Just following orders

[Fairminded]

A common excuse, and in many cases the mitigating circumstances that get low ranking soldiers and officers out of punishment.

Let's just do some brainstorming, though. Studies have shown that top business executives and politicians have a significantly increased percentage of psychopaths compared to the general population, in most instances the overwhelming majority. Notorious for their inability to feel empathy or sympathy and their selfish motivations, these people are nature's power abusers. Left unchecked, they'll commit large scale atrocities without hesitation if they can get away with it.

Now let's look at civilian populations under the rule of oppressive regimes. Even accepting that most people are generally decent and would protest evil acts we see that those who do protest either have their lives destroyed through loss of career and prestige, imprisonment, or even disappearance (read execution). After seeing such public displays, most civilians remain silence in defiance of their conscience. The only time rioting and population wide rebellions occur is when the oppressive regime goes too far and commits too public an atrocity. But by then much evil has been done.

So who is the lynchpin? The people with guns. The soldiers, policemen, and enforcers. The minority of psychopaths in charge rely on them to be their thugs and enforce their will. The people rarely have the training or equipment to resist them, and can be quickly subdued by overwhelming shows of force or a campaign of steady abuses to destroy their will.

At the same time individuals within the military and law enforcement can expect the same treatment as civilians for speaking up. One key difference is that they live within the brotherhood of their respective organization, and for the elite to force their thugs to go against their own too often will create resentment and eventual rebellion.

My conclusion is that, while the control lies with the elite, the bulk of the POWER rests in the hands of those who serve them. As long as they obey, they have power over those unable or unwilling to defend themselves against their overwhelming force.

Which means that, far from being an excuse, "just following orders" becomes any individual's greatest condemnation.

This assumes a largely unarmed populace. While military and law enforcement can certainly terrorize an armed populace, they'll eventually face large-scale armed resistance, and each instance of resistance they put down will serve to fan the flames of rebellion. The civilian population can have more power than the thugs for oppressive regimes as long as they have the tools to resist such oppression.

Which means if we lose our guns, we'll be entirely in the mercy of the people who deal with citizens with one hand never leaving their service weapon, and believe it's "US vs. THEM".

[gclayjr]

As Lord Acton said....


"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

... The answer is more freedom and less power concentrated into any hands...

Regards,

George Clay

[ajax]

As Lord Acton said....


"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

... The answer is more freedom and less power concentrated into any hands...

Regards,

George Clay

+1 George, now go copy and paste this onto the Forced Military Service thread.

[gclayjr]

ajax,

Look at my posts in forced military service and you will see that I am consistent. A draft drives everyone into a more active role in the governing of our society. This means that Leaders will have to be much more cautious in the use of the military or they will have a civil war on their hands.

History has proven over and over that leaders who have mercenaries at their disposal tend to be much more free in using those mercenaries for their own political desires.

I want to have individuals more involved in the defense of our country, and the power to easily wage war removed from our leaders.

You all cite the corruption that allows our leaders to engage in frivilous foreign was, and I agree. I just believe that a nation with a citizen military, and no mercenaries is less likely to let their leader engage in such adventures than a country with only a professional military and hired civilian mercenaries.

Regards,

George Clay

[Fairminded]

ajax,

Look at my posts in forced military service and you will see that I am consistent. A draft drives everyone into a more active role in the governing of our society. This means that Leaders will have to be much more cautious in the use of the military or they will have a civil war on their hands.

History has proven over and over that leaders who have mercenaries at their disposal tend to be much more free in using those mercenaries for their own political desires.

I want to have individuals more involved in the defense of our country, and the power to easily wage war removed from our leaders.

You all cite the corruption that allows our leaders to engage in frivilous foreign was, and I agree. I just believe that a nation with a citizen military, and no mercenaries is less likely to let their leader engage in such adventures than a country with only a professional military and hired civilian mercenaries.

Regards,

George Clay

There is definitely something to that. The wars are bankrupting us, public sentiment has shifted way against them, and a draft would cause further discontent among the people.

There are some theories going around that discontent is what the PTB want. Civil unrest has been a classic step to subverting a nation's economy and pillaging their resources.