From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Tue Dec 22 1998 - 23:22:07 MST
> Emmanuel Charpentier
> > I read somewhere that a spanish group of soldiers did organise
> > itself democratically or anarchistically (?), but that they only managed
> > to lose their battles. Has anybody heard about that or such
> > experiments...?
one common characteristic of every army that has ever been is that
fanatic discipline is crucial. any army where soldiers choose which
orders to obey hasnt a chance, not one chance in hell, against an
organized opponent. in fact, modern warfare research is trying to
push the command and control technology even further than it
has already advanced, which is far.
in military basic training, the job of the drill instructor is to take the
recruit and tear down any self esteem based on anything other than
his ability to follow orders. at the start of basic, the recruits are
called magots, slimeballs, children, whatever. as they progress, a
new self esteem is built based on their teamwork ability and blind
obedience.
the worst insult you can give a soldier is to call him a mutineer.
consider the straw that broke the camel's back in "mutiny on the
bounty." captain bly did all kinds of cruel mean things, but fletcher
christian was deeply, profoundly wounded when bly called him
a "mutinous dog." you can call a sailor a dog if you want,
but if you call him a mutinous anything, you best be ready to use
yer fists. spike
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