- War is better than sex!

[Hitti-Litti]

That doesn't excuse their actions, nor excuse them from the "rightful" punishment.

Those Norwegian soldiers are trained and paid by the government to perform their duty as soldier when the country will call them to action.
Their duty means to kill enemy combatant, no surprise that those soldier are proud of accomplish their mission and finally pay back the country for years of investment in them.

This is the correct reading of Major Kristian Simonsen 's words "I have deployed my forces with the intent to kill, and that has been a successful choice. [...] I don't reflect much over the fact of having taken someone's life. They chose for themselves to enter the battlefield with the intention to kill us, so then we're equally good. We are two parties in a war"

the next quoted sentence is also very clear to understand:
"It was fantastic when I heard that we probably have killed the Taliban-leader who made the road bomb [IED] that killed Jokke [Norwegian soldier killed not too long ago]."
One of the enemy leaders who's action caused the death of a comrade got his retribution.
Is there any reason to be sad about it?

This whole "war" thing is one sad, sorry business.

This. Of course they might be glad after getting a revenge on the killer of their fellow soldier, but if they're glad because they've managed to kill the killer... well, that's wrong in my opinion. After all, we have courts and such where we can give some justice to Taliban members, no need to kill them or especially be glad about killing them.

 

[wolfigor]

This. Of course they might be glad after getting a revenge on the killer of their fellow soldier, but if they're glad because they've managed to kill the killer... well, that's wrong in my opinion. After all, we have courts and such where we can give some justice to Taliban members, no need to kill them or especially be glad about killing them.

They are fighting a war and shooting on people that will shoot at them: in that context the talibans are the enemy, no need to have a process.
Imagine if during WW2 allied soldier had to capture, gather evidence, and go on several processes/appeals instead of shooting at nazi soldiers... all Europe would be talking German by now.

 

[berkut]

Legal or not, this is what is called SADISM

 

[Leifmk]

You will taste man-flesh!

 

[Maaximillus]

Til Valhall!

I can understand that "feeling" of combat is fun. A simple enough person would not think about the killing and the morale, but just enjoy the adrenaline rush and more realistic game play than any game can offer.

While I am not disgusted or anything by their opinion, I still think it is immoral and evil.

 

[Hitti-Litti]

They are fighting a war and shooting on people that will shoot at them: in that context the talibans are the enemy, no need to have a process.
Imagine if during WW2 allied soldier had to capture, gather evidence, and go on several processes/appeals instead of shooting at nazi soldiers... all Europe would be talking German by now.

I meant that it is natural for them to be glad because they managed to get their revenge on the Taliban, but it's sadistic if they're glad because they killed Taliban members. There's a difference between getting joy out of avenging and getting joy out of killing.

 

[_random_]

If every death is tragic then wouldn't it be best to choose the path with the least suffering and death overall? The Taliban are a negative influence on the world and particularly damaging to the Afghan people themselves. Removing them is a step towards a world with less violent deaths and better living conditions, especially for the women of Afghanistan.



I agree that human life does have a certain natural worth, but I also believe that people need to be held accountable for their actions. The Taliban militants have actively engaged in attacks on a civilian population for the purpose of reinstating an oppressive and backwards regime. The Taliban have not been robbed of their intrinsic value as human beings, they freely gave it away when they committed atrocities.

This all seems a tad too utilitarian for my tastes.

 

[Colonel]

They are soldiers yes? They are intended to kill the enemy yes? People are happy when they succeed yes? Why do we have to feel bad when we do our jobs correctly? WTF is wrong with people, should you be sad when you win a football game? Should you be sad when you get a raise for doing a good job? Should you be sad when you've done the RIGHT thing? I ask this again WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!

 

[Adrogans]

Even if they're not nice guys, there are still people who care about them. Even if they're seriously evil and misguided, so are most people, albeit to a lesser extent. That doesn't rob them of their intrinsic value as human beings.

Yes it does.

 

[_random_]

Yes it does.

Why? 5chars

 

[innonimatu]

"It is well that war is so terrible, else we would grow too fond of it." - Robert E Lee

Some fraction of the people will always grow fond of it. And small professional armies will always tend to select these when they are fighting wars. That's the one reason I dislike the idea of professional armies.

Anyway, my take is that it's better to run the risk of having those and keeping them in a tight leash, that to draft people to wars they don't care about.
The norwegians should tighten it, or reconsider the usefulness of their little central asian excursion.

 

[Traitorfish]

They are soldiers yes? They are intended to kill the enemy yes? People are happy when they succeed yes? Why do we have to feel bad when we do our jobs correctly? WTF is wrong with people, should you be sad when you win a football game? Should you be sad when you get a raise for doing a good job? Should you be sad when you've done the RIGHT thing? I ask this again WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!

There is a difference between being satisfied from a job well done that happens to involve killing, and deriving satisfaction from killing itself. The former is the province of the professional soldier, the latter of the barbarian. The question, then, is to what extent the latter applies, and to what extent this dilutes the validity of their satisfaction.

I am reminded of the Víkingasveitin, Iceland's elite "Viking Squad" anti-terrorist unit, who pride themselves in having never deployed lethal force. Military professionalism, that seems to suggest, has no necessary reliance upon killing.

Not all people are good and not all life is sacred.

Whenever you talk, I hear Kier Hardie's comments on the capitalistic worship of Mammon ringing in my ears.

 

[Tee Kay]

WTF is wrong with people, should you be sad when you win a football game?

Football games don't usually kill people.

 

[Patroklos]

Killing people is irrelevant to the emotions the soldiers expressed. Unless you are going to maintain that they would get the same pleasure from mowing down soccer moms in a shopping center, they are very clearly talking about killing TALIBAN and nobody else.

 

[amadeus]

Why get excited over such small potatoes?



The B-1 Lancer has an internal payload capacity of 125,000 lbs. When used properly, this can kill more Afghans in ten minutes than 100 Norwegians given a week's worth of time.

 

[Akka]

Legal or not, this is what is called SADISM

Mmh, nah, that's "power trip". "Sadism" is different, even if it include a lot of stuff about power too.

 

[Traitorfish]

Killing people is irrelevant to the emotions the soldiers expressed. Unless you are going to maintain that they would get the same pleasure from mowing down soccer moms in a shopping center, they are very clearly talking about killing TALIBAN and nobody else.

Except that humans aren't that simple, and it is quite possible for people to take satisfaction from legitimised killing (in and of itself) when their moral sensibilities would otherwise disallow them from doing so. Nobody's suggesting that they are foaming-at-the-mouth berserkers, simply that the may be lacking in professionalism.

 

[Moff Jerjerrod]

Why all this talk about which is better? Why not combine the two activities for that indescribably feeling of combined ecstasy?


Image what the rush would be when firing one gun at the enemy and the other into a tunnel of love?

 

[luiz]

Whenever you talk, I hear Kier Hardie's comments on the capitalistic worship of Mammon ringing in my ears.

I don't see what is Mammon-ish about the comment you quoted. You should research your insults better.

 

[Luckymoose]

War is better than sex because after you kill a man there is no one pestering you for pillow talk.