Re: Rattling the Cage

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan E Brain" <aebrain@austarmetro.com.au>
> > I won't touch the rest of your post, since it's my firm belief that
> > civilians of ANY nationality have no right to razz soldiers of any
> > nationality,
>
> Criticise, no. Razz with tongue-in-cheek - another matter. Agree with
> you in the main, just not in the details.

This phrase is a bit ambiguous. You mean that soldiers should be beyond
criticism ?

Pardon me, but in an open society, nobody should be beyond criticism.
Even
soldiers sometimes get things wrong. Criticism is designed to put this
right. Yes, civilians usually have only a vague notion of what soldiers
do
and have to face, but it is then the military's task to explain
themselves -
just as any politician, trade union, church or whatever institution or
people. Yes, there are silly or ill-meaning people where explaining
won't
help, but these have to be faced in open debate.

Greetings