Murder

[Su lc l De]

Why is it legal for members of the military to kill another human being?

 

I think you are looking at it the wrong way. You should ask: why is it illegal to commit homicide under normal circumstances in our society?

 

In a "natural state" of society without the violence machinery(law, police, military) that prevents us from doing whatever we choose to, the only thing that prevents one from taking another persons life is conscience or the lack of power or will to do so. There is nothing inherently wrong or right about murder, no more so than in rape, plunder or other things that people do to each other in a truly free society, bellum omnium contra omnes.

 

Most human societies have altered this natural state of affairs by sacrificing some of their rights as free men in exchange for security for everyone. That is why we have law, police and the military.

 

Now consider your question: Why is it legal for members of the military to kill another human being? Because we, as a civil society, give them the legal right to do so.

 

I couldn't of put it better myself. Honestly, this reply covered everything. As for the military murdering people, they are just following orders. Its their job. They follow their orders. They work for the government, the government tells them what to do. If they don't listen, there will obviously be consquences, because they are refusing to do their job. I'll assume you're aiming this more at dictatorship type governments, or governments that have done wrong in the past, such as Nazi Germany. They beleived what they were doing was right, they were followings of their ruler, Hitler. Put yourself in the shoes of a member of Hitlers Army. Even if you refused to kill someone, someone else would in your place, doing this could also mean that you would be murdered.

[Acid-Sun]

Well I don't exactly think that all the Nazis enjoyed what they did but I understand it is how the world works, if you don't do what you're supposed to back in the day you could of been killed in Germany but today you still face pretty good consequences I'm sure.

 

Thanks for all the input everyone, this thread was just some food for thought.

[Sudo]

To protect us apparently.

 

I don't even agree with it, half the time innocent people are killed from bombings and the military people don't give a **** about that.

[Nippon]

As for the military murdering people, they are just following orders. Its their job. They follow their orders. They work for the government, the government tells them what to do. If they don't listen, there will obviously be consquences, because they are refusing to do their job. I'll assume you're aiming this more at dictatorship type governments, or governments that have done wrong in the past, such as Nazi Germany. They beleived what they were doing was right, they were followings of their ruler, Hitler. Put yourself in the shoes of a member of Hitlers Army. Even if you refused to kill someone, someone else would in your place, doing this could also mean that you would be murdered.

 

The absolute power is always in the hands of the people. The government is just a puppet in the hands of the people, in Nazi Germany just as much as in any modern democracy or dictatorship. We've seen it in the strict dictatorships around mediterranean, where the people only needed to grab the power and it was theirs.

 

So whenever we want to look for the people responsible for the existence of military and legalizing murder we can always find the closest person in the mirror. I disagree, though, that this completely strips responsibility from the one committing the deed. The soldier is the one holding the gun, even if he knows that a thousand others are willing to take his place, and if he has a conscience he will remember that for the rest of his life.

 

It is our silent acception that makes us responsible for every homicide the violence machinery commits. This is hard for people to grasp, because the shared responsibility sort of vanishes in the thin air, nobody will take it unless we start playing the blame game. Certainly we can't blame the soldiers, they are just following orders, certainly not the politicians, they are elected representatives of the people, who then? Everyone is responsible, so noone is responsible, the beauty of our modern age.

[konka]

Nippon #1.

[-Merk-]

Because they're doing it to defend innocent civilians from dying back home

 

[Scott]

Why does anyone murder?

[Acid-Sun]

Because they're doing it to defend innocent civilians from dying back home

 

They are also killing innocent civilians in another place.

[w4u]

Why is it legal for members of the military to kill another human being?

people in power has always killed others in the military. Thats how u rule the world.

 

GREAT DEBATE QUESTION, sike

[`Mo]

I don't get how "it's their job, they're following orders" make them any better if they kill INNOCENT people. They are human, they have a mind of their own, a job is not an excuse. And why would you want to have that sort of a job if you're going to be brainwashed in every way.

 

However, I do believe you need a military to defend your country and own people. If there is a threat than you have to do something about it, if not leave them the **** alone.

[1bangs]

they do it to save there own people

[Nippon]

Just a thought

 

We say it is wrong if someone murders a person. If there are 2 murderers committing the deed, do we deem it less wrong for each of those two murderers? No, rather we think it is even worse, because the fact that there were several people involved tells us that the act was planned. How is this different for 3 people, how is it different for a government and the society as a whole? Even if we don't feel personally guilty of the deed (perhaps because we did what we could to stop it, as we should as moral beings*), it should feel no less morally wrong than if we look at the path of thought that led us from one murderer to two murderers. What makes us different from the people living across our national boarder? Do we disagree that they have the same rights to self-determination and personal freedom?

 

*moral beings refers to the moral right to self-determination and personal freedom

[CaLi]

because thats just the way it is they have government backing

[NHL]

what 1bangs said

[Scott]

In the UK it isn't murder if the Queen's Peace has been broken. Said peace is broken upon an act of war. Therefore, by definition: Killing someone during a war isn't murder.

[Kingrang3194]

ydoC +1 :)

[Romnick]

Why is it legal for members of the military to kill another human being?

 

It's legal, because it's an act of defense. They're given the green light to pull that trigger once their lives are put into danger.

[`kG]

imagine this, soldiers from china killing civilians in USA, in our country, thats what U.S does to Asia.

[Xpnkrockemox]

I understand what your getting at and i have asked myself the same question.

 

i look to the quote "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" As you see it alot with capital punishment. We kill them for killing? Doesnt that make us murderer's? What makes us any better then them?

 

But i also see ur point about militarys. Whos to say they are fighting for the right things, and killing for the right things.

[Coz]

Usually defending countries rights/laws is why. Military don't go around like gang bangers killing other losers over weed turf, they are defending the masses (country) and if a threat is there, they will resort to anything to eliminate it.

[MOJO]

They fought for out country but yes it's not a reason to kill the citizens they protect

[Gayyab]

They do this to protect citizens that inhabit their country, they obviously can't go around killing innocent civilians (in most modern world countries atleast), some countries may have an exception but those tend to be countries that are under extreme rule, or are usually third world countries.

 

In the more modern countries, you kill someone whos innocent you will most likely be discharged and arrested.

[ls-life]

BECAUSE ITS THEIR DUTY