No One Gets Left Behind

The great American war ethic was reasserted over the last few days. It is a matter of honor. As we know from the long reading of the EN last summer, that which is most worthy of honor is the most reliable guide to that which is best in life. 

As we know from reading Xenophon last winter, this is also the reason the Persians couldn't overrun the Ten Thousand with their hundreds of thousands. The Ten Thousand stood together, ready to fight and die together; the Persian army was there to make a show to please their masters. The Ten Thousand still got themselves into a war that they had to fight their way out of, for a long time over a great distance. Indeed, much of the same territory involved today; and some of the same actors, although the Kurds are on our side this time.

The American war ethic is sometimes misunderstood as risk aversion, as if the Americans could not stand to lose a single life; but in fact the ethic embraces risk, and entails the will to risk hundreds of lives or to sacrifice planes and ships if need be to keep to the ethic. On the other hand it is sometimes portrayed as foolishness or an incapacity to judge the worth of expensive equipment against the cost of training a replacement. That is to put money ahead of honor, a decision that befits not warriors. 

UPDATE: From the Egyptian editor of a major paper:

Honor holds things together; shame, by contrast, tears things apart. The only thing keeping Iran's evil government intact is the fear of the people brought on by the ruthless slaughter and executions. As people begin not to fear them, their time is coming.