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Interview with a brigadier

Douglas G A Murray | 30.10.2002 19:52

The culture of bullying and non-combat deaths in the army.

The families young soldiers who have died at British bases gathered at Westminster to demand a public inquiry. They alledge that their is a"culture of bullying" in the Army. They said that nearly 1,800 young servicemen and women had died outside combat since 1990.
These people are finding it difficult to understand why people who are being trained to kill should treat each other badly. They do not see why people who are being brutalised and inured to the effects of acts of extreme
violence on other people should begin to treat each other with any less respect as human beings.
The government is very reluctant to allow a public enquiry into these deaths as it fears it may find that training people to have a predisposition for violence ingrains them with a predisposition to violence. We have managed to get an interview with a Brigadier.

Hard News: Brigadier, would you say that training people to kill makes them more violent?
Brigadier Nick Cotton: We dont just train them to kill, we train them to incapacitate as well as kill. We also train people to cook, clean, drive, build and operate a variety of tools and equipment.
Hard News: The purpose of this is to maintain the efficiency of the honed killing machine that is the British army
Brigadier Nick Cotton: If you will let me finish, what I am saying is that our soldiers are not trained as savages, they are taught to respect authority at all times and to adhere to a rigid chain of command.
Hard News: You don't think that this pervading culture of authority would in any way encourage soldiers of the same rank to compete amongst themselves.
Brigadier Nick Cotton: Very much so, we encourage them to compete amongst themselves
Hard News: You dont think that by being encouraged to thinking more of the top performing soldiers that they will automatically think less of the soldiers who perform less well. These soldiers would in no way express this
with disdparaging comments?
Brigadier Nick Cotton: Anyone who feels that they are being in any way abused is encouraged to approach their commanding officer.
Hard News: And this would in no way we seen as a sign of weakness or inability to operate under pressure?
Brigadier Nick Cotton: We don't shoot people because they feel unable to cope
Hard News: Not now maybe, but you certainly used to.
Brigadier Nick Cotton: Are you suggesting that we physically and mentally abuse those under our command?
Hard News: Because you believe it will make them more likely to kill and less likely to question authority, yes
Brigadier Nick Cotton: I'm not going to sit here and be insulted like this
Hard News: I think you'll find that your soldiers have to stand to attention and be insulted with much more colourful language you ignorant f**k.

Bill Hicks Style Opinion:
What the f**k did their families think the armies culture was like?
Bye mom I'm off to learn how to kill people as a professional soldier
Thats nice dear, don't foget how to write. Remember how to scream for me when you're lying in a fox hole trying to stuff your intestines back in by hand.

Douglas G A Murray
available at Http://www.hard-news.co.uk and Http://www.poetry.com

Douglas G A Murray
- e-mail: hairyscotsman2@yahoo.com
- Homepage: www.hard-news.co.uk