Fallen Soldiers

 

I have no idea about what Ben Roberts-Smith has or has not done. 

I think our politicians are more culpable for any war crimes that may have been committed than any soldier sent under their policies, as the war was inherently unjust to begin with. Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, etc, etc, were never in a position to be at war with us. Hence they cannot be called a defensive wars. 

I also believe that soldiers need to do things, lawfully and morally, that most civilians would find distasteful. That's the nature of war. 

That all being said, don't assume that just because someone is a soldier this means that they are morally superior to the average Australian, as a starting point. This is not the case. The army selects from a cross section of Australian society, and it is not seeking those with elite morality. I was in the army reserves, and I've never seen a more morally representative selection of Australian society, than I saw in the military. And Australia is not a moral nation, we all know that. Vice is a common issue. 

There was also an attitude among some guys who just wanted to go to war to fight, against people they did not know. In fact, this is why the army, and infantry in particular, selects men as young as possible, they are the least hesitant to avoid fighting, the most keen, and are tempered to fight, and often over eagre. They are careful not to select imbalanced people, and soldiers are trained well, but their training is pragmatic, not moral. 

War also hardens people, and the more they serve the more it hardens them. Don't underestimate how much this can affect a man on the battlefield. 

Also it must be acknowledged that Australian governments have sent Australian soldiers into unjust wars continually for decades. Not since WW2 have we been defending our shores, all the rest since then are wars of aggression and choice. Saying it was to support an ally does not change this reality. This has a moral effect on society as a whole. The Afghanis we went to war with never had any means of attacking our nation, except if they were to emigrate here, and that again is in control of government policy in the first place. 

Yes the Bible speaks highly of soldiers, David and the Centurion in Matthew 8, are standouts. But it also acknowledges that soldiers can be corrupt. 

Luke 3:14, "14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Many people in many countries experience this regularly. Especially in countries where the military serves a dual purpose as a police force. 

None of this post is meant to reflect on BRS. It is simply a note to challenge the naive attitude that soldiers are a morally superior class of human being. This attitude is reflected among people, especially conservatives, for whatever reason. Nor are they uniquely bad, as the left often acts like they are, its not like they are politicians right? They are often the representative moral average of their particular nation. 

A country like Australia that believes it is justified in invading far away places at will, or at the behest of aggressive allies, probably is in position for a moral reckoning. We have a false view of ourselves as a people of justice, yet too quickly we have supported injustice, both on the left and right. This moral corruption impacts every part of our society.