Quote:
Originally Posted by OFKU0
I think daswig said in another thread that soldiers are trained to kill. If not, my mistake. I am trying to understand the mindset here of soldiers. If killing is the primary function of soldiers in a warzone, when they have time off, the need to blow off steam seems to be a requirement. Everyone needs down time.
Is it at all possible that soldiers who degrade and humiliate prisoners are relying on or think that the treatment mentioned is antithical to their main job of killing? In other words, is it possible that the disconnect is so great that these actions are justified since afterall the prisoners are the lucky ones, they didn't get killed?
I may be wrong here but I think these actions are not isolated but rather are accepted in the military as common and are morally justified, just like highschool or college football hazings. And again I have to believe that these soldiers who participate in these acts seriously don't think their actions are a big deal, since afterall, lady luck is on the side of the prisoner, he is still breathing.
As for the other side that cuts off peoples heads, I am still thinking about that from the point of view as well that they too are trained to kill and find those actions morally acceptable.
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This could be a valid argument, except that I'm under the impression that prison guards are not infantry soldiers and are isolated in their duties to guarding prisoners. If this is the case, then they are not subject to same horrors of war that grunts are and therefore shouldn't have to let off steam in this fashion. Also, they are either ignoring their training or are not being trained properly, which would make it a command issue. I could be wrong, but this is how I understand it.