Rules of Disengagement: The Politics and Honor of Military Dissent [Book Introduction]

Abstract:     
The continuing occupation of Iraq and the growing war in Afghanistan are leaving permanent physical and emotional scars on a whole generation of soldiers. Not since Vietnam have so many GI's objected to a war, and never have military families spoken out so strongly for withdrawal. Marjorie Cohn's and Kathleen Gilberd's new book, "Rules of Disengagement," published by PoliPointPress, comes to the aid of distressed military personnel and their families. It examines the reasons men and women in the military have disobeyed orders and resisted the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The book, which has a practical as well as theoretical focus, discusses what resisters have done, and what readers can do, to help end illegal orders and wars. It also examines race and sex discrimination in the military, including the epidemics of rape, sexual assault, and suicide in the military, as well as inadequate health care for servicemembers. It examines the dehumanization of soldiers and civilians, and the ways in which military training promotes racial and sexual violence.

The book places modern issues regarding the Iraq and Afghan wars in the historical context of earlier military dissent movements, notably during the Vietnam War. The authors analyze numerous issues of constitutional, international, and military law, including conscientious objector status, rules regarding military discharge, the right and duty to disobey illegal orders, the international laws of war and human rights, and the constitutional rights of free speech, association, assembly, dissent, and protest.

This posting contains the Introduction of the book.

Keywords: military dissent, military law, law of war, unlawful orders, war crimes, Iraq War, Afghan War, Vietnam War, Afghanistan, war on terrorism, race discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, rape, suicide, soldiers, servicemembers, conscientious objector, free speech

JEL Classifications: K10, K33

Accepted Paper Series