In one conflict, Americans were told that one party or another asked for our help and that was used as an excuse for preemptive war. Americans were told that US destroyers had been attacked while they were in the act of spying upon another nation in that nation's sovereign waters. That was used as an excuse for preemptive war. Americans were told that the head of a sovereign nation was involved in international drug dealing and that was used as an excuse for preemptive war. Americans were told that an "ally" complained to us that one of its neighbors was "stealing" its oil supply and we preemptively attacked Iraq for the first time. Americans were told that Iraq hardly had room for its citizenry because the land was so filled with weapons of mass destruction and we attacked Iraq a second time. Americans have recently been told that Al Qaeda's knowledge of world geography is so poor that the only place in which it knows it can train its new recruits is Afghanistan. We've been in Afghanistan since 2001, but, in reality, with President Obama's promise to escalate that war, we've recently begun a preemptive strike against that nation.
Americans have been told that Congress, the only branch of government that can declare war, has, in some of these cases, basically told the Executive branch that it really doesn't feel like declaring war, thank you, so it signed its responsibility over to the Executive branch. In other cases, the Executive branch has been able to kill enough time debating what the definition of "declare" is to allow it to preemptively attack a sovereign nation without Congressional approval or even Congressional deferment.
If you're in the military and you're a person who has the responsibility to kill "the enemy", I want you to know that I have more faith in you than our government has or even my friend has. I know that you joined the military because American based corporations have taken from you opportunities that Americans once had to work for a living wage and not fear illness and/or injury. I know that you joined the military because you believed that the military can train you for non-military occupations for when you get out of the military. I know that you joined the military because you became enraged at what happened to Americans on September 11, 2001.
I also know that you're aware of your surroundings and you're able to read. I know you have access to the internet, books, newspapers and other news outlets. I know that you can understand if what your civilian government, with the unquestioning aid of your superior officers, is telling you to do is ethical and even legal.
I can try to imagine how frightening it must be for you to entertain the idea of laying down your weapons and saying, "No, I will not kill these people anymore. My mission is murky at best and I refuse to kill to support an obscure or illegal mission."
When you joined the military, you did so because you ultimately wanted to protect the land that is called The United States of America and its citizens. You never wanted your military service to be a negative experience even though you were well aware that you could die in the fulfillment of that service.
Now you realize that, if you lay down your weapons and refuse to kill someone you don't know for a reason that's unclear at best, you'll probably be charged with disobeying an order and there will be a court martial. You know the chances are that you'll be found guilty and you'll have to do time in a military prison. You know that your discharge from the military will not be an honorable one and you know that can hurt you when you begin to pursue a career.
It's understandable that you can be severely conflicted, but it's also possible that what you do or refuse to do with your weapons may embolden your comrades in arms to do the same. You know that an illegal war could ultimately be forced out of existence by your actions and the actions you may set in motion. You will be sacrificing your standing in society to get others to a point where the civilian leadership and the military superior officers will have no choice but to accept the decision of the people who do the killing and dying. You know that it will be possible that, even if you are found guilty and imprisoned, it may get to a point where those who follow your courage, if there are enough who do, will no longer be found guilty of disobeying an order and, although it may be technically called "mutiny" in the beginning, those who follow your actions may ultimately be found not guilty based upon the illegality of the war or wars and may be held up as heroes.
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