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Soldiers In Uniform Use Reddit To Speak Against Syria Decision

Eric Parra |
September 7, 2013 | 1:25 p.m. PDT

Executive Producer

It’s no secret that the United States does not have much support from its own citizens regarding an attack on Syria, but according to posts on Reddit, many members in service are also against the idea of waging a new war.

The military section of reddit has received a flood of posts over the past few days on both sides of the argument, many involving posters posing anonymously, but still in their service uniform, voicing their opinions in captions. 

The controversy of this outbreak not only stems from active soldiers going against the ideas of their higher-ups, but more on the fact that they are able to easily voice their opinion for the rest of the world.

From the Daily Beast

“Dissent in the ranks is not novel; it’s a tradition as old as military service. What’s new is soldiers’ ability to leverage social media to broadcast their views and the amplifying effect that occurs when the social media buzz is then picked up by major media outlets. It’s a process that has the potential to report on important stories drawn from within the ranks but it can also, as in the recent Reddit case, transform commonplace barracks gripes into national news. What some press outlets have depicted as widespread dissent within the military is really just a symptom of the newfound ability to anonymously question national security decisions without facing consequences.”

By voicing their opinions, many of these soldiers are going against the decisions of their commander-in-chief, “a violation of their oaths under the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” especially while wearing their uniforms.

Read the full story here.

 

Catch up on Neontommy's Syria coverage here.

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra here.



 

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