of liars is in the military. A new report titled Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession has just been published. Here is the report’s brief synopsis:
Untruthfulness is surprisingly common in the U.S. military even though members of the profession are loath to admit it. Further, much of the deception and dishonesty that occurs in the profession of arms is actually encouraged and sanctioned by the military institution. The end result is a profession whose members often hold and propagate a false sense of integrity that prevents the profession from addressing—or even acknowledging—the duplicity and deceit throughout the formation. It takes remarkable courage and candor for leaders to admit the gritty shortcomings and embarrassing frailties of the military as an organization in order to better the military as a profession. Such a discussion, however, is both essential and necessary for the health of the military profession.
Someone writes wondering why I am so relentless in harping on the failings of soldiers. As long as men and women are called heroes just for being in the military, as long as members of the military are held up as role models, and as long as military personnel are practically worshiped on national holidays, I will keep writing what I do.
7:08 pm on May 21, 2015
