General Discussion

sarisataka

(22,710 posts)

47. In the past it was true

Thu Oct 30, 2014, 05:53 PM

Oct 2014

most of the research on this comes from the book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society by Dave Grossman (an excellent book which I strongly recommend to anyone with an interest in the subject)

The site you reference below summarizes many of the points Grossman makes. In WW2 the rate of troops effectively engaging the enemy was between 15-20%. The rest would either intentionally shoot to miss or volunteer for jobs to keep them from having to shoot e.g. caring for wounded, retrieving ammo etc.

Since this phenomenon was discovered training has been altered to counteract the natural inclination to avoid killing. In Korea the estimate is 55% would effectively engage and by Viet Nam the number was 90+%.

I have not seen more recent numbers but my experience is that the percentage is still very high.

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Footage reveals U.S. police shooting homeless man 46 times [View all] KamaAina Oct 2014 OP

America: One Nation Under Guns riverbendviewgal Oct 2014 #1

One has to wonder where the other 32 bullets went justiceischeap Oct 2014 #2

I was thinking the same thing. So trigger-happy but so accuracy-sad. arcane1 Oct 2014 #4

A bit OT, but I've heard or read somewhere that soldiers in combat often intentionally fire over the KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #6

If true, it would be a very, very minority of soldiers. GGJohn Oct 2014 #9

Well that is in todays modern army zeemike Oct 2014 #19

I was that Military. GGJohn Oct 2014 #36

So was I...only 5 years older. zeemike Oct 2014 #49

I agree. GGJohn Oct 2014 #55

I feel like I must defer to your life experience, as I have none in the military. I would, however, KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #41

Thanks for the link. GGJohn Oct 2014 #56

Please see sarisataka's post #47 in this thread for a more in-depth discussion. Turns out that, by KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #57

In the past it was true sarisataka Oct 2014 #47

We live in a phucked up society where people think guns joeybee12 Oct 2014 #3

Fucking goons BubbaFett Oct 2014 #5

why taze someone when you can have the pleasure of unloading your weapon into them? spanone Oct 2014 #7

EIGHT cops and not a one of them could come up with some other way to deal logosoco Oct 2014 #8

The man seemed very worried about the barking police dog. They needed to get the dog away Dustlawyer Oct 2014 #14

I didn't even pick up on that. I couldn't watch it with sound, the visuals were bad enough! nt logosoco Oct 2014 #17

These officers are psychopathic. This is what we've come to in America. The Ruling Oligarchs are rhett o rick Oct 2014 #10

Not JUST the officers... FiveGoodMen Oct 2014 #53

It's a Christian nation alright. Enthusiast Oct 2014 #11

Not if you were to ask Christ. rhett o rick Oct 2014 #54

The article says they shot 46 times and hit him 14 times. Even using new math that means rhett o rick Oct 2014 #12

"That's a lot of bullets flying around in public." KansDem Oct 2014 #28

I am reminded of the Cal. police who mistakenly shot up a pickup truck dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #46

That case brings up a lot of questions. What kind of policy is in place where rhett o rick Oct 2014 #50

No act of police sadism surprises me anymore. hifiguy Oct 2014 #13

The New Normal. Life is a fuckin' video game. nt valerief Oct 2014 #15

Can't bring myself to watch the video robbob Oct 2014 #16

He had a pen knife Politicalboi Oct 2014 #24

Well, they didn't behead him, so it's not really barbarism. Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2014 #18

They delivered milk later in the day, so all ok! nt Logical Oct 2014 #20

DUzy! KamaAina Oct 2014 #22

A firing line. Waiting for the order to execute the homeless man. Rex Oct 2014 #21

I'm pretty sure we have our Darren Wilson Award winners for the week. And month. KamaAina Oct 2014 #23

What you're seeing here is an execution. And were afraid of ISIS ?!?!?!?! blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #25

Cold blooded murder/an execution. And every one of those pigs will walk scot free. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #30

I believe this IS ISIS... freebrew Oct 2014 #45

Obvious gun-culture, cop-shoot-first mentality jeffrey_pdx Oct 2014 #26

Yeah, let's focus on hit percentages. blkmusclmachine Oct 2014 #33

Maybe we have a misunderstanding jeffrey_pdx Oct 2014 #61

Imagine if this headline read, "Police shoot wealthy Jewish couple truedelphi Oct 2014 #27

So much for American "justice". TxVietVet Oct 2014 #29

Death by police firing squad sakabatou Oct 2014 #31

Execution by police death squad - nt KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #43

All he police saw was "another nig**r" or in another situation a "piece of white trash" LiberalArkie Oct 2014 #32

How is the not heaven05 Oct 2014 #34

So sad. Dont call me Shirley Oct 2014 #35

32 missed shots... Man from Pickens Oct 2014 #37

Sickening. blackspade Oct 2014 #38

How disgusting. BeanMusical Oct 2014 #39

Indeed. KamaAina Oct 2014 #52

Reminds me of those WW2 photos of the Nazi pumping shots into the Jews standing in front of a geretogo Oct 2014 #40

After they have shot him and then swarmed his dead body like a bunch of ants, tblue37 Oct 2014 #42

Not just shootings. # of LAPD cops convicted of violating Rodney King's civil rights: 4. Number of KingCharlemagne Oct 2014 #44

Hope i read about a HUGE lawsuit, very very soon. n/t dixiegrrrrl Oct 2014 #48

The military wouldn't be able to do this in Iraq. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2014 #51

If you have mental illness undergroundpanther Oct 2014 #58

Tell me about it. KamaAina Oct 2014 #59

What? Did they run out of bullets? grahamhgreen Oct 2014 #60