Today's New York Times has a moving front page story
When Soldiers Fall, Grief Binds a Unit’s 2 Worlds.
Soldiers in Iraq talk about their feelings as comrades die, as they try to save injured soliders and fail. It makes me wonder if it's harder to be a solider (for Americans) now, after decades of cultural emphasis on getting in touch with one's feelings. Was it easier to be a solider when it was societally acceptable to detach from emotions? And if so, has our military position in the world weakened? This feels disloyal -- like it's questioning the ability of our soldiers. But I am struck by the ability of our enemies -- specifically, a culture that supports matyrdom by suicide bomb -- to emotionally detach from their acts of war, contrasted with our in-touch-Americans.
Comments