Generals under Fire: The Loss of Immunity of High-Ranking Officers

Abstract

Alongside the growing distrust of journalists and the public in political figures, there seems to be a steady, albeit slow decline in the trust placed in military generals and spokesmen, perceived in earlier times as the most admired figures within the nation state. True, unlike politicians, army generals, who are responsible for the public’s safety, are still considered reliable professionals within the boundaries of consensus. In the US and Israel, the statistics of public trust in the military in general, and in high-ranking officers specifically, testify that compared to other institutions and actors within the nation state, the military is still considered reliable in an era in which public cynicism reigns. In the US, according to Gallup polls in 2011, the army is considered the most trusted national institution, with 78 per cent of Americans manifesting a great deal of confidence in its performance; while Members of Congress place at the bottom of the list with 12 per cent.