Random thoughts on this.
The future snake eater posts remind me of a closing argument a prosecutor used in a murder case I read about in the paper. There was no doubt about the defendant's guilt, but the complicating factor was he had escaped before being sent to the penitentiary. He was on the run for many years and during that time had led an exemplary, even admirable life. The defense case (as best as I can remember) was what you would have expected, "This is a fine man, already reformed and no threat to society, what good would it do to send him to jail?". The prosecution responded with "How many free murders do you get in your life?". The jury convicted. Future snake eater apparently thinks 16 is a good number.
Those posts also reminded me of the segment in Lonesome Dove when Gus and Call hung Jake Spoon for murder even though he was an old loyal comrade. Murder was murder. But fiction is fiction not real life.
Every little move and development in this case will be watched closely in Afghanistan. Most importantly they will be watched by the type of people in the ANSF who have been murdering ISAF people. I have no doubt that this case and the various developments will help motivate some of them to murder some of our guys. I wonder if the future snake eater and the thing he is defending will stop and think about that when those killings occur. No... they won't.
One of things I think I noticed over the years when killings similar to this happen is that the defendants are convicted but when the sentences are handed down they seem to be light. Form is complied with but substance is gotten around.
If this thing isn't convicted or only serves a short sentence, I wonder if it will have to be guarded by the police, sort of a perverse variation of the witness protection program, so it won't be in danger of being killed for revenge.
Anger management classes exist so weak willed judges can pretend to have sentenced when they don't have the moxie to look a violent person in the eye and tell them they are going to jail.
I knew people would rush to the defense of the thing. It has happened often before but it still throws a cloud over my soul. It really does. And ultimately, the legal defense and popular justification will rest on the carefully unstated but always implied argument that "After all, they were only Afghans."
So future snake eater plays the "I was there, you weren't card." to justify mass murder. What can you say? The clouds are going to get very thick.
Mike: Editorially, good use of the (don't stop, keep moving) device. I would have stopped but didn't.
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