Do you have to become a monster to defeat one?

[Theabcking]

[NamerOfStars]

No- but lots of people have a lot invested in believing so. Since society has begun valuing victimhood as a source of status, people have seen ever more value in being helpless: if there's nothing that can be done about a given problem, you don't have to feel like a miserable puke for not doing it.

Tell people they have the power to change things, and they'll thank you; prove to them they have the power to change things, and they'll hate you.

[OlderAndWiser]

Did the Allies act like monsters while defeating Hitler?

[Aerissa_Jade]

Sure did, Especially the Russian's... imagine being a woman in Germany when defeat was coming. Even if you didn't support the war, you were going to be raped.

www.theguardian.com/.../news.features11

The Japanese might argue the US became monsters with nukes, and killing of civilians.

[OlderAndWiser]

@Aerissa_Jade I tend to forget that Russia was wth the Allies in WW II because they have not been among our allies since the day the war ended in Europe. Yes, the Russians were barbarians. I have never read that the US, British, or Canadian troops were monstrous during the war. Of course there may be isolated examples of renegades soldiers but I don't think we were monsters in the European war.

The use of the nukes at the end of WW II is very debatable. The estimates are that 140,000 people died at Hiroshima, and a further 74,000 in Nagasaki. How many would have died if we had proceeded with a ground invasion of Japan? And, of course, the Japanese have no right to talk about barbaric treatment by the US; there treatment of the Chinese and Koreans was far worse anything you have mentioned so far.

[Aerissa_Jade]

Very wise

en.wikipedia.org/.../Rape_during_the_occupation_of_Germany

The other allies were part of it, but at far lesser degrees. Although the American troops at 11k still might be considered high by today's standards was definitely far less than the Russians.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

Nope.

But, you should not fear the monsters. Knowing that there’s even bigger monster hiding in you. Monster’s strength is the fact that you are afraid of him.

The moment you stop being scared, he is not a monster anymore.

I love Sherlock’s words “I might be on the side of the angels, but don’t think for a moment I am one if them.” I feel like these words describe me.

[1GoldTwins]

No, that's a choice. Becoming the monster might be more effective, but the aftermath, the cost might not be worth it.

[Aerissa_Jade]

Yeah, you do... otherwise you risk losing, if you want to win you have to do everything you can no matter how terrible it may be. Just don't expect things to go back to normal afterwards, you might be the new monsters that needs to be put down or locked up.

[Guy13]

No, however, one does have to learn to think like them.

[Anonymous]

sometimes