Sheepdog Tip of the Day, After Combat tip 129
Those who command atrocities are powerfully bonded by blood and guilt to those who commit atrocities, and to their cause, since only the success of their cause can ensure that they will not have to answer for their actions. With totalitarian dictators, it is their secret police and other such Praetorian guard type units who can be counted on to fight for their leader and their cause to the bitter end. Nicolae Ceauescu's state police in Romania and Hitler's SS units are two examples of units bonded to their leaders by atrocity. By ensuring that their men participate in atrocities, totalitarian leaders can also ensure that for these minions there is no possibility of reconciliation with the enemy. They are inextricably linked to the fate of their leader. Trapped in their logic and their guilt, those who commit atrocities see no alternatives other than total victory or total defeat in a great Gotterdammerung.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Killing
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