Difficult Culture

Ethics The values of the American troops are clearly different from the values of the Tini people. It would be far more effective to encourage the American troops to recognize and respect the Tini people than it would be to intervene in age-old Tini practices that have no bearing on the treatment of the troops. Our troops are not in Paldora to change the Tini people or impose our religious and moral order on their society. The age of colonization is over.

What the troops are there for is to ensure that the Tini people have access to essential social services that can ease their transition to the modern world. In the process of the society transitioning to the modern world, they will naturally come to leave behind the gruesome practices exhibited at the Moon Ceremony. Social norms and values do not change overnight, and they certainly do not change when outsiders impose their beliefs and norms. It is also important to remember how sensitive American presence is in Paldora.

The Tini have already been described as being vehement enemies if they are slighted. It is not in the best interest of America's troops, or to Paldora in general, to interfere with the Moon Ceremony or any other Tini rite. The culture has survived peaceably for untold centuries, and Americans have no right feeling or acting superior. Furthermore, the Tini are not sacrificing our troops, or the children from any other tribe.

These are their people, and their people believe fully and firmly that the ritual will promote the well-being of the entire tribe, of not the universe. The professional ethical standards of our troops have nothing to do with the Moon Ceremony. According to the rules of engagement, "The use of deadly force is authorized to protect the lives of our soldiers." The use of force is not authorized to stop a religious ceremony, even when that ceremony involves human sacrifice.

As distasteful as our soldiers find the ceremony, there is no justification to intervene. It is not our job to change the Tini people, but we can serve as good examples of ethical behavior by refraining from judgment and simply allowing the Tini to abandon human sacrifice in their own time. The hardest part will be convincing the soldiers to refrain from interfering, and simultaneously discouraging a loss of morale among the troops. As a leader, I will need to rely on several strategies.

First, I would remind the troops of the deadly problems of intervening based on the ways colonial powers decimated indigenous cultures around the world on the false assumption that European values and practices were somehow superior to those of other cultures. Even calling the Tini "primitive" is a judgment call. Second, I would remind the troops what our mission in Paldora is for, and it is certainly not to change their culture.

Our mission is to build schools and other necessary infrastructure to help the Tini become viable citizens of the world. Sticking to this vision is our moral duty. Our ethical objective lies with fulfilling that goal to the best of our ability, and not allowing our prejudices to cloud our work.