Air Force Cites New Testament, Ex-Nazi, to Train Officers on Ethics of Launching Nuclear Weapons

[ProfessionalLeftist]

The United States Air Force has been training young missile officers about the morals and ethics of launching nuclear weapons by citing passages from the New Testament and commentary from a former member of the Nazi Party, according to newly released documents.

The mandatory Nuclear Ethics and Nuclear Warfare session, which includes a discussion on St. Augustine's "Christian Just War Theory," is led by Air Force chaplains and takes place during a missile officer's first week in training at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The Christian Just War Theory has been touted by Rep. Ron Paul, a 2012 presidential candidate, during campaign stops.

St. Augustine's "Qualifications for Just War," according to the way it is cited in a 43-page PowerPoint presentation, are: "to avenge or to avert evil; to protect the innocent and restore moral social order (just cause)" and "to restore moral order; not expand power, not for pride or revenge (just intent)."


Wernher Von Braun, a former member of the Nazi Party who used Jews imprisoned in concentration camps to help build the V-2 rocket for Hitler's Third Reich, is cited in an Air Force PowerPoint presentation about the morals and ethics of launching nuclear weapons. (Image: Department of the Air Force)

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http://www.truth-out.org/air-force-cites-new-testament-ex-nazi-train-officers-ethics-launching-nuclear-weapons/1311776738

[Adsos Letter]

1. Sounds like at least some of them objected.

"MRFF President Mikey Weinstein said more than 30 Air Force officers, a majority of whom describe themselves as practicing Protestants and Roman Catholics, have contacted his group over the past week in hopes of enlisting him to work with the Air Force to have the Christian-themed teachings removed from the nuclear weapons ethics training session."

And this is certainly disturbing:

Von Braun said upon surrendering to American forces in May 1945. "We wanted to see the world spared another conflict such as Germany had just been through and we felt that only by surrendering such a weapon to people who are guided by the Bible could such an assurance to the world be best secured."

Given the attitude of many of the Christian Right, being "guided by the Bible" might not be in the world's best interest. It certainly isn't in America's best interests.

Edit: added last two sentences.

[damntexdem]

2. "'Once the rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down?'"

"'Unt I'm learning Chinese', says Wernher Von Braun."

Tom Lehrer had it right almost 50 years ago.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. I hate to point this out

but Just War Theory is accepted in the west as part of what led to the Geneva Convention.

Him and Hugo Grotius http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Grotius, are seen as the first to even talk about these concepts.

So it does not shock me that they are teaching Just War theory. I got plenty of it in an International Law Course.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

4. The item of concern doesn't so much seem to be the teaching of the theory as

who / what they are referencing (Nazis and the Bible) and using as examples (and I don't mean in a 'peaceful' way) while doing it.

[Baby Bear]

5. A Recent Nobel Laureate

spoke on "Just War" in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize. He professes to be a Christian, I do not.

[gratuitous]

6. These maniacs just never stop, do they?

But, when you're an entity that has dropped atomic bombs on civilian population centers without warning, you have to utilize everything you think can be useful in any way to justify the horror.