A Great American Hero

[chequita guevara]

or criminal . . .

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/24/calley_apologizes_for_1968_my_lai

Over forty-one years after the My Lai Massacre, when US troops killed more than 500 men, women and children in Vietnam, the former Army lieutenant who was convicted for his role in the killings has publicly apologized. William Calley was the only US soldier held legally responsible for the slayings. He was convicted on twenty-two counts of murder, and his sentence was later commuted by President Reagan. Last week, William Calley publicly apologized for the first time, saying, “There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai." He added that he had been following orders.

[Arrian]

They're going to do the same thing with the torture scandal: pin it on some low-level CIA types, just like they did with Lyddie England. Change we can believe in, baby.

-Arrian

[Patroklos]

I didn't see an apology, or an admission of guilt. What an ass.

Why are you defending Lynnddie England?

[SlowwHand]

Calley was orderered to do it. He's the only one that paid any price, and now apologized.

[Zkribbler]

He added that he had been following orders.

...and I'll bet you a zillion dollars, the orders did not come merely from Major Medina. The higher up who originate the order will never be identified or held accountable.

[SlowwHand]

That's exactly why I didn't call out Medina, but he skated, too.

[Patroklos]

...and I'll bet you a zillion dollars, the orders did not come merely from Major Medina.

Why? Because that would make for a cooler conspiracy theory?

[Zkribbler]

No. Because it's a really easy thing to sit behind a desk, far from the battlefield and order that old men, women and children be shot. It's another thing to be on the field, see them begging for their lives, and to order them killed.

It was probably some colonel or one-star general who had dreams of being more effective than his miniscule talents would permit. So he had a testosterone moment.

[Arrian]

Why are you defending Lynnddie England?

I'm not. I'm attacking people above her who were culpable, but who were protected while she & others at her level were hung out to dry.

-Arrian

[Patroklos]

No. Because it's a really easy thing to sit behind a desk, far from the battlefield and order that old men, women and children be shot. It's another thing to be on the field, see them begging for their lives, and to order them killed.

If you thought about what you said you would realize it doesn't make sense. Are most murders cold blooded planned events, or snap decisions made in the heat of emotionally stressful moments? Apply.

Could there be some culpability higher up? Sure. Should we assume so without evidence because it lets us stick it to the man? No.

I'm not. I'm attacking people above her who were culpable, but who were protected while she & others at her level were hung out to dry.

1.) There are no criminally culpable people abover her, its been looked at exhaustively and these imaginary people you speak of don't exist. Sometimes you have to accept that people do horrible things on their own initiative, there is not always some grand conspiracy all the way to the top.

2.) Nobody was hung out to dry, unless you think those convicted were not every bit as guilty as they were found. If anything the opposite is true, they got off light.

[SlowwHand]

Calley was hung out to dry. There's no two ways about it.

Your comparison with a civil act of murder, well, I would expect to hear from someone like Che, not you. Pat, it's a stupid comparison and you know it.

[Patroklos]

Your comparison with a civil act of murder, well, I would expect to hear from someone like Che, not you. Pat, it's a stupid comparison and you know it.

No Sloww, it is completely appropriate. There is no reason to assume that a junior officer in a war and on mission as frustrating and difficult as his can not lose it and give into his more base emotions and urges. The fact that it doesn't happen everyday is testament the the metal toughness and training of our military leaders, but the possibility of it happeneing is always there and can not be completely avoided. It is hardly a unique event, and the motivations for that activity are not all that different than a husband not able to deal with a leaving wife or a disgruntled employee not being able to deal with a life changing lay off.

You might help you case if you tried to explain why they are different though. Just a suggestion. It would also help if you provided any evidence whatsoever to support him being "hung out to dry."

[SlowwHand]

It's my opinion that the buck shouldn't have stopped on Calley. You can think what you want. By now, all others have skipped out on accountability.

[Patroklos]

You are right, all the people who followed Calley's orders should have stood trial too, but unfortunetly due to a quirk in the law those no longer in the service were not able to stand trial. To my understanding this has been corrected.

There were several individuals who should have stood trial for future coverups, but that is hardly important in comparison to Calley's crimes.

[chequita guevara]

Calley was the officer on the ground, but SOP was for higher officers to be in the air overhead. There was almost certainly people in the command chain, literally above Song Mai (My Lai), aware of what was going on below and who either okayed it or did nothing to stop it. Then the military engaged in a cover-up.

The buck certainly did not stop with Calley, either up or down.

I notice no one enraged that Calley, who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds, was released from prison.