I remember that saying well, and I respectfully disagree with you that there's nothing to it but virtue signaling. I don't steal, because it's wrong, not because there are not times when I could get away with it. But I agree that in times when it takes courage to take a public stand, and suffer the consequences for doing so, one should do that.
I remember that saying well, and I respectfully disagree with you that there's nothing to it but virtue signaling. I don't steal, because it's wrong, not because there are not times when I could get away with it. But I agree that in times when it takes courage to take a public stand, and suffer the consequences for doing so, one should do that.
Which is why it's taught by the Army through such phrases as the one you criticized, to E-0s and up. Not everyone is taught those values at home, by far. If you were Army, you also recall the Army Values, described in the acronym LDRSHIP: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal courage. The FBI's motto is Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. We can see what happens in our daily lives today when we don't teach proper values, don't teach doing the right thing all the time, regardless of whether we're being observed or not. (We're always being observed, of course - by God. When we stopped teaching that....)
I only criticized it because it's clearly only lip service to entire chains of command who would not do the right thing at the expense of their troops. They will never be held accountable for violating the Nuremberg code.
It's the paying of lip service and the failure to display moral courage that get under my skin.
Edit to add that I think we would probably agree on more than we would disagree, and I in no way mean to be contentious! The troops that lived by these values have my admiration and respect. My problem is with commanders who's troops are dead because they didn't want any red on their powerpoint slides.
I remember that saying well, and I respectfully disagree with you that there's nothing to it but virtue signaling. I don't steal, because it's wrong, not because there are not times when I could get away with it. But I agree that in times when it takes courage to take a public stand, and suffer the consequences for doing so, one should do that.
I see your point, but doing what's right when no one is looking is your job when you're in the military.
Which is why it's taught by the Army through such phrases as the one you criticized, to E-0s and up. Not everyone is taught those values at home, by far. If you were Army, you also recall the Army Values, described in the acronym LDRSHIP: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal courage. The FBI's motto is Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity. We can see what happens in our daily lives today when we don't teach proper values, don't teach doing the right thing all the time, regardless of whether we're being observed or not. (We're always being observed, of course - by God. When we stopped teaching that....)
I only criticized it because it's clearly only lip service to entire chains of command who would not do the right thing at the expense of their troops. They will never be held accountable for violating the Nuremberg code.
It's the paying of lip service and the failure to display moral courage that get under my skin.
Edit to add that I think we would probably agree on more than we would disagree, and I in no way mean to be contentious! The troops that lived by these values have my admiration and respect. My problem is with commanders who's troops are dead because they didn't want any red on their powerpoint slides.