Appears that Uncle Sam is not all he makes himself out to be.

Yet another blow to freedom:

www.cnn.com...

Looks like there's some serious cleaning-up that needs to be done.

[edit on 7-12-2004 by aSEEKER]

My first reaction to this story was one of disgust. Disgust at the selfish officers who did not take any action, chose to further their own interests, and clung on to the safety of thier position to allow the assaults to be swept under the rug.

But then my second reaction was quite different from the first. Which nation's army allows itself to be so closely scruninized, so criticized, and yet still does not respond in a tyrannical manner to all the allegations and accusations it faces on a regular basis.

I am trying to think of other armies and agencies to see if there are any that fare much better, in this regard, and can honestly think of none that fare much better.

I will also not try and compare the US to dictatorial and tyrannical regimes to prove that it is superior, because that will be a self-defeating purpose.

By and large, uncle Sam has done a good job inspite of some blemishes to it's track record here and there. Unfortunately those blemishes seem, there to remain, because it is comprised of humans, and really which human is without fault? None, certainly not me and probably not you too.

Being so closely scrutinized certainly has its pros and cons.

I contributed to my own post and answered my own question. What I was really hoping for was some participation and exchange of views.

[edit on 8-12-2004 by aSEEKER]

www.cnn.com...

I can understand the reality that someone has to take the blame and be held ultimately responsible for the irresponsibility and ignorance of the environment that surrounded this very situation. I can assure you that what has happened probably has happened more often than anyone wants to willingly admit. But lets face it, the young adults that come into the military, not just the Air Force because other military academies I can guarantee you have the same problems to a lesser or greater degree, are for the most part not fully mature. They are not totally ready to be on their own. They are not fully developed personnel. On top of that they are placed in an environment where they're exposure to sexual influence is heightened and further excelled by peer pressure and an individual's own attraction to the opposite sex. As a current member of the United States Navy, I can personally relate. When you're young, vulnerable and hundreds of miles away from home and surrounded with a totally different culture altering environment such as the USAF Academy, you have a recipe for uncertainty and the negative potential as we have observed from this article. Sadly enough though, there is only so much that can be done. From my personal experience, any changes that have had the most effective impact on any situation whether sexual or criminal in nature have been in the very policies that constitute the structure of not only military facilities but any organization which includes our government. The bottom line is, changes will be made and a more strict environment will result. We want to believe that our young military adults can be responsible, respectable, and accountable. But in today's society, our young people are going to attempt to push the limits of any policy, rules, or structure because it is part of natural human will to do so. I don't believe any of us should be surprised by what has been taking place at USAF Academy. Enough said.

[edit on 12/19/2004 by Mr Knowledge]