if you are one of those americans who think your country is the best there is and your country is perfect i won't bother discussing anymore.
i'll say only one thing: orders are orders no matter which country you're in and there will always be soldiers to obey blindly and execute them no matter what those orders are.
I don't think America is better than every country or that our soldiers are the most disciplined. In fact that is part of my point, US Soldiers are no where near as obedient as soldiers in many other, poorer countries (which I think is a good thing). US Soldiers would never committ the acts you decribed against their own people. I'm sorry if you don't want to hear it, but the US military is far better trained and equipped than your own; that is the luxury of our defense budget. US Soldiers follow(99% of the time) the orders that are right. Now I'm not saying that what is right is always in accordance with the law (and that works both ways), but as a group they certainly don't follow orders that are openly acknowledged as heinous crimes. No soldier would follow an order to rape and murder a woman. Do these events happen, unfortunately yes, but they are few and far between and never condoned or tolerated by the military. Just look at those recent American soldiers caught or the Marines last year.
Maybe you get offended by this, but the US Army is alot more respectful and considerate than the Armies of 3rd world countries.
Wow...that's just...naive'.
Edit: Let me clarify. I think, mostly, you' re right. You probably couldn't order some rank and file soldier to put 3 bullets in the guys head (though that may have happend, just not on orders). Given what's happened in previous ground campaigns (like Viet Nam) though.....I'd not be 100% confident even in that.
I also think that any thought that there are not specific wetworkers out there, who will pretty much do whatever they're asked, is naive. Tillman was a high profile soldier, before he died. The math isn't so hard to do. I'm not saying it definitely WAS an ordered assasination. None of us were there, so we don't know. But I don't think you can discount it just because of your high regard for MOST of the "military moral compass".
As you said...there are "scumbags" in all walks of life. What makes you so sure the CO who gave the order didn't "know" of a specific "scumbag" (or "scumbags") and send him/them out to accomplish the objective?