does everybody have it in them to kill?

Young recruits in boot camp are stripped of their 'softer' emotions and rebuilt as cold killers.

"people that can all walk together in a straight line while wearing well shined shoes".
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Is that what marines are famous for?

I agree. I do think circumstances have a lot to do with it.

For example, I think if the only way to do it is with a knife, I think people would hesitate in a way they wouldn't if they could kill by pushing a button, say.

Plus motivation. I have no desire to kill anyone and hope I would never have to, but I can't imagine that I wouldn't find it within me to kill if it would save my daughter's life.

Young recruits in boot camp are stripped of their 'softer' emotions and rebuilt as cold killers. Soldiers get medals for doing things that earn them jail time in real life.
I saw a TV special on 'The Marines', and several generals said on camera that there is nothing noble or human about war. It is a horrible business.

sozobe wrote:

I agree. I do think circumstances have a lot to do with it.

For example, I think if the only way to do it is with a knife, I think people would hesitate in a way they wouldn't if they could kill by pushing a button, say.

Plus motivation. I have no desire to kill anyone and hope I would never have to, but I can't imagine that I wouldn't find it within me to kill if it would save my daughter's life.

The button thing reminds me of an experment I saw on one of those news shows. They had some one come in that thought they were doing a temporary job.

They were to read a series of questions to a person they could hear, but not see. If the person were to get the question wrong, they were to push a button which sent an electric shock to the person. If they kept getting questions wrong, they were to increase the volt and press again. The guy on the other side would start yelling and then as it got increasing higher, they would start begging them to stop. There was another person that knew what was going on that kept edging them on telling this was their job and that there were no long term effects.

You wouldn't believe most people kept doing it even though the person was screaming for them to stop - and women were more likely to keep going than refuse.

Incredible wasn't it? I'm not sure where you saw this experiment, I think I saw it in a 'Derren Brown' show on TV, he's some psychological illusionist. If I remember correctly, they were trying to show how powerful a perceived "authority" can be and what such an authority can push people into doing with the right encouragement.

What bothers me most about these atrocities: they create more terrorists. If they would happen in the States, Americans would take up arms and fight the invaders.
Killing civilians is not intelligent, it backfires.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12838343/

Why don't you volunteer to go? I hear there are job openings aplenty in the infantry.

snood wrote:

Why don't you volunteer to go? I hear there are job openings aplenty in the infantry.

To be honest I thought I might be going back in 1991. Now I am too old, though I could certainly serve in some context. I would gladly have done so to help prevent my children from having to, which is exactly what is going to happen if we sit back, do the lib-nut smokadope thing, and do nothing.