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Comment by ethbro | Hacker News Reader

This would be your person opinion, given that the militaries of the US, the UK, China, Russia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Mexico, Spain, etc. (probably easier to name those that haven't) have officially performed such actions, with the soldiers in question receiving official honors and rewards?

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Just because a lot of countries have done it doesn't make it any less shameful.

It does mean it's not universally held to be shameful.

I don't think that's the case either. Its more of a "ain't broken so why fixit" problem which hasn't affected people on a personal level just yet, so it isn't regulated as much.

Its astonishing to me that in the US it requires a court order to tap someone's phone and yet the NSA collects and analyzes the online data of US citizens...

No, I mean it literally isn't universally shameful. In that in most countries obeying an order to fire on civilians, or doing so because you believe your life is in danger, will not result in penalties. Because "it's what you do" or "us against them" from some perspectives.

See the response to Kent State [1], in which all legal attempts to hold the guardsmen who opened fire responsible failed.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings#Legal_act...

Militaries have shame?!?!

Their soldiers shot their own people and received rewards? I find that hard to believe. Or did you mean computer attacks? In communist and authoritarian nations, monitoring what the people are doing is normal(to account for potential dissent),but they would also shoot/imprison their own people over political dissent.

Maybe the U.S. is no better than those nations. Still doesn't make it right. If a soldier does not protect his people and their rights then he becomes nothing more than a henchman for politicians - worse than a traitor.

Tiennamen Square...

I guess that qualifies and makes a good example of an unpatriotic soldier blindly obeying orders.

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