A Soldier’s State

((November 24, 2009) (for: General Jorge Isaac V. Bardales))

An Article of Opinion by: Dr. Dennis L. Siluk



Twice the pride double the fall—having said that, why does one soldier take the path to the sinister side? Why has he unattached himself from the very country that has nurtured him? —only to be branded as a traitor, conspirator, collaborator, a spy—one who sells his character with information, to harm or damage one’s own country, and its countrymen, for the benefit of another country? It is by and large unusual, and therefore, makes his once beloved countrymen, uneasy. Pride, or self-importance, or self-interest is usually at the cornerstone (a strong self-interest being stronger than the devil himself at times), and when it is shifted to hurt one’s own country, it is a man with twice the Pride, and no country, for whom would have him, want him? In a way, he is a person who has gained some power—or feels he has, and to those with power, he becomes afraid to lose it (which is not uncommon); now this fellow, this traitor I am talking about, must let go of everything (the very thing he doesn’t want to let go of), everything he fears to lose he must let go of to heal, only then will he no longer be jealous, for inside of him envy and jealously resides—like white on rice, along with that double portion of pride.
There is such a man in the country of Peru now, today, and during his incarceration most recently, for spying and given or selling vital information to Chile, he is demanding his rights, although he’s forgotten his responsibilities (isn’t that how it goes usually). A man with no loyalties to Peru, no blood in the face; a friend of mine said, “…there are more like him, behind him. (God help the country of Peru if there is).”
In any case, with pert near a confession this man in question has nervous hands now, willing to sacrifice a country and his countrymen, but not himself—he is saying in essence, “My life is worth more than twenty-five million Peruvians” yes indeed, that is what he is saying loud and clear.
The matter of whether or not and by due process of law, he is guilty, to be convicted, he feels the law is something outside of him, his life anyhow, and declines to name his cohorts, Why? —for some reason he found loyalty, by gosh, real genuine allegiance, devotion—the kind of loyalty his country demand of him, that he could not give in the long run. It’s all about him now, the way he wanted it be, he’s important now, or at least he feel so.

This is that sort of something that bothered the Peruvian Army Soldiers that marched from La Oroya, to Huancayo that I visited the afternoon of the twenty-forth of November, 2009, whom marched all day the day before and the following morning of the twenty-forth, to the Plaza de Arms, with their General Jorge Isaac V. Bardales (General de Brigada); puzzling to the General—a man of strong beliefs, national pride, a soldier, a real soldier—puzzled I say that the traitor was guilty and trying to save himself, his neck, this man of no remorse, I think the General would have rather had been dead, hung himself like Judas Iscariot, when he sold out Jesus Christ for thirty-pieces of silver, had he done what the traitor had done.
“You see,” said the General, “…ten years ago, they would have shot him!”(So he told me.)
And I remarked, “Like when I was in Vietnam, a traitor then and there would have been shot likewise.”
Thus we had seen eye to eye, on this matter, standing shoulder to shoulder, although his shoulders were four or five inches above mine. Around him, the General stood with his brigade, and when I looked among the many faces of his troops, it appeared that they were likewise, wishing it was ten-years prior, so they could shoot the traitor—here and now—without a moments delay.
Somehow among the masses of Peru, there is that unexceptional air of indifference, some people wanting to save the spy, those who don’t understand it is important to love a country that you swore to protect its people, not sell them out for thirty-pieces of silver. Now if found guilty, he will be fed, clothed, given shelter, and given his rights, by tax paying people, the very ones he had no pity for, whom he had sold out to the highest bidder.

In Conclusion, perhaps there are no answers to this dilemma, why a person sells out his countrymen, his country, a soldier in particular being the very one we trust, have to trust in, and that is why this crime is more unbearable than ever; and perhaps on the other hand, the laws are too weak to detour such happenings…and the culprits know this, so they do what they do… knowing the worse is time spent: who’s to say?

Anyways, it’s and, and every so often a writer likes to tell it straight out, without putting in any beautiful adjectives and verbs and all that sort of tommyrot.


No: 524 (11-25-2009)