The good news is that most soldiers are loath to kill. But armies have developed sophisticated ways of overcoming this instinctive aversion. And contemporary civilian society; particularly the media; replicates the army's conditioning techniques; and; according to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's thesis; is responsible for our rising rate of murder among the young.Upon its initial publication; ON KILLING was hailed as a landmark study of the techniques the military uses to overcome the powerful reluctance to kill; of how killing affects soldiers; and of the societal implications of escalating violence. Now; Grossman has updated this classic work to include information on 21st-century military conflicts; recent trends in crime; suicide bombings; school shootings; and more. The result is a work certain to be relevant and important for decades to come.
#2638072 in Books Esman Abigail R 2010-05-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x .63 x 6.14l; 1.27 #File Name: 0313348472245 pagesRadical State How Jihad Is Winning Over Democracy in the West
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. BrilliantBy bizpressThis is one of the best accounts I've ever read about political Islam; and I've read at least 20 books and countless reports; studies and news articles on all sides of the subject. Fortunately; the author's concluding chapter give us a direction and glimmer of hope to reverse this appalling state-of-affairs. That aside; this book clearly demonstrates what happens when; little by little; democracy surrenders. Admittedly; Holland is a small country but its experience seems to be repeating itself in larger European countries such as Britain; France; Germany; Sweden; etc. Sadly; the western world; including the United States; has yet to figure out how to deal with a cultural death cult; i.e. believers who are willing to kill innocent bystanders; vocal opponents and themselves for the glorious afterlife they envision. These barbarians need to learn that the values of democracy are not negotiable. Principles such as freedom of speech; freedom of religion; freedom of conscious; etc.; have given all peoples worldwide; including the radical Islamists among us; the marvels of our modern era. Multiculturalism that includes a social; cultural and political philosophy based on death as its highest value; is not only a pipe dream it will extinguish what the universal values of democracy have achieved. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in what happens when the proverbial camel gets its nose under the tent.34 of 35 people found the following review helpful. Insightful; Fairminded and CourageousBy flaviusvegetiusThis book combines a series of personal portraits; for example of the murdered Dutch artist Theo van Gogh and the Somali-Dutch activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali; with a historical survey of Islam in Holland and the Dutch reaction to it. Esman knows the subject extremely well; both from personal experience and from years of study. Her thesis; that the Dutch "multicultural" approach to Islam ultimately failed; and indeed undermined the liberality of its culture as a whole; is well argued and supported. Esman places the Dutch experience with growing Islamic fundamentalism into a global context; and is especially good at tying the issue to the challenges facing the United States. Esman is very even-handed in her descriptions; and delves into her subject deeply; but she does not let this fairness interfere with her passionate defense of individual freedom and her courageous critique of fundamentalist Islam; indeed of political Islam as a whole. As a college professor; I would not hesitate to assign this book to a graduate class; but the writing is clear and accessible; and it is an excellent read. Anyone interested in current events should read this book.18 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Blood-curdlingBy Sam Vaknin"Radical State" is a terrifying account of how militant Islam ended up transmogrifying its victims; casting them in its own morbid and grotesque shape as they strove to evade its pernicious influence and the violence that permeates its culture. Victims of abuse often end up being abusers and the erstwhile genteel and tolerant Netherlands - the focus of this study of infectious Islamic fanaticism and xenophobia - is no exception: following a string of murderous attacks by Muslims; the Dutch reacted with the curtailing of civil liberties and with a wave of anti-immigrant; anti-Muslim measures. In one fell swoop; Holland; this bastion of liberalism; democracy; and tolerance has become the darling of the European far-right.A guilt-ridden Europe has paid a dear price for its colonial transgressions: it let in 20 million Muslims; carriers of a civilization so alien to the West that it constitutes a clear and present danger to its very survival. Radicalism; militancy; fanaticism; anti-individualism; misogynism; and anti-Western sentiments are rife among these aliens and immigrants. It is nothing short of a fifth column and a backdoor to the great centers of Western power; such as the USA. Muslims make suave use of Western civil rights and reflexive multiculturalism and political correctness to further their agenda: a hostile takeover; not an amicable merger.The author offers a blood-curdling account based on first-hand observations from the frontline of the clash of civilizations. Replete with portraits; interviews; transcripts of conversations; erudite analyses of news; a smattering of historiosophy; and incisive descriptions of conflicts followed by nefarious compromises this is one of the most frightening tomes I have read of late. "Radical State" amounts to medical dispatches regarding a body politique fighting for its survival and identity; soul-snatched from within; clueless and helpless and thrashing about in a desperate attempt to rid itself of its tormentors or; hopelessly; to negotiate a livable compromise with them.But the author does not dare go where her narrative leads inexorably: history teaches us that only ethnic and cultural homogeneity yield peace and democracy in Europe. Ethnic cleansing and genocide have been repeatedly used (even in countries such as Norway and Czechoslovakia) to create homogeneous polities not because of the evil inherent in the hearts of Homo europeansis (a-la Goldhagen) but because they provided workable outcomes. Europe should close its gates to immigrants whose culture and background are not recognizably Western; and; particularly; to Muslims. It should also expel Muslims from Europe in a graduated but decisive manner. Sam Vaknin; author of "Malignant Self-love: Narcissism Revisited"
