hard questions, of us all.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

Well, firstly, I would flee the country or go to jail before I would be conscripted in a war. Conscripts are slaves.

Second, if I was forced to go and not given a choice then I would drop my weapon and flee at the first opportunity.

Thirdly, if I was a totally different person and fought in such a war, I would not kill an unarmed combatant. Only nations of evil would engage in such actions.

[Luna 831 466]

Orders are orders you follow them to a t

[Cosmonaut 76]

Even if I have to go to war, I'll never try to kill ANYONE. I'll try to take this man/woman prisoner and not kill them. 

[FlitterFlutter 1,583]

honestly this question seams odd, why would your officer tell you to shoot an unarmed man? but ignoring that, the fact he is a brony would mean nothing to me, I would not shoot him not because he is a brony but because he is unarmed.  

[Anneal 2,197]

Well, firstly, I would flee the country or go to jail before I would be conscripted in a war. Conscripts are slaves.

Second, if I was forced to go and not given a choice then I would drop my weapon and flee at the first opportunity.

Thirdly, if I was a totally different person and fought in such a war, I would not kill an unarmed combatant. Only nations of evil would engage in such actions.

Conscription is controversial, but is justified during war time or for some other reason. In Taiwan, we kind of conscript males from 18 to 25 to be in the military for about a year, mostly because everyone fears that someday, China is going to come in and try to reclaim Taiwan. The conscription laws are bein g repealed soon. Same thing with Israel due to the debatable conflict with the Palestians and the Middle East.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

If the soldier lost his weapons and was either taken prisoner, deserted, or otherwise out of the battle, then he or she is considered a non-combatnant. It is against the Geneva Conventions to kill a non-combatnant or cruelly treat a prisoner.

 

If a higher authority gives you an action that clearly violates the Geneva Conventions, you may choose not to do that action. This has nothing to do with being a brony or not.

Actually, according to most NATO interpretations of the Geneva conventions, if he is still in uniform then he is considered a combatant. So while you may not miss treat him once you take him prisoner, while on the battlefield (as defined by the area of operations) if he is in uniform, he is a combatant, regardless of armament. If he makes no obvious move to surrender ie walking slowly towards you with hands raises, then by the conventions he is still considered a combatant. However, once it is clear that he is surrendering, then he is a POW and must be treated according to the conventions.

 

 

As for what I would do, it depends on how he approaches me. If he does so in a manner that is obviously and clearly surrender, then I will take him as a POW and transfer him to the pow control point and inform my squad leader and platoon sergeant. If he simply runs towards me without a weapon, and my XO or CO tells me to shoot, then I will as my experience with VBIEDS and PBIEDS leads me to believe that this brony is running towards me with a bomb attached to him.

[Anneal 2,197]

Actually, according to most NATO interpretations of the Geneva conventions, if he is still in uniform then he is considered a combatant. So while you may not miss treat him once you take him prisoner, while on the battlefield (as defined by the area of operations) if he is in uniform, he is a combatant, regardless of armament. If he makes no obvious move to surrender ie walking slowly towards you with hands raises, then by the conventions he is still considered a combatant. However, once it is clear that he is surrendering, then he is a POW and must be treated according to the conventions.

 

 

As for what I would do, it depends on how he approaches me. If he does so in a manner that is obviously and clearly surrender, then I will take him as a POW and transfer him to the pow control point and inform my squad leader and platoon sergeant. If he simply runs towards me without a weapon, and my XO or CO tells me to shoot, then I will as my experience with VBIEDS and PBIEDS leads me to believe that this brony is running towards me with a bomb attached to him.

It's kind of difficult to tell now, since the enemy doesn't necessarily follow the conventions and sometimes play by their own rules. The Conventions only set down the standards of warfare so it doesn't cause any unnecessary damage, as what happened in WWII.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

It's kind of difficult to tell now, since the enemy doesn't necessarily follow the conventions and sometimes play by their own rules. The Conventions only set down the standards of warfare so it doesn't cause any unnecessary damage, as what happened in WWII.

The OP was rather unclear as well. As it does not say if he is just running around the battlefield without a weapon, or if he is making it obvious that he is surrendering. And even in modern conventional wars (like the UK vs Argentina in the falklands war) both sides tend to not follow the conventions. So it would really, really depend on how the other combatant is acting, what his body language is, and what condition he is in that really determines how I proceed. If he is just sprinting towards me, even if he has no visible arms at the ready, I am not taking chances, and I am putting him down. However if he is obviously surrendering, then I would disobey the command to fire upon him, and proceed with normal search and seizure practice. 

[Silver Letter 1,832]

 

 

Conscription is controversial, but is justified during war time or for some other reason

I think it is impossible to impose a desire to defend one's country. A person either has it or does not. A country should be one where its citizens want to fight to defend it at any cost. Not where they have to be forced; it is the ideal to have.

[RrVPfX9cPtw59FpC 1,304]

Great, he's a brony. Dun care. I wouldn't shoot either way. I would never shoot anyone.

[Retired Commissar 305]

I'd shoot him.
It's him or me.

BECAUSE THE COMMISSAR DEMANDS YOU SHOOT THE FASCIST!

[jaime_lion 56]

interesting question the likely hood of never happening to me cause i am probably exempt from military unless some weird circumstance but if it did happen what I would do depends on the situation.

 

1 if it was a we are fighting and there are no repercussions for not fighting you I would leave said individual alone. and maybe fight another one or something. 

 

2 But if it was a "if you turn around we kill you your only hope of living is to fight" then I would probably become a pow. 

 

But this is all very subjective and I really don't feel right talking about it cause i know very little about war. all I know is from sun tzu's art of war and such. but a personal philosophy of mine is l should  be a stepping stone for someone else to rise.

[Mr.Mort 15]

Regardless of whether they are a brony or not it is wrong to execute an unarmed man in such a way. I will take them prisoner but I refuse to take the life of someone who doesn't have ability to defend themselves.

[wowowowo 132]

ask him which pony is best pony if he dosnt say rarity bang if he does bang orders are orders also they strap bombs to some people who look innocent so who knows if he can be trusted

[skysweep 541]

Even if a passage seems dark, there must be light at one end or another. I refuse to be pessimatic about humanity, even if we sometimes act foolishly. There must be a solution for everything, and if we want to make a difference, we need to be different ourselves.

 

If we lose hope in humanity, then we have no reason to live anymore. Which is why we still hope. If we didn't hope and dream, we couldn't have come this far to begin with. If you came here because you thought bronies were better, then you're wrong, because you're missing out on some million-some people out there, brony or not, who do have good intentions and want to create something instead of staying in their small little hole.

 

It seems our generation is being more pessimistic and losing hope every day. I'm pretty dismayed myself when I see someone commit suicide or just break down completely. I think most of us are forgetting what's keepingus together anymore.

 

Well, its nice you think that way, and i totally respect that. But the people losing hope, have good reason. This world is a lot more messed up than people would think. I should know. I lived trying to design things, to progress towards the future. Its only when one reached high enough to poke above the clouds, do you see the tornado on the horizon. That scares people. 

 

And its not that bronies are better than anyone else. There are always good people and bad people anywhere, and people who want to make a difference. I came here because its my....spiritual home in essence, and people here wont judge me for trying to do something insane like this. Basically, there is richness everywhere, but we all rather go for the mines we know are richer first, especially one so close to home. 

 

Also, I would like to ask, what to you, is keeping us together?

[Anneal 2,197]

Well, its nice you think that way, and i totally respect that. But the people losing hope, have good reason. This world is a lot more messed up than people would think. I should know. I lived trying to design things, to progress towards the future. Its only when one reached high enough to poke above the clouds, do you see the tornado on the horizon. That scares people. 

 

And its not that bronies are better than anyone else. There are always good people and bad people anywhere, and people who want to make a difference. I came here because its my....spiritual home in essence, and people here wont judge me for trying to do something insane like this. Basically, there is richness everywhere, but we all rather go for the mines we know are richer first, especially one so close to home. 

 

Also, I would like to ask, what to you, is keeping us together?

Pretty much the answer, right there. We're always trying to find answers, and while all of us are special, we can't do it ourselves. If we continue to search, then eventually we're going to find something new and become happier and connected. It's kind of like connecting the dots; if one was missing, then the picture would be incomplete.

 

That same right to question is what made us go to space (which also brought the Americans and Russians together), discover a new land nearly a millennia ago, or build fascinating inventions to do actions people once thought were impossible. As long as this individuality remains, people will start to think outside the box and bundle together.

[\/ 651]

I lay down my gun and stand in front of the person, risking my life and stating I want peace. I ask that their life is spared and that we organize some diplomacy mission.

[Commander Shep-herd 64]

I would refuse to fire. Suggest we take him/her as a bargaining chip, assuming the enemies of my country are also taking prisoners, and trade this prisoner for some of ours. Therefore. nobody dies (in this instance anyway) and I keep my values and humanity. Whether the prisoner is a brony or not would not affect my decision. We're two sides of the same coin, both brought into a war that neither of us wanted to be apart of. Though thinking about it, the officer might shoot the prisoner instead, regardless of the Geneva Convention. War can bring out the worst of us and can make some people do terrible things. In any case, I wouldn't shoot an unarmed soldier unless it was in self-defence. 

[Magnum Flare 553]

I would shoot him but not kill him. Just make a sign of play dead to the person. WIn. 

If the commander finished him off, I would go 

[Solid 1,327]

We are part of the group of people that will try to stop these kind of things from happening.

[skysweep 541]

I have been reading and looking in detail at the answers given, and I thank you all for your responses. I would say it is quite insightful.

 

It is quite heartening that a lot of faith is present in fandoms it seems. Its also quite nice to see people take this in an intelligent manner, along with being emotional and ethical as well.

 

This, along with a few other views into other fandoms, seems to show that there is a higher proportion of people who want a change to current societal systems, along with a lot stronger opinions on the matter. Its quite a heartening view of things.

[Freewave 1,145]

Oh boy this is a really far out dumb question. I really don't worry about being forced to become a ground soldier and having to fight other bronies for other countries and probably neither should you. :okiedokielokie: That's just not how the world works.

[Cyan Blue 946]

Take him as a prisoner, or kill him.

 

Pretty standard answer.

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

I pull out my gun and aim hesitantly at the enemy soldier and wait for the officer to scream "that is a direct order" and either

 

A pull the trigger on fear and kill the enemy

 

B go into adrenaline mode and shoot every friendly soldier with me in the leg then disarm them all

 

C reenact a scene from my fan fic where I miss purposely and everypony walks away (if that fails then I would go back to B.)

 

D turn around to my own comrades and aim my weapon at the officer

 

E tell them there is no honor in killing a unarmed man and convince them that letting one soldier go wouldn't change much

 

F question why I'm even in the Army

Edited July 25, 2014 by PonygamesFluttershy