Yes, it’s another piercing glimpse into the maybe not so obvious, provided by our friends over at strategypage.com. “Research turned up the fact those who had killed someone in combat, were 40 percent more likely to show symptoms of PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder] or similar symptoms found in those who suffered concussions from roadside bombs.” It’s better to be shot at than shoot? Who’d a thunk it? The majority of the article chronicles the Army’s attempts to deal with the political correctness that enabled Muslim psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan’s murderous rampage at Fort Hood. But there’s a fascinating link between the two subjects . . .
Some counter-terrorism researchers see a connection between PTSD and the kind of mental state often found in Islamic terrorists, or those inclined to violent behavior in the name of some religious or political beliefs. The assessments are trying to detect those who are strongly inclined towards unauthorized violent behavior. It’s a tricky business, because soldiers are conditioned and trained to undertake authorized violent behavior.
Which raises an interesting question: do you want soldiers who think for themselves or soldiers who obey the right authority without question? Im’ thinking . . . yes.
[Occasional TTAG commentator and full-time liberal Dan Baum wrote eloquently on the subject of PTSD for The New Yorker. Click here to read The Price of Valor.]