Saturday, March 3, 2007
A recent article on MSNBC is based on the new information reveals a disturbing trend among our United States soldiers. Many of the soldiers are learning interrogation and torture tactics from shows like “24” and others. This relates back to an already established set of concerns about the influence of television violence and themes. Upon further reading, I have realized that it is more the lack of training by the military’s soldiers that is the root cause. Because of this deficiency, military people have to use outside sources for motivation and instruction. Television is a convenient media and available to many people across the world. This curious statistic and trend brings up a huge debate among military people and political people. What role does and should torture play in today’s military? Many civilians in the United States would like the all out violence in Iraq to subside. So can torture deter or stop would-be car bombers from detonating outside a crowded shopping plaza? Torturing is about getting answers and people will ultimately tell you whatever you want to know if you torture them long enough. The United States military has met with Fox and the producers of “24” to try to persuade them to be responsible about what they broadcast. At the same time, Fox has to maintain ratings and portray a message, good or bad. All peoples on both sides know that torture is wrong and that everyone should be responsible for their actions. The military cannot also be primarily responsible for a small population of its soldiers who act out on unrealistic scenarios dealing with terrorism and war
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2 comments:
This may be due to a lack of training, but I find it hard to believe that there would be one solidier who doesn't know that torture of any kind is prohibited under the Geneva Convention. I think it points more to a lack of discipline and the military pointing the finger at FOX is laughable. '24' is entertainment not a training film, anybody who does not know the difference shouldn't be anywhere close to a gun, a war, or a prisoner. The military should be completely responsible for the actions of these soldiers and allowing people to join the ranks who aren't able to tell the difference between reality and fiction.
I agree with the comment posted by m.garcia. The military needs to take responsibility of the actions of their soldiers. Any kind of crime, including torture, that a soldier commits needs to be reviewed by the military and appropriate disciplinary actions should be taken. Blaming FOX for the content of their TV shows is way out of line. What happens if people in jail start watching "Prison Break"? Should we expect to see convicts in orange jump suits running down the street?
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