Mass raping of a bus full of Ukrainian women by the Russian army.

[jody2.718]

Your analogy would be apt* if the following were true:*

1. If Calley wasn’t brought to trial by the US Military/Government.

2. If There were also hundreds of other Calleys doing the same things
together, all with the complicity of their military.

But don’t you think you might  have better broadened your “What-About-ism”
to those in history that got away with their brutalities?

And of what value is your insight other than to essentially say “Everyone
is guilty, so why are we so outraged?”

David Morris

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It wasn't an analogy, David. It was just an expression of, call it futility, exasperation, recognition that the problem is global; wherever people, especially young men, are given weapons and trained to be aggressive and kill. I'm sure not all the Russian soldiers were of the same mind as the perpetrators of the atrocities, nor condoned them, but incidents like these have been happening since the origin of the species, and will happen again.

Specifically to your questions- Calley served three years, some of which was allowed to be on a military base not even prison, thanks to Nixon. He was then released. He lives a normal life today, a free man. In a sarcastic mode- maybe if he had killed 4000 instead of 400 they would have kept him quarantined for 4 years instead of 3.

There were many documented war crimes committed by U.S, forces in that war that have gone unpunished, not to mention Iraq and Afghanistan. Some were convicted for Afghanistan only to be pardoned by Trump.

There might be a show of justice in the West for such crimes against humanity but it's easy to become cynical really quickly about how significant it is. Call it Western style of complicity. In my mind, Calley et. al., got away with it and now have the cover of having paid their debt to humanity.

We are all guilty, especially if we don't recognize the global nature of the problem. Outrage, although understandable, is not enough. Competition is bred into use since before we were human. It can be redirected or sublimated, but only so far.

Winning this or the next battle will only ensure another one in the future. I'm open to suggestions about how to break the cycle.

jody