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| United States Military - Conditioning Soldiers To Carry Orders |
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It may appear wholly natural to kill, but long-standing evidence suggests otherwise. While aggression is usual to the human species, so are altruistic impulses born of self-awareness and identification with The Other. This is why armies from ancient Roman legionnaires to modern-day infantrymen must steadily drill their recruits and continue to condition even plenty of their combat veterans in murderous behaviors.
It may appear wholly natural to kill, but long-standing evidence suggests otherwise. While aggression is usual to the human species, so are altruistic impulses born of self-awareness and identification with The Other. This is why armies from ancient Roman legionnaires to modern-day infantrymen must steadily drill their recruits and continue to condition even plenty of their combat veterans in murderous behaviors. For example, as far back as Roman times it was noted that men had a natural aversion to stabbing, preferring to cut with their swords instead. Stabbing, intentionally and intensely thrusting a blade into an opponent, was generally evaded by most novices to war because, we may surmise, people simply have an almost instinctual desire not to inflict fatal injuries at least not at such close ranges. After WWII, to cite another example, studies conducted by the United States military revealed that less than 1/2 of all squadrons actually fired their weapons, even when fired on themselves. This is why the primary mission of basic training in the military any military, since time immemorial has been conditioning the psychology of recruits to kill on command. Indeed, such conditioning masks the killing act, the killing behavior, not as killing but as the obeying of a command; psychologically, one no longer kills as such but just responds to orders by pulling a trigger or pushing a button. And the more of an interface there is between assailant and victim the easier it is to kill. This makes sense, naturally it's much tougher to kill someone face to face than to kill him remotely via a videolink. It's also much more dire for the murderer. And so it is that armies concentrate their efforts on securing obedience, for military operations involve teamwork and it is the one feeble link that will break the chain. About the Author: Looking to find the best info on conditioning, then visit www.articlebookmark.com to find the best advice on United States military for you. |