Can we be a Syria?
May 12, 2011 7:42 PM Subscribe
What would it take for the National Guard to shoot at unarmed citizens? Is it easier than we might think?
The United States likes to take the moral high ground, but I think morality can bend if under the right conditions. In 1970 there were the Kent State shootings. Just days earlier, the Ohio governor called the students revolutionaries and traitors. Feeling threatened and under orders, they fired indiscriminately at students, without using judgement to see if those students were valid targets.
Then there are the Syrian, Egyptian, Yemen and Libyan attacks on fellow countrymen. Under stress, soldiers make a lot of mistakes and under pressure of disobeying orders, soldiers will think differently. In general, those soldiers will shoot directly at their own people, even if unarmed.
If there were mass protests and general strikes in US cities today, that had the feel of a revolt and the potential to spread to other cities, how far would our government go to retain order? What would a commanding officer do if in charge of a unit? What would an enlisted man do if ordered to fire? Could you make the wrong judgment calls if under pressure?
The United States likes to take the moral high ground, but I think morality can bend if under the right conditions. In 1970 there were the Kent State shootings. Just days earlier, the Ohio governor called the students revolutionaries and traitors. Feeling threatened and under orders, they fired indiscriminately at students, without using judgement to see if those students were valid targets.
Then there are the Syrian, Egyptian, Yemen and Libyan attacks on fellow countrymen. Under stress, soldiers make a lot of mistakes and under pressure of disobeying orders, soldiers will think differently. In general, those soldiers will shoot directly at their own people, even if unarmed.
If there were mass protests and general strikes in US cities today, that had the feel of a revolt and the potential to spread to other cities, how far would our government go to retain order? What would a commanding officer do if in charge of a unit? What would an enlisted man do if ordered to fire? Could you make the wrong judgment calls if under pressure?
This post was deleted for the following reason: this seems like chatfilter what-if stuff that can't be answered in its current form. -- mathowie
This seems a little chatfiltery
posted by pyro979 at 7:49 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by pyro979 at 7:49 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
This is a conversation. There is no answer to this question.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 7:59 PM on May 12, 2011
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 7:59 PM on May 12, 2011
You should probably instead be asking about the legal bases of such a move (e.g., declaring martial law in the US), or something similarly concrete. There is far too much "what would happen if x" here.
posted by matlock expressway at 7:59 PM on May 12, 2011
posted by matlock expressway at 7:59 PM on May 12, 2011
This is going to get deleted, but there are interesting questions in here. If you make another try of it, you might want to separate out some of these questions:
In recent history, under what peacetime circumstances have soldiers shot at their own (unarmed) people?
What are the signs that violence about to be unleashed onto peaceful and/or unarmed demonstrators? (e.g., the statements by the governor of Ohio.)
Are there any statements and/or past actions by the current U.S. government that indicate how far it would go to retain "order" in the face of mass protests?
posted by Ashley801 at 8:05 PM on May 12, 2011
In recent history, under what peacetime circumstances have soldiers shot at their own (unarmed) people?
What are the signs that violence about to be unleashed onto peaceful and/or unarmed demonstrators? (e.g., the statements by the governor of Ohio.)
Are there any statements and/or past actions by the current U.S. government that indicate how far it would go to retain "order" in the face of mass protests?
posted by Ashley801 at 8:05 PM on May 12, 2011
I'd also ask, if I were you: where can I find studies of/interviews with commanding officers or enlisted men who have been ordered to fire on unarmed civilians.
posted by Ashley801 at 8:07 PM on May 12, 2011
posted by Ashley801 at 8:07 PM on May 12, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Orders to shoot, probably.
posted by mhoye at 7:46 PM on May 12, 2011