Critical report: Anybody’s Son Will Do Essay --

In Gwynne Dyer’s article â€Å"Anybody’s Son Will Do†, the conversion of civilians to killers is being explained in stages. This articles focuses more on male psychology and malleable people. The author’s belief is that people can be easily brainwashed if they are put in constant stress. To support this idea, the author gives examples of military training around the world which psychologically destroys individual values and loyalties and rebuilds them to make combat troops that will do exactly what has been ordered and defend his groups to the death. The soldiers are first trained in basic level where they are motivated to destroy their individualities and build comradeship amongst the men. The bond is so important among men because when they are in battle, they have to fight for eachother. In the beginning of the basic training, the recruits are all worn out. The training is being done in an island where they are conscripted to do what is being told by the drill instructor without question. Neither they can leave, nor they can communicate much with the outside world. Basic training is basically about giving mental and physical pressure to create motivation. In the first three days, the recruits are being hustled, yelled, and shouted. They learn the basic orders of drill that enable them to work in large groups. They have to surrender their clothes, cut their hair, cut their physical evidence of individuality citizen identity. The recruits sleep aside a series of hasty rituals and given no time to reflect or to look back and th ink about their families, friends. So that the recruits donot backout, the frantic bustle of forming is set. The creation of an environment that romanticizes the milita... ...e brutal and harsh ways that are used in military to change people into killers seems inappropriate to me. To become a soldier, right methods can be applied as well. It is disturbing to read that the recruiters treated the recruits in such an inhuman way. They are also humans that donot deserve to be treated in such an awful way. The author argues women are also malleable to become soldiers which is right. But for women, inorder to become powerful, they have to show more willing, masculinity, and aggression like men. Yet again, the author puts another question – What causes war? I think it is because of social distribution of power. Throughout the ancient military culture, mens are already inclined to kill or die. The primitive culture where men had to be a warrior to protect tribes from natural disasters or wild animals or anything still affects civilization today.