Soldierly Honesty (and spies)

[LemmingLord]

Originally Posted by Hans Rancke-Madsen

Doesn't that mean that any interpretation of Honesty that would make an Honest soldier unable to perform his duties is in error?


Hans

No. It means that an "Honest" soldier from a gurps standpoint will not join the service if there is an "illegal" war, and if he joins only later to become part of an illegal war, should resign as soon as he is allowed by law, all the while refusing illegal orders.

If invading another country legally (whatever that means) an honest soldier should be conflicted frequently. If invading another country illegally, I would think the honest soldier to be conflicted constantly...

Of course the matter of jurisdiction is easily worked out by having your honest soldiers on home ground. :)

I'm not sure there all to many real life examples of the kind of honesty GURPS talks about, but if you have someone who believes in the sovereignty of every nation to rule itself by its own laws, which is what honesty seems to include, then you have somebody who is unlikely to have good morale while invading another country.