sanctity should be respected for the continuity of the human race. The Christians, the Buddhists, and the Hindus have stated in their religious scriptures the need to respect life. The provisions of the constitution have also been quoted as a document that legally enshrines the rights guaranteed to human being-the right to life has been one of those cardinal rights. The military has then been forced to conform to the requirements or respecting the sanctity of life. The reasoning here is that what is moral and what is not must be inculcated in every place where human beings are managed, military not an exemption. The conduct of the American military has in this case acted as a precursor for the revolution of the military to be considering ethics and most importantly those that borders life. The conventional reasoning that the military should be trained only for the purpose rendering the dissenting voices destitute has since been forgotten; therefore, morality and ethics takes preference instead in the military setting. Impact of the Issue on the Force Firstly, the move has positively influenced in the military amid fears that it will have a negative impact given that military officers with not exercise the level of loyalty and discipline expected in them for achieving their objectives and goals. The effect has been much different from the hypothesis, given that in the military training curriculum now deals with the ethical conduct surrounding respect to lives, the brutality formerly associated with the military has since sublime and they have embraced diplomacy and formal talks in areas that such tact can effectively work. In this sense, much of what could have otherwise turned orgy has been salvaged. The inclusion of the ethical clause in the military has resulted into a more organized and be mindful military officers who employ not just force but tact to give solution to challenges traditionally known to attract fierce and unchecked military brutality. In terms of finances that consumed a huge chunk of the military budgets, it has since been drastically reduced following successful insertion of the ethical clause in the military officers. It will be appreciated that opting for war is not only expensive in terms of lives lost but also in terms of the logistical preparation that come with its execution (Robinson, Nigel, and Don, 2008). Military actions consume billions of shillings in the shortest period one can imagine. Inferences can be drawn from what individual countries incurred during the first and the second world Wars and the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. The expenses incurred in taking a country to war have always negatively affected the economy. Countries known to have perennial military conflicts do face numerous challenges in running and stabilizing their economies given the expenditure. The ethics associated with respect of human lives and demonstrating restrain to military option has mitigated in this kind of sporadic expenditures hence stabilizing economies (Robinson, Nigel, and Don, 2008). The clause is still in its initial stages, its potential has not been fully explored and understood by the targeted groups, when fully understood and appreciated, military tension in areas like the Gaza that has been fiercely fought between the Israeli, and the Pakistan will have to quell. Notwithstanding, the need to respect the sanctity of life has led to experience of relative peace in various parts of the world and it is hoped that finally, it will prevail and get its rightful place in the disciplined forces. Recommendation on the Root cause Following the effects of the retaliatory military action witness in several areas of the world, classical example here being that of the US response, it should be a prerequisite that before opting for full military, conduct options available should be fully explored. This will not only discourage unnecessary conflict that will further human suffering but will also ensure that peace prevails. It is only when the situation demand a military intervention that it should be considered. And that even in opting for the military intervention, it should be bore in mind that excessive force is detrimental and extreme care be taken to mitigate on the collateral damages. Finally, the inclusion of the ethical conduct in the military has proven effective, this demonstrates that other areas of ethics formerly reserved should be revolutionized to enable emergence of a new face of military officers. References Cook, M.L. (2004). The moral warrior: ethics and service in the U.S. military. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Lucas, G.R. (2009). Anthropologists in arms: the ethics of military anthropology. Lanham, MD: Altamira Press, Rowman & Littlefield. Robinson, P., Nigel L., and Don C. (2008). Ethics education in the military. Aldershot, England: Ashgate Pub. Co. Tripodi, P, and Jessica W. (2011). New wars and new soldiers: military ethics in the contemporary world. Farnham Surrey, UK: Ashgate. Read More