Rules of Disengagement

A top notch read for those that think! I have not finished reading the entire book but would recommend this to those that know nothing of war and it's affects on the human sole.

I'm lucky enough to have spoken to Marjorie Cohn several times on the air for a weekly radio show I host. I found her written work to be true to her spoken words - clear, concise, frank and unapologetic. Marjorie presents the issues and explains the context clearly enough for the non-legal mind to understand while retaining enough precision to leave little room for any doubts about her expertize. The way veterans are treated is a disgrace and we should be especially supportive of those who are brave enough to dissent when faced with the immorality of the acts they are often asked to commit. Most members of the armed forces are clearly not opposed to the concept of war but all members of the armed forces should feel free to oppose illegal, unjust and immoral war. This book will help them understand how to do that.

Rules of Disengagement should be required reading for anyone with a modicum of empathy for the wellbeing of our troops and for the thousands of American families who struggle daily with the burden of debilitating injury and irreparable loss inflicted by the carnage of war. From boot camp to battlefield and (sometimes) back, authors Marjorie Cohn and Kathleen Gilberd document the physical, emotional and dehumanizing brutality of the industrial war machine, and empower our servicemen and women with the knowledge they need to exercise their constitutional right to dissent. The long shadow of questionable legality that hangs over the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan renders this work particularly urgent and timely. Drawing on the lessons of Vietnam, the precepts of international law and the extensive record of American jurisprudence on the issue, this book illuminates the distinction between politics and patriotism. It disentangles the often confusing web of false choices between courage and conscience, law and morality, deference and disengagement. Utilizing the actual testimony and experiences of servicemen and women themselves, this invaluable book is much more than just a guide to the conscientious objector. On topics ranging from racism and sexual harassment in the military to the proliferation of suicides and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among our returning veterans, Cohn and Gilberd have crafted a seminal work that is both scholarly and accessible, a thoroughly researched must-read that elevates the quality of public discourse on what it truly means to support our troops. Hugh Hamilton Pacifica Radio - New York

Although I came of age during the Vietnam War, and was politically active during that time, I learned many things from this book, including the extent of military dissent and the range of options. In that era we young folk had scant inter-generational guidance and support for our efforts to support our troops in not supporting an immoral and self-destructive war. So I was particularly pleased to see that the authors of this book related the current efforts of military dissenters to the extensive Vietnam-era GI Movement of the prior generation. The authors have a political viewpoint that the wars these military persons seek to disengage from are illegal and/or immoral, which is an essential underpinning of the right to refuse to obey an order. However, the authors also cover the other bases upon which to disengage from even a "good" war on grounds such as hardship and conscientious objection. In addition, the authors discuss means of objecting to service-destroying obstacles such as medical inadequacies and sexual harassment. The writing style is accessible. This is not strictly a "how-to" manual, but a discussion of various avenues of disengagement and redress available to a military person illustrated by stories of actual efforts by soldiers, sailors and their civilian supporters. The book allows the military person to understand his or her individual predicament in a larger social and historical context.

A top notch read for those that think! I have not finished reading the entire book but would recommend this to those that know nothing of war and it's affects on the human sole.

I'm lucky enough to have spoken to Marjorie Cohn several times on the air for a weekly radio show I host. I found her written work to be true to her spoken words - clear, concise, frank and unapologetic. Marjorie presents the issues and explains the context clearly enough for the non-legal mind to understand while retaining enough precision to leave little room for any doubts about her expertize. The way veterans are treated is a disgrace and we should be especially supportive of those who are brave enough to dissent when faced with the immorality of the acts they are often asked to commit. Most members of the armed forces are clearly not opposed to the concept of war but all members of the armed forces should feel free to oppose illegal, unjust and immoral war. This book will help them understand how to do that.

Rules of Disengagement should be required reading for anyone with a modicum of empathy for the wellbeing of our troops and for the thousands of American families who struggle daily with the burden of debilitating injury and irreparable loss inflicted by the carnage of war. From boot camp to battlefield and (sometimes) back, authors Marjorie Cohn and Kathleen Gilberd document the physical, emotional and dehumanizing brutality of the industrial war machine, and empower our servicemen and women with the knowledge they need to exercise their constitutional right to dissent.The long shadow of questionable legality that hangs over the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan renders this work particularly urgent and timely. Drawing on the lessons of Vietnam, the precepts of international law and the extensive record of American jurisprudence on the issue, this book illuminates the distinction between politics and patriotism. It disentangles the often confusing web of false choices between courage and conscience, law and morality, deference and disengagement. Utilizing the actual testimony and experiences of servicemen and women themselves, this invaluable book is much more than just a guide to the conscientious objector. On topics ranging from racism and sexual harassment in the military to the proliferation of suicides and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among our returning veterans, Cohn and Gilberd have crafted a seminal work that is both scholarly and accessible, a thoroughly researched must-read that elevates the quality of public discourse on what it truly means to support our troops.Hugh HamiltonPacifica Radio - New York

Although I came of age during the Vietnam War, and was politically active during that time, I learned many things from this book, including the extent of military dissent and the range of options. In that era we young folk had scant inter-generational guidance and support for our efforts to support our troops in not supporting an immoral and self-destructive war. So I was particularly pleased to see that the authors of this book related the current efforts of military dissenters to the extensive Vietnam-era GI Movement of the prior generation. The authors have a political viewpoint that the wars these military persons seek to disengage from are illegal and/or immoral, which is an essential underpinning of the right to refuse to obey an order. However, the authors also cover the other bases upon which to disengage from even a "good" war on grounds such as hardship and conscientious objection. In addition, the authors discuss means of objecting to service-destroying obstacles such as medical inadequacies and sexual harassment. The writing style is accessible. This is not strictly a "how-to" manual, but a discussion of various avenues of disengagement and redress available to a military person illustrated by stories of actual efforts by soldiers, sailors and their civilian supporters. The book allows the military person to understand his or her individual predicament in a larger social and historical context.