I'm Confused: It's Okay to Kill Afghanis, But Not Okay to Urinate on the Bodies?

[Igel]

14. Yes and no.

I honestly don't think that most Americans care. Piss on a dead enemy's body? Eh. Not my tribe.

A lot of people consider American soldiers only "in their tribe" if it's useful. They kill Afghans, they're bad little fascist Neandertals. After all, they volunteered to join the military almost certainly *after* 9/11/01 or even 3/03 at this point.

The sensitivity is assumed. While an Afghan man is a warrior, he's a fighter. To kill him is a bad thing, but we're not about to say that we have to consider all Afghans inviolate even if they try to kill Americans. That's a bridge too far.

But by pissing on them the American soldiers allowed the inference--certainly not the implication--that this is intended to humiliate everybody in those Afghans' "tribe". "Tribe" is variously the actual clan, the actual tribe, all Pakhtuns, all Pakhtuns+Pakistanis, or all Muslims. Since it's vitally important that this not be perceived as an anti-Muslim war-let, well, we have to take great pains to respect the bearers of those particular cultures.

I still think that few Americans would give it a moments' notice--including DUers--if there wasn't some political skin in the game.