Touchstone
Dear Journal,
I HATE POLITICS! Let me say that again just for good measure: I hate politics. Daniel has tried to explain it to me before on many, many occasions. Politics are necessary. They may not be pleasant, but a society cannot function without them. Unless of course a society operates under martial law, in which case, the military are the politicians. But at least in a martial law society, the "politicians" lower down in the chain of command can't go against the orders and desires and wishes of those higher up the chain of command, and if they do, they get thrown in prison and labelled as a traitor. Yep, sometimes I think that martial law is the way to go. I know, I know all the practical reasons why it would never work and I know that there would still be the rotten apples that try to spoil the whole thing for everyone else because, face it, we're all just humans, and some humans choose the dark side.
I just don't understand why it has to be at the expense of other humans, humans who have nothing to do with anything. Totally innocent humans, like the ones on Madrona. Because Earth, the United States in particular, can't sort out its own differences, an entire planet full of innocents was almost plunged into an ice age. I better be careful or I'm going to start sounding a lot like Daniel.
The military has its reasons for doing what it does. There are sometimes tough calls to be made as a military officer, and ultimately every one of those tough calls has to be made in light of the greater good. But when civilians get involved that greater good turns into something else. Phrases like acceptable losses and whatever the cost get thrown around like they mean nothing. There is no such thing as acceptable losses in war. Every life that is lost is worth something, and losing it is always unactable to someone. That's the hardest thing for a soldier to remember. Even the enemy's lives that we take are worth something to someone. They may be dirt bags, but they're also someone's son, or husband, or brother, or father. Sometimes, death is necessary, but it's a necessary evil.
Capital punishment is a necessary evil. If murderers weren't sentenced to death, then there would be no incentive not to kill. Stealing a weather controlling device from another planet thinking that it can somehow help us in the fight against the Goa'uld is NOT a necessary evil. It's cruel and unjust. And it was a decision made by civilians who have never been to another planet, civilians who could care less what happens to other planets as long as Earth is protected from a Goa'uld trying to hurl hailstones at it.
Don't get me wrong, not all civilians are bad. I really like Daniel, Daniel is a great civilian. Daniel respects the military, Daniel respects the rights of humans on other planets. What Daniel does for the greater good only ever comes at a cost to himself, and never at a cost to someone else. Daniel doesn't haphazardly steal technology from another planet. Daniel doesn't plot and scheme behind the military's back thinking that he knows better than they do how to protect Earth from an invasion from outer space.
Did I mention yet how much I hate politics? Because I do. Hate politics that is. Now that's settled, I'm going to go get a drink.
- Colonel Jack O'Neill, anti-politico warrior