A modern American Military Hero—Major Stefan Frederick Cook

Given what he is risking to do what he sees as his Patriotic Duty, Major Stefan Cook is as courageous a hero than I for one have EVER met.  He is not a sunshine soldier or summertime Patriot, as Thomas Paine once wrote (1776) in Common Sense.  These ARE the times that try men’s souls.  People who do not understand what it means for an officer to weigh his career against the possibilities of committing men under him to illegal wars and combat under an illegitimate leader have never learned and will never understand the lessons of history from Nuremberg or of Eichman in Jerusalem.  Major Stefan Cook’s courage in facing the political onslaught he faces is much greater than the courage required to fight ignorant, poorly armed nomads and peasants in Central Asia who may or may not be associated with terrorism in the United States.  Possible War Crimes trials against U.S. Troops are being discussed all over Europe and Latin America.  The fact that the U.S. Troops have protected the poppyfields and heroin traffic in Afghanistan is by now legendary.  It is my hope and opinion that Major Stefan Cook, if he is not crushed by social and political pressure, will make a more lasting impression on U.S. military history and foreign policy than anyone else over the past 30-50 years.  An ethical army can only exist if we have conscious officers in command of our armed forces.  The existence of a standing army under the virtually exclusive and discretionary control of the increasingly powerful executive branch in the United States constitutes a threat (recognized by the Founding Fathers) to the balance of powers and our Federal Republican form of government.  To counterbalance the nearly absolute power of the president the people must demand and support an officer corps with legal awareness and consciousness as well as strategic, tactical, and technical competence.  The modern armed forces can move so quickly in this day and age that the ability to make “in the field” and “on base” legal judgments on the part of officers has become absolutely essential in this day-and-time.  I for one am proud to be a part of the legal team, with Dr. Orly Taitz, which tries to realize Major Stefan Frederick Cook’s hopes and dreams for a better world and a better America.  The rule of Constitutional Law is paramount in this country, and confidence in the Constitutional qualifications and plain honest of our leadership is indispensable.  I for one have little or no such confidence in the current administration, I will have no truck or dealings with anyone who impugns this military man’s great, unparalleled courage and dedication to principal.  It is an old joke that “army intelligence is an oxymoron.”  Intelligence is sometimes characterized by an individual’s courage to change the things he can, the serenity to accept the things he cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Major Stefan Frederick Cook is taking a valiant chance here that he can change the transparency of his government’s leadership and their responsiveness to public concerns.  Major Cook’s choice, his decision to risk all for conscience, his bravery, and acumen shown in his statement quoted on this blog below proves just high his “army intelligence” really is.