Libyan Soldiers

Laurence Vance
LRC Blog
February 26, 2011

I see that Libyan soldiers are fighting against their own people. But why should we condemn them? They are just following orders. They must obey their superiors. They didn’t ask for this mission. Killing Libyans was not in their job description. They joined the military because they were patriotic. They are serving their country. All criticism toward the soldiers’ actions should be directed at the Libyan government and politicians.

But, but, but . . . what they are doing is wrong! So what. They are just doing their jobs as loyal Libyan soldiers.

What apologists for the U.S. military really believe is that American soldiers are the grand exception. Foreign soldiers are evil unless they do our bidding. It is only American soldiers who are heroes for obeying orders and killing on command. And don’t think that American soldiers wouldn’t do the same thing to us as the Libyan soldiers are doing to Libyans. We already get it in the neck by the American TSA and police and DEA and ATF. And if American soldiers refused to kill Americans, then they would be disobeying orders, thinking for themselves, and refusing to follow an unjust command—things that they are condemned for now if they refuse to kill on command in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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