A thin line

Salon reports that a Staff Sergeant from Texas, now fighting in Iraq, may soon find himself in deep trouble. SSG Al Lorentz wrote an essay titled “Why We Cannot Win” in which he gave a critical assessment of the U.S. government’s prospects in Iraq. He is now faced with possible charges of disloyalty and insubordination under the Uniform Code of Military Conduct (the laws which govern soldiers). The article, published on the conservative blog site www.LewRockwell.com on September 20, questions the constitutionality of the war and argues that it is strategically naïve. If charged, Lorentz, a soldier who has served more than 20 years in the military, could serve 20 years in prison.

This issue once again brings up the difficult question as to what extent American soldiers are afforded the basic right of freedom of speech. It is a slippery slope. The government, justifiably, does not want troops revealing information that could compromise the military’s mission. Yet it doesn’t seem to take a large leap for the Gov to decide that negative attitudes about the military and/or U.S. foreign policy also compromise the current mission (insofar as it effects morale or influences public opinion and consequently funding). So where to draw the line? Ought soldiers such as myself be able to speak their minds, and to what extent? This does not bode well for my blog.

What do you think?