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Old 01-15-2010, 12:40 PM   #20
Aikibu
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Re: Hormonal & Psychological Responses to Combat

Quote:
Erick Mead wrote: View Post
The U.S Military has proven -- empirically-- that the number of those not readily trainable to be killers because of a deeply held unwillingness to kill is around 1/2 of 1% (WWII had 10,000,000 draftees v. 52,000 conscientious objectors).
Help me here Eric...How is does being drafted imply a willingness to kill? I suggest that your statistical conjecture needs more proofing before it can be accepted as fact. Referring back to Lynn's Numbers in an earlier post for a moment.... The "trigger pullers" amounted to what percentage of the overall force?

Heres a little movie metaphor which frames our discussion perfectly "Saving Private Ryan." And also the underrated but still excellent "When Trumpets Fade."

Quote:
I think you also do not see the value in Hillman's Jungian mythological approach in helping to grasp Ueshiba's own mythological approach. To me that is immensely helpful and informative -- especially the "Hymn to Ares" -- in which the God of War is appealed to CONTROL the forces of war in human hearts and societies. That is very close to Ueshiba's way of thinking, I believe.

I recently saw some of the complexity of this point put much better in a quote I came across:

"A desire to commit violence is not the same thing as a desire to commit evil."

I am not Jewish, but the Chabad folks have excellent theological insights to similar effect on Jacob and Esau and good and evil, and the role of violence in goodness and that speak to some of the same issues:
With all due respect Eric I got what Hillman was trying to say and agree with some of it...I just wish he put his analysis on better statistical footing and was not so insecure about by trying to explain to the reader his qualifications.

John Keegan's books are a much better fact based gauge on how men act in war and he was never shot at in anger nor did he have to explain why he felt qualified to write about the subject matter.

Keep in mind I am not trying to win an argument here... I am just stating my opinion.

I appreciate your sharing of what the different Hormonal Responses are under duress.

William Hazen B 2/75
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