Good on Prince Harry!

What is the big deal about Prince Harry going to war? What happened to Noblesse Oblige? I salute the young Prince's adamant refusal to be relegated to a desk job. For a soldier-- a royal no less-- there is simply no honor in that. If I were a young troop, I'd be honored to fight at the Prince's side. What an opportunity for glory! Have the British fallen so far that they can no longer see this? When does one get the chance to fight alongside a future king? Even somebody in line to be king? "Once more unto the breach..."

More importantly, they need this. After the Iranian debacle, the British military needs to show that it still has men with iron in their spines. The British Marines and sailors involved in that incident should be ashamed of themselves. To whatever extent they are not, is the measure of the fall of the British character. I don't necessarily begrudge them their behavior during captivity though they were certainly no Stockdale or McCain. What is truly ridiculous is that they got captured. Didn't they have weapons? Even if they were under orders not to fire, the responsibility always falls to the commander in the field. It's the water for God's sake. Unless the enemy is in a submarine, they can't sneak up on you. I really can envision a situation where a mad minute of weapons fire wouldn't have opened up an avenue for escape. Everybody knows that once you're captured you have to do what you have to do to survive. Obstinence in the face of torture or even possible torture is like infidelity at the Playbody mansion. Of course, it's better to be faithful but no would exactly blame you if you slipped... Knowing this-- if honor is important to you, you do your best not to be captured and you turn down that invitation to the Playboy Mansion. The commander on the scene clearly made a mistake and the honor of Britain suffered for it.

I believe that the young Prince feels this strongly. I believe that what he's doing is not just for his own honor but for the honor of the Service. Even if he is killed, he will show that the Royals aren't just figureheads-- that their hereditary advantages mean that Britain has special claim on them and their very lives. Recently, the British have "held their manhoods cheap." Here's to Prince Harry for restoring some value to the most important of things.