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Originally Posted by belthazor3457
Very well.
If you're a child soldier in parts of africa (and they're not confined just to africa for the record) and you're one of those people forced to partake in acts of violence through no choice of your own (and this can happen to kids barely old enough to hold a gun, child soldiers can be, for example, age 5-15, most of the warlords in certain areas of the world arn't too picky about your exact age) often times you will be exposed to the amoral parts of warfare (that are kept out of the media eye). For example, suppose you had to kill everyone in a village because your enemy's forces are going to take the village soon and you need to pull out - so you must of course kill all the villagers to prevent them from growing crops / producing food / giving medical aid and lodging to your enemy. This is often coupled with burning down the buildings once all the villagers are killed. In this scenario, did you know that you can save lots of ammunition by rounding up all the villagers, making them dig a large pit, and burying them all alive? Saves a lot of bullets if your people are short on supplies - and in a lot of the more wartorn areas of the world, good luck going in and out of that span of your life well fed. A lot of people wind up with starvation-based dwarfism. Food is precious in a combat area when you did not have the good fortune to be part of one of the major military world powers. The more benevolent warlords will often offer a carrot or stick approach. Hey, you're a kid, you're coming to fight for us, and if you do, you and your family get food. Your family will be safe and sound... all you have to do is carry this rifle and do what we tell you. When you are placed in that position, it will not matter how many innocent people you kill, villages you burn, etc. Through your actions, your family can remain safe and fed. At that point, you are the good guy. It doesn't matter how many villagers you've shot, buried alive, tortured for information despite high probability that they know nothing... you're the good guy. Especially for children, let's say... Joe. Joe is a seven year old boy. Joe was drafted to fight. If Joe deserts his comrades (goes absent without leave) and tries to escape his position, his family will be killed. If he does not desert, his family will be fed - as will he. For the most part, anyway. All Joe has to do is give his loyalty. Joe, showing gigantic aptitude at leadership, firmly holding the belief that he is the "good guy" as all of his actions keep his family safe. And he is, after his 12th birthday, (This would be around his fifth year of service) educated on how to write and read, and is given a position of control over a small group of soldiers. Joe has shot a few dozen people in battle, and participated in the killing of villagers under his predecessor. But, as with all lifespans in this scenario, his predecessor is killed and needs to be replaced. Joe takes control. Joe's forces need to pull out of a village before it is taken by their enemy. Joe orders the villagers to be killed and the village burned down. He's done this with... let's say five or six villages in the time he has been in service. By the standards that the western world likes to apply, Joe is a "war criminal" - but Joe is also 12 year old child. Furthermore, Joe had no control over his situation... kinda like people who get drafted, but instead of having yourself banned from coming back into the united states for dodging the draft, your family is killed. As far as Joe knows, Joe is a good guy. Joe protected his family, and protected his soldiers that are loyal to him, as well as their families by proxy. That's all that matters. Once a year, Joe gets the privlidge of visiting his family - and he does so with a clear conscience, knowing that his siblings and parents are well fed and protected through his actions... as are the families of those who assist him in killing villagers. In this scenario you are faced with the void of utter ruthlessness. It can traumatize adults, imagine what it does to the mind of a child. But as far as Joe knows, Joe is the good guy in this story. Because mommy and daddy are safe. Because little sister was never raped. Because little brother didn't have to fight and see what Joe has seen or do what Joe has done. And because they all have the miracle of food and water. Such a first world convenience to not be starving! Imagine being able to live a little bit like westerners! Actually having food! Isn't that amazing? Our warlord is so very generous that our families get to be fed. Joe gets to sleep at night with a clear conscience. Yet, were he an adult, the west would identify him as a clearly evil "War crimminal" - for no reason other than his age. ...so, my point is, evil is up to interpretation. = ) |
