This is definitely a topic you can´t say anything about, until you experience it.
On one hand, I read a study that said, that a lot of soldiers during WWII were intentionally missinig, when shooting towards enemy. On the other hand, you can think of such conflicts like Balkan war, where much worse things than shooting people were commited.
One thing I would say is sure - big part of society are some kind of psychopaths. I think we can talk about decades of percents. And those are probably that group veteran was talking about. When the chance comes, they will do really bad things.
I think there´s big difference between symetrical and asymetrical conflict.
In symetrical conflict, the bad guys are probably just normal guys, like you. They got order and had to fight. And in this case, it´s probably that moment, when you think about the face of enemy you are supposed to shoot.
This is the moment, when war propaganda has it´s place, because it has to convince masses, that it´s okay to kill the enemy, because he is devil. Think of propaganda against Germans during WWII, against Asad army, against Putin. People were/are brainwashed and forced to take all the German soldiers, all the Asad brave soldiers (actually heroes of our time) or Russians as the devil himself. Otherwise, they are just the same guys as you.
Asymetrical conflict is something different. Your enemy is probably the guy who decided to run into hills, so he could do bad things to you and you friends or your people. They don´t fight fairly and it´s probably easier to see them as your enemy.
I was in military, but never was in combat. But I was thinking about, that it could come to point, when I would be forced to shoot someone. But the same I feel, when I am out. There´s not any change in my mindset, maybe I feel that situation is even more likely to come. I am from Europe and bad times are coming. Generally, just have a look what conflict happened past 30 years. And it was just after disintegration of USSR. Now, environment in much more unstable, imagine upcoming 30 years.
On one hand, I read a study that said, that a lot of soldiers during WWII were intentionally missinig, when shooting towards enemy. On the other hand, you can think of such conflicts like Balkan war, where much worse things than shooting people were commited.
One thing I would say is sure - big part of society are some kind of psychopaths. I think we can talk about decades of percents. And those are probably that group veteran was talking about. When the chance comes, they will do really bad things.
I think there´s big difference between symetrical and asymetrical conflict.
In symetrical conflict, the bad guys are probably just normal guys, like you. They got order and had to fight. And in this case, it´s probably that moment, when you think about the face of enemy you are supposed to shoot.
This is the moment, when war propaganda has it´s place, because it has to convince masses, that it´s okay to kill the enemy, because he is devil. Think of propaganda against Germans during WWII, against Asad army, against Putin. People were/are brainwashed and forced to take all the German soldiers, all the Asad brave soldiers (actually heroes of our time) or Russians as the devil himself. Otherwise, they are just the same guys as you.
Asymetrical conflict is something different. Your enemy is probably the guy who decided to run into hills, so he could do bad things to you and you friends or your people. They don´t fight fairly and it´s probably easier to see them as your enemy.
I was in military, but never was in combat. But I was thinking about, that it could come to point, when I would be forced to shoot someone. But the same I feel, when I am out. There´s not any change in my mindset, maybe I feel that situation is even more likely to come. I am from Europe and bad times are coming. Generally, just have a look what conflict happened past 30 years. And it was just after disintegration of USSR. Now, environment in much more unstable, imagine upcoming 30 years.
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