Killing (was The Captives Problem)

From: Mandacaru <samclau_at_...>
Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:02:28 -0000

Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_...> wrote:
> Remember that the berserkers, the ones whose desire to
> kill was stronger than their desire to live, were
> rare, and feared.

I think this is a key point though. What is the context in which people are willing or no to kill? I think it depends on their belief system.

Sadly, we see all the time people butchering eachother as a result of having dehumanized (in their minds) the other or having been dehumanized themselves.

Bryan's WWI soldiers couldn't do it easily as they knew full well the others were human.

Chris Lemens wrote a very nice exposition on one of the groups recently about a Praxian not regarding a foreigner as like himself, so not giving two hoots if he killed him or no. There has been a lot of genocide recently attributable to groups having been cast as nonhuman  (effectively).

Contrasting belief systems regarding the other person. So, both Rory and Bryan are correct, but it depends (IMO) on this factor.

Regarding being dehumanized oneself, Rio is having a spate of violence (more than usual, that's to say) wherein people are killing with little impunction. A kid involved in drug trafficking, in an interview, was asked if he feared dying. He replied that he didn't - if he died another kid would take his place. He isn't going to care much about killing someone else.

As Jane points out, drugs (in her example adrenaline) can have an effect. Hand-to-hand combat often proceeded by heavy drinking?

Sam.