rumitoid

I really like and still will watch Saving Private Ryan." But one of its major themes is questionable. A much loved and needed member of their squad is killed. an exceptionally good medic, and they capture one of the soldiers that did it. Emotions and practical choices are high. The squad cannot take the prisoner on their mission and are seemingly left with two choices: kill him or trust that he will be captured by nearby American forces and so let him go. Only the somewhat non-combatant, college-educated reporter, apparently liberal, there just for his language skills, is for his release. The Captain seems genuinely conflicted, then does what I feel is the right thing but many decent and even God-fearing men would disagree: let him go. And in this mix is one soldier just concerned about keeping military order and following the Captain's command to release the German, willing to kill another American to maintain that order. (Kill another American for that obvious scum?) They eventually let him go.

What happens next? That German ends up killing the beloved and decent Captain, which leads the 'the somewhat non-combatant, college-educated reporter, apparently liberal (who had an earlier scene of cowardice or fear, where that same German killed another in his squad due to his inaction) kills that captured German, while letting other captures go. I don't think that anyone who has watched this movie even five times did not cheer or delight in that execution. Me included. Loved the Tom Hanks character, a good and brave man that lead his troops with honor and fairness. A real American. Was it worth the trade to be ethical? Was it ethical? Aren't exceptions to be made in war? We targeted civilians to help end the war: does war change what is righteous and good? Killing innocents is murder, condemned by the Bible. Can we excuse those bombings by making a nation the enemy? From thirty thousand feet or through a sniperscope is how we should see others?

The Bible makes clear room with how the milk-fed and meat-eaters (curious differentiation) are to be judged. It is not easy to judge those who are not yet mature in spirit to do what is best or right according to God's precepts. Love is the overriding law, yet not all Christians, and they are still Christians, can accept that simple and highly demanding place. Love is the ultimate in self-sacrifice and godliness. That they are judged by an apparent different standard does not make it situational ethics but something where only God can see into the heart and know the true motives.

How we see, think, and feel about this episodic moral play in that movie is good to examine the soul. Much can be learned, if we are honest with ourselves.

archie bunker Loc: Texas

This is weird.

rumitoid

Dang, archie, I really expected a spirited debate from you.

PeterS

Sorry to say, I would have killed him and not lost any sleep. His duty was to kill Americans. Your duty was to kill Germans. If you had any problem with that you should have stayed home...

rumitoid

A view. But there were rules, the Geneva Convention, which we signed, regarding the treatment of prisoners of war: you did not kill them was top of the list.

Blue Fox

Geneva Convention really?

What do paratroopers behind enemy lines (ex. Operation Market Garden) do when they take prisoners? Magically fly them to England? No. They shoot them.

I knew members of the 101st who were in the operation (Sept. 1944). That's what they had to do.

PeterS is correct. The captain's action jeopardized the entire mission.

teabag09

Also WWII in both Europe and the Pacific were won by the terrible damage done to the entire Countries especially civilians. Almost all wars are won through collateral death and destruction not necessarily the deaths of the combatants. Mike

Blue Fox

You're absolutely right Mike. The majority of deaths are not combat related. I think disease is far and away the number 2 killer
followed by carpet bombing of enemy cities Hamburg, Dresden etc.(RAF night raids Bomber Harris).

And last, the free range straffing of everything on the ground and in homes by the US and British pilots after the collapse of the
Luftwaffe in the last weeks of the war.

teabag09

BF, you are right also. The disease is created by destroying infrastructure. When people can't get clean, potable water, non-rancid food and a comfortable place, ie. warm, place to live, disease is going to kick in killing as many as all of the bombs. But it is the bombs that create that situation, unfortunately.

Starting in Korea we've settled for a truce as apposed to going for the throat and winning something. My opinion is if we as a Country are going to sacrifice blood and treasure in a conflict, do it to win by what ever costs to the enemy it takes. Gen. George Patton had it right and I can't give you the quote but basically he said, I want you to kill everyone and don't get killed yourself. We've become pussified and the democrats have been grabbing ours for 60 years. Mike

Blue Fox

I think Patton said "Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor bastard die for his country".

Blue Fox

As for Korea, that was a sticky situation. MacArthur wanted to seed atomic bombs along the border with China, ie. the Yalu River. Unfortunately, the USSR and Communist China were thick as thieves and the USSR had the A-Bomb and the means to deliver it over the battle field.

Also, the US was crawling with Soviet sympathizers, read "Downright traitors", who were well represented in the mainstream media. The last thing we wanted was an atomic war.

It was a very dangerous time.

teabag09

Ten four, dead on. Mike

teabag09

Senator McCarthy was right but nobody in Hollywood or the media and some in Congress wanted that known. Mike

rumitoid

Making exceptions to commonly held ethics, law, and standards is wrong, for war or anything! No excuse.