Frontiers of military justice.
It's not one of the all-time favorite ways to represent corruption, but one of the ways that a lot of writers show that the bad guy {police|army} is bad is to have them offer to let a suspect "escape" or order the suspect to search their car (the movie Lone Star has a really good example of the latter), only to then shoot them in the back as a warning to the others.
Imagine my dismay to find out that not only are American soldiers doing stunts like this in Vietnam Iraq, but the military justice system is letting them get away scot free. Now, I'm just a civilian, but I can't see this working out well in the long term; once you've pumped 50 or so bullets, Charlie Wade style, into someone who is searching their car on your orders, it's not likely that any of their friends of family will believe you for one second when you claim you can be their bestest buddies. You see, one of the traditional behaviors of bestest buddies is that they will not empty their guns into your back, no matter whether you're running away or searching your car on their orders.
Reloading, then continuing to shoot, is, of course, right out.
And then when the military gives a pass to this, it's as if they're saying that the new US military policy is to shoot hostages on the street. Given that US military policy already includes okay to torture prisoners to death!, it doesn't seem that widening the rules to include okay to shoot hostages! would make that much difference, but it's not an thought experiment that I'd think anyone would actually want to try.
Yes, I know, it's the fucking B*sh junta; they don't give a damn about the American military, and no doubt get their rocks off finding new ways to demean the people who actually fight (instead of patriotically deserting and waiting for daddy to scrub the military records for you.) But what do they think they'll do when they've broken the army down to the point where units start to mutiny? When it gets to that point, nobody will be left to defend the ruling junta, unless the plan is to have the Air Force nuke anyone who attempts to attack Kennebunkport, ME.
(via Body And Soul)