It was in the dead of the night. There was pin drop silence-the calm before the storm. The Marines were all geared up for combat. Leading from the forefront were Captain Dave and his subordinate, Lieutenant King. This was a Mission and there were no second chances- you either killed or got killed. The marines then stormed into the house believed to be housing the terrorists. Sounds of gunshots broke the silence. The terrorists were not prepared for such an attack. It was not before long that the Marines took full control of the situation. After the initial burst of fire, there suddenly seemed to be an unusual quietness. There were cries of pain and shuffling of the feet which occasionally broke the silence. The Marines came out of their cover but still on high alert and realised that the coast was clear. The terrorists were downed and it was time to survey the place for any lives.
Out of the corner of his eye, Captain Dave saw a couple of children. They were clutching onto a body which was splattered with blood. Presumably, that man-whom the world labelled as a terrorist, was their father. Captain Dave raised his automatic rifle and pointed it in the direction of the children. He was ready to shoot when Lieutenant King shouted, “Sir, what are you trying to do? They are just kids.” To which Captain Dave replied, “Today they are kids, tomorrow they’ll be terrorists. They have witnessed enough bloodshed today and this hatred will stay with them from this day to the day that they die. Someday, they will come back and avenge for whatever that has happened today. The numbers of enemies you’ll have will keep increasing, so eliminate them whenever you can. Don’t let your emotions take over you King”. Before Lieutenant King could say anything more, Captain Dave shot at the two kids without any further thought. King went absolutely ballistic that Dave had committed such an act-a sin in most people’s eyes. However, due to his rank and the protocol, all he could do was just stand and watch. King never felt so helpless. He could never forgive himself after witnessing what had happened that night and resigned soon after.
Who was right/wrong in this particular instance, Dave or King? One of them wanted to be sure for the future while the other felt that children have no hand in the terrorist activities. Both of them had their reasons for their viewpoints and both of them perceived that they were correct. Many a times, people are victims of hierarchy. This is especially so in the military. It is these ranks and positions that may give rise to conflicts. In the above example, King could not do anything about the situation because he was the Junior Officer. I feel that another reason which can lead to conflicts is perception. Perception can be in the form of thinking, values, beliefs etc. As long as perceptions differ, there would always be conflicts.
Hi Ramandeep,
ReplyDeleteVery often in life we have to make very hard choices. By this, I would mean the choice available to King to stand up to his superior (I do not consider the choices of killing/sparing the children - which is a no-brainer). When these perceptions of choices differ, you could definitely expect conflict.
I also consider individual principles to be another reason for conflict. In fact, the situation you had described does occur in many walks of life. Whistle-blowers in organizations have always been present. For example, if you disagree with your supervisor/firm regarding what would be a suitable safety factor in building a bridge - then in most cases, it would be your moral principles which causes you to voice out your view and make sure it is heard.
An interesting epilogue to this story, would be how King's responses to the scene he had just witnessed, after his return from the mission.
P.S. This is the real life version of your story - http://articles.cnn.com/2011-08-05/justice/washington.winfield_1_jeremy-morlock-afghan-civilians-afghan-man
Hi Ram,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. Yes i totally agree with you that individual principles are a cause of conflict. Many a times conflicts arise because people have different values and principles which will lead to disagreements. I read the article that you posted and personally I feel that he has been let off with a very light sentence for the crimes that he committed. In this part of the world, the soldier will probably be sentenced to life imprisonment at the very least. This brings about another interesting question about justice and the way it is meted out around the world. However, this will be another story altogether.
Cheers
This is an interesting post, Ramandeep, one that clearly shows how perceptions (based on values) dictate interest and action, and in this instance, conflict. For me -- as for Ram -- it is also a no-brainer. Killing children is a moral and legal wrong. I'm sure there is an international tribunal just waiting to hear a case such as this. The real question is this: Will the subordinate be willing to stand up for what would be more universally supported as "right" in this case?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post!
Hi Ramandeep,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that hierarchy is often a source of conflict in many situations; family, workplace, military and so on. One might have different views on certain decisions from his/her superiors, but unable to change the course of action without being guilty of insubordination.
I disagree with Brad here; I do not think that the real question is whether the subordinate is willing to stand up for it. In my opinion, this should be the most important issue: Are there communication channels where the subordinate can stand up for the morally correct cause and still be protected from the potential actions by the superior? There are many examples of whistle-blowers in organizations and most of the time these whistle-blowers are subjected to negative responses such as losing their jobs. In this case, what do you think would have happened to King if he had tried to stop Dave?
Bernard raises a good point. Indeed, what channels are available to a person who confronts authority in a situation such as this?
ReplyDeleteHi Brad,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment.In this situation, I feel it would be very difficult for King to stand up to his superior in this case as in the military setting, subordinates are supposed to listen and follow the orders of their superiors. Hence, if King tried to oppose, he could be charged under certain sections of the military law. Even though he may be right, he will still be charged for insubordination during that particular mission. Hence, in the military setting, I personally feel that it is very difficult to stand up to what you believe is right.
In normal workplace settings, I feel that standing up to your beliefs is less common for people in Asia as compared to those in the West. The education system is one of the reasons for this behaviour. In Asian culture which is more conservative, speaking up to your teacher or boss is considered rude and disrespectful as opposed to the Western culture where students and employees are encouraged to speak up. In the West, it is considered as a way of exchanging views and ideas. In Asian countries, speaking up shows impudence and this is especially true in countries like Japan and China. Hence, speaking up is not widely accepted in this part of the world. In Singapore, this is slowly a changing trend and more and more people are speaking up to their superiors when they feel they are right but these people still make up the minority. It probably will take a while more before the majority of Singaporeans start speaking up for what they feel is right and I feel that globalisation will speed up this process.
Dear Bernard,
I feel that currently, there are not many channels for such communication to take place. In today’s world, money is what makes companies tick. Suppose you work in an investment company and you have certain issues with the way that your direct superior, A, works. You could raise the issue to someone higher than your direct superior, but chances are he will just have a chat with that person but at the end of the day, if A does not mend his ways, more likely than not, it would be tolerated as all that matters is what is the most effective way in bringing in money for the company. In this case, as long as A is bringing in money for the company, superior B will feel pretty safe about his position and will likely be promoted soon enough.
Cheers