Enemy combatant

Bloodlust has been the driving force in the formation and persistence of empires since humanity’s manifestation. The Romans, Spanish, Mongols, and British are a small example of groups that both rose to power and expanded through the merciless slaughter of thousands, simply to satisfy their own greed and yearning to conquer. Yet for some reason it seems to be common Western practice to reflect upon these “great conquerors” and praise their accomplishments, while simultaneously berating the…

numbers of aggressors were disposed to respond. My regular taxi driver, Ibrahim, for instance, told me of his participation in the conflict and the roadblocks he and his fellow soldiers established with the entrails of slain victims (occasionally enemy combatants, often hapless civilians). Upon earning his trust, he openly began confessing everything his past held. Ibrahim’s was a war of scarcity; petrified of not having enough, he complied with every order given to him by Taylor’s men,…

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, has permeated the minds of Americans from the right wing to the left wing. Most agree that something needs to be done to ensure the safety and security of the United States of America, but what exactly needs to be done is an entirely separate argument. If ISIS launched a series of attacks against American embassies and caused mass casualties overseas, it is the United States’ responsibility as the indispensable nation to act against them and for those…

Difficult to answer. Conventional wisdom says no with the sweeping rise of ISIS, proliferation in lone wolf attacks, as well as, various disparate attacks systematically taking place all over Europe and in the United States. It seems that the strategy of terrorist groups and individuals waging a war of Jihad against soft targets are not complying with the current administration 's strategy of leading from behind. Other than the political talking heads who have made the case that ISIS is in…

On December 7, 1941 Japan began a chain reaction that would eventually lead to the bombing of two Japanese cities and the murder of thousands. The plan of the atomic bomb actually began, though, as an attack on Nazi Germany. Albert Einstein alerted the American government that the Germans were developing atomic weapons and soon the Manhattan Project began. Robert Oppenheimer was in charge of the project to build an atomic bomb to counter Germany. Enrico Fermi designed the first successful…

Non-lethal weapons, unlike lethal weapons, are not used to fatally injure people. They are primarily used to enforce law and order, in cities, neighborhoods, and even during war. Stephen Coleman’s TED Talk, Non-Lethal Weapons, A Moral Hazard?, outlines both the positive and negative outcomes from non-lethal weapons. Although some may argue that non-lethal weapons are immoral and shouldn’t be used, non-lethal weapons are morally correct because they ensure the safety of civilians, are not used to…

As I holster my gun, rushing onward towards the enemy soldiers, I try to aim my gun at them, but the barrel of my shotgun is too large for me to aim properly. “Get down Johnny!” My lieutenant commands right before a shot fires, aimed straight towards my head. This connects to my claim by showing how most children are probably unable to even holster their own gun properly, let alone fight on the war fronts. A solution to this would be to abstain from child labor entirely. My argument is that…

citizens and soldiers, fell into two categories: potential threats and neutralized combatants. In each decision the Allies made, there was a distinction between Allies and Nazis, between the “good guys” and “bad guys.” These distinctions allowed removed leaders to become callous to the murder of those they considered evil. In this respect, the Allies became “a willfully deaf and blind enemy” (193). Carnage committed on enemy soil appeared as clever and practical strategy, while domestic sorrow…

During the fifth year of the Second World War (1944), the Allied forces were planning the blueprints for the largest naval, air, and infantry invasion in the history of the world. This offensive was deemed the codename “Operation Overlord,” better known to the public as The Battle of Normandy. There were three major Allied countries involved in the invasion of D-day: The United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States of America. The invasion would begin with a heavy bombardment of German-held…

was conferring with Falken the Elder and Segimer as the young warrior couple approached. Joth dismounted and then help Rinka down from her horse. Littering the area at edge of the forest were the large thatch wood barricades. Out of sight from the enemy, tribesmen rested again trees and lingered around piles of weapons and captured Roman armor. A grim silence prevailed as though everyone involved had reached the point of total exhaustion, yet they were mentally preparing themselves for the final…