{"product_id":"what-a-country-owes-its-soldiers-saira-mohamed-hardcover","title":"What a Country Owes Its Soldiers -- Saira Mohamed, Hardcover","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA clarion call to recognize soldiers' rights, arguing that volunteering to fight and die for one's country does not mean consenting to exploitation in the process.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAmerican leaders endlessly profess their admiration for military service members. But these effusive declarations hardly comport with reality. Soldiers receive shoddy equipment and inadequate medical care; they are ordered to commit crimes and deployed to illegal wars. Such treatment is rarely recognized for what it is: a violation of the duty owed to soldiers by their government. When American service members are injured or killed during training, for example, they and their families are barred from suing the military for negligence or malfeasance. And when the torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib came to light, the subsequent proceedings focused just on low-ranking perpetrators. The psychological harm done to the soldiers themselves by commanders who ordered them to commit torture in the first place went unacknowledged. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eExamining statutes, treaties, court cases, and congressional hearings, Saira Mohamed shows how the law encourages the treatment of soldiers as mere instruments, to be used and abused however the government wishes. She also unearths overlooked laws that point in the other direction, suggesting the possibility of robust protections for service members. Paradoxically, these get ignored in part because of the popular adulation of the military--the vision of service members as heroes who selflessly endure unlimited sacrifice. The all-volunteer nature of the force also promotes the misguided notion that soldiers have willingly accepted whatever mistreatment they might experience. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eWhat a Country Owes Its Soldiers\u003c\/i\u003e shows how laws and mindsets can change, enabling genuine respect for soldiers' humanity. Acknowledging their rights can transform our understanding of those who fight America's wars, and of American warmaking itself.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Saira Mohamed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Belknap Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 11\/10\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.25 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9.3\" H x 6.5\" L x 1.1\" W\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780674301641\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Flowerburst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68402789253424,"sku":"9780674301641","price":39.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2712\/8368\/files\/9780674301641.jpg?v=1794346215","url":"https:\/\/flowerburst.co\/products\/what-a-country-owes-its-soldiers-saira-mohamed-hardcover","provider":"Flowerburst","version":"1.0","type":"link"}