Not that I’ve much experience with it, but when you notice insulation disappearing from the piping, and later discover it tied with duct tape around uniforms so the knee-walk across the non-skid is less abrasive, one might think there’s a tradition about to happen.

When the fattest chief has a pair of lips painted across his bellybutton and kids jump into the bilge rather than kiss that belly, one might think we’re approaching the point where this might be called hazing.

In the navy? It’s not hazing, it’s tradition.

According to Churchill, so is sodomy and the lash.

So, you know, baby steps…

– Max

The Russian Army likewise went to earth and when on the attack did the same things. Got to the point Germans wanted to surrender to Americans rather than Russians though we were allies.

I’m not making excuses here, the depravity of war and terrorism is known. Who could have a sibling blown up by a terrorist and *not* wish to lay waste to their country, their city, their family and in particular that terrorist or soldier starting with an X-acto knife and ending with a tweezer?

That’s just human nature, hurt me or mine and it becomes personal.

But soldiers tend to be professionals, and they take great pride in their achievements. None would, I expect, consider themselves elite for merely shooting the unarmed. It takes a media pundit to attach that honorific.

Which, I expect, is a large part of the problem here.

Media is the perception, and the folks doing the work have better things to do than correct a newspaper or video.

To the public, the media is the source and that taints the professionals.

– Max