Here is a history of our discussion today.
At 4:49 Am EST, you posted something containing the following:
it is easy to focus on guns, tanks, soldiers, bombers and battles and body counts. but make no mistake about it...much of our strength is rooted in our system of moral values. it is essential that our military and civilian leaders keep that system intact. American soldiers will not follow an immoral leader to lunch much less to war. we must fight all attempts to lower our moral standards just as we fight those who attack us with weapons.
if we slide our moral scale down, America will fall off the face of the earth much like the roman empire.
unclewest
At 8:08 AM EST, I responded:
There was a segue toward the end of your post which confused me, however:
it is easy to focus on guns, tanks, soldiers, bombers and battles and body counts. but make no mistake about it...much of our strength is rooted in our system of moral values. it is essential that our military and civilian leaders keep that system intact. American soldiers will not follow an immoral leader to lunch much less to war. we must fight all attempts to lower our moral standards just as we fight those who attack us with weapons.
if we slide our moral scale down, America will fall off the face of the earth much like the roman empire.
What do you mean when you say "moral"? The Old Testament morality? New Testament morality? Pre Viet Nam war morality? Who will judge and legislate this moral scale?
I was gone all day and returned to find the following post from you:
To:Poet who wrote (10538)
From: unclewest
Friday, Nov 16, 2001 4:25 PM
View Replies (1) | Respond to of 10621
There was a segue toward the end of your post which confused me
sorry bout that...i'll try to control my segues better.
What do you mean when you say "moral"? The Old Testament morality? New Testament morality? Pre Viet Nam war morality? Who will judge and legislate this moral scale?
morality is not a religion imo. so i cannot answer the first two questions.
viet nam has nothing to do with morality so i do not see any difference that before or after nam makes. that knocks off question three.
since you related the questions to religion...i suspect you already have a satisfactory (to you) answer to the 4th question.
Now, silly me, I see no answer here to "please define what you mean by 'moral'" So I respond at 4:45 PM EST:
To:unclewest who wrote (10583)
From: Poet
Friday, Nov 16, 2001 5:38 PM
View Replies (1) | Respond to of 10621
Here is my question in simpler form:
What do you mean when you say "moral"?
You made a series of statements. Would you please define your terms?
I have stripped down the question to its essential elements. This is the same question, in the same words, for a second time today.
Here is my reasoning: I am quite willing to accept your 39 3/4 years of service to our country in the Special Forces as giving you an enormous amount of authority on issues generally defense-related and specifically Special Forces-related. This does not, IMO, give you moral authority.
You slided easily in your 4:49 Am EST post this morning from military expertise to moral discussion. I am very interested in what you think is "moral".
It should not be a very difficult question for an old soldier with strong moral opinions. |
