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Uh, pardon my slip, Parnell, that should have read, "...carpet bombing of
Germany..."
posted by
saul_relative
on December 30, 2006 at 10:46 AM
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Research indicates that, Parnell, although there is the dread of dying and
the overshadowing unease that goes along with constant diligence, that the civilian population suffers far less during a war (as far as psychological trauma) because they are not killing their fellow man face to face. Even the victims of the Blitz in England and the carpet bombings in Georgia did not suffer the psychological stress disorders of the common soldier, nor even the bombardiers. It seems that accepting a possible death from the sky was and is psychologically more palatable than the terrible trauma of dealing with killing in combat. I am not trying to excuse or pardon any of the performers, Parnell, just relaying research. And you're correct about soldiers having a choice, to a limited degree. But an idyllic soldier, one who really wars for peace, is an oxymoron...
posted by
saul_relative
on December 30, 2006 at 10:40 AM
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Saul
As I've said before on Blogit, soldiers make a choice to go to war. Innocent civilians don't get up in the morning and make a choice to be bombed.
Perhaps we should reserve more sympathy for the real victims of psychological abuse...
posted by
Antipodean
on December 30, 2006 at 12:27 AM
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Right you are, Presley, and exactly the point I was attempting to make.
There are so many real costs of war in terms of the human ramifications, not simply the effect through economics and logistics...
posted by
saul_relative
on December 27, 2006 at 7:49 PM
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Saul Relative
I can only imagine what the numbers would be if they tallied up the number of family members whose lives were turned upside down either by losing a soldier, a loved one, or had to deal with the return of a soldier who was unable to recover from what he/she experienced. What about the kids who lose a parent or in some cases, both parents. There is so much more to think about rather than dollars, cents, and the tally of lives lost. Good quote!
posted by
Presley
on December 27, 2006 at 3:39 PM
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There are few things more heart-wrenching than the battle-scarred soldier
whose scars are on the inside, afzal, unable to deal with family, friends, and society. A lot of these guys come home seemingly unscathed, but then they can't forget where they've been and what they've seen...
posted by
saul_relative
on December 26, 2006 at 8:00 PM
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Thought provoking quote.
posted by
afzal50
on December 26, 2006 at 6:28 PM
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