TACOMA, Washington - This is what a disgraced war criminal looks like...a lot like us. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales (shown left) has been identified as the "suspected" war criminal and mass murderer -- possibly the fall guy or Manchurian candidate for his Kill Team from infamous joint base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) -- who massacred 16 Afghan civilians, an anonymous senior US official is revealing.The 38-year-old, father of two spent 11 years in the Army. The American soldier somehow got out of a locked down camp that is guarded and zipped tight for fear of attack. Then he is alleged to have gone to two local villages, killed nine children, 4 women, while killing and injuring others and miraculously piling and setting some of the corpses on fire then heading back at least a mile to camp to valiantly turn himself in to guards who somehow had no idea he had gotten out.
Never mind that villagers report seeing a team of American soldiers engaged in atrocities during the wee hours of the morning. Family members were killed in different rooms, dragged to a central room and set on fire -- hardly the act of "lone gunman," the most popular person to blame in any narrative meant to provoke public outrage, in this case that of Afghans and Muslims worldwide, while containing the PR damage.The Five Precepts avoid remorse
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What are the Five Precepts that would have averted all of this unskillful karma, personal ignominy, national humiliation, pattern of retaliation?1. Refrain from killing, even in war. 2. Refrain from stealing [corpses and burning them]. 3. Refrain from sexual misconduct [particularly children whose families you're murdering]. 4. Refrain from false speech [as you perjure yourself on behalf of the kill team and the chain of command that put all of you up this or tacitly approved of your war crimes]. 5. Refrain from alcohol and intoxicants that lead to heedlessness.
It may be too late for you, Bales, but others might benefit by seeing the results of violating the precepts. Maintaining the precepts is the way to happiness when they (our intentional deeds or karma) eventually find an opportunity to bear their fruits (phala) and yield their results (vipaka).
I had this exact inkling when I first read the initial report.. conventional mid rank sergeant in a very small elite forces outpost.. hmm.. so as obvious as this is, I guess the real question is what do the powers that be benefit from this tragedy they've created
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