POW Conditions

[Sarah_Khan]

I don't think we can ever fully understand what made human beings treat other human beings so horribly during the war. I think it was possibly the environment, the fear, the anger, the lack of food, the want to just be home with their families and also the fact that treating POWs badly was the norm back then.

[rssllue]

That is a very interesting view on the treatment of enemies in captivity. Just treating them bad may be an extension of the animosity that was felt between combatants. As they transitioned from direct conflict where they were actively trying to kill each other, to policing them in captivity, it was probably very difficult to just "switch off" that anger/hatred no matter how much their conscience urged them to do so.

[Sasha For]

POW's are highly mistreated. They are considered unfavorable for whatever reason, in history it has been reasons such as religious beliefs or skin colour and therefore are not acceptable reasons for imprisonment. The conditions found in both Gulags (a version of concentration camp) as well as Concentration Camps (used not only by Germany but could also be found in places such as Canada and the United States) are appalling.

The stories that have come out of times such as during World War II have been rather enlightening. While it can be hard for a civilian to understand exactly how people are mistreated at any given time, it has been brought to the view of the public through enlightening tales. While it is unclear as to whether these biographical books will be of any help to the imprisoned, they make it hard for the entire population to turn a blind eye.

It is important to note that while there are non-fiction books written, there are also fictional books that detail the struggles of people who live in POW camps and the lives that they live if they are ever freed from those camps.

Sasha

[AuthoressofMystery]

Nationalism, patriotism, and pride of country - "My country is the best one" - are often the enemies of compassion and understanding. It's a very narrow-minded point of view, and when the propaganda machines churn out hate, prejudice, and lies, especially during wartime, this makes those on opposite sides look at one another one-dimensionally - simply as "the enemy" - and then it becomes easy to treat such ones as less than human. In the years leading up to WWII, Hitler methodically carried out propaganda campaigns to sub-humanize the Jews, and by the time the Final Solution was instituted, there were many who had already been so thoroughly brainwashed, participating in the genocide didn't present much of an ethical or moral dilemma for them.

Those who abuse prisoners in a POW camp are conditioned to look at those prisoners as inferior beings. Once that has been accomplished, the rest is easy.

While I agree with PashaRu, I will contend that such propaganda campaigns are still being used today to justify war and it's treatment on POW's. I will also add Religion to Nationalism, Patriotism and Pride of Country.
My Grandfather was WWII POW and I would sit for hours listening to him recount his war experiences, begging for more. In many ways, I felt like I was living it through him. I grew up with view points people may consider obsolete.
As Edmund Burke says, Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.

[Camogirl217]

I think taking prisoners stems from the belief that the captors are somehow superior to the prisoner and that superiority is what makes the harsh neglect "acceptable". After all, the prisoners are less than human. They don't deserve respect. For soldiers to treat the prisoners so terribly, I think it's caused by their personal lack of control. They were forced into war and they need to vent their frustrations. Beating the prisoners, for example, would help them vent and they probably wouldn't get in any trouble for it. That's why we hear of so many elderly veterans who try so hard to contact their victims later in life in order to apologize. They're in a mentally better place now and are able to realize just how horrible they were. Stress, hatred, pain...all in one nasty cocktail.

[Jessica Samuelsen]

I think the captors are preconditioned to view the captive as less than human. They are viewed as the enemy and therefore are treated beyond harshly. I saw in another comment that it has to do with hate. I believe that but I also believe that hate is cultivated by leadership and or culture.

[Laura Del]

I think it's because these men are considered the "enemy" and that's why POW's are treated so badly. The people they're fighting against really believe that what the are doing is for their country. Honestly, I find it sick and twisted the stuff that they put the men through. It's just so saddening.

[Nikolas Farmakis]

Prisoners of war are in many cases treated inhumanely because their captors often see them as responsible for the awful things that have happened to them and their loved ones during the war. For instance, a soldier's family might have been killed by enemy soldiers, so the soldier expresses his rage for the enemy on a prisoner of war, who might not have even taken part in a single battle, but was forced to enlist due to the circumstances of the war. In my opinion, it all comes down to forgiveness and love as taught by Jesus and understanding the significance of treating others with respect, even if they are an enemy.

[Yvonne Monique]

With the excuse of war, human beings show their real, sadistic, selves. This includes humiliating and torturing other human beings. My father lived for 4 years in a Japanese concentration camp in Indonesia, and experienced in first person how cruel human beings can be. This goes for the Japanese forces that imprisioned him, but also for some of his fellow prisoners..

[markodim721]

During the war, the economies of the warring parties stagnated. This also applies to the conditions in which prisoners are held. Of course, there is also resentment over the actions or alleged actions of the other party. When extremist ideologies or religious fundamentalism are added to this, it is easy to see why the conditions in which prisoners are held are bad.

[Elenimo Chembe]

Being a Prisoner of War is obviously unfortunate but is an inevitable consequence of being involved in a war. Logically, I wouldn't expect a Prisoner of War to be treated kindly - a war can easily do away with honourable human instincts like kindness and love. Seeing your friends die and having those killers as your prisoners can definitely force you to treat Prisoners of War with absolute cruelty. That is something we should live with.

[Sheila Gehlmann]

The POW are treated inhumanely because they are the enemy of the captors. Those abusing them do not feel any remorse, and believe it is expected. Unfortunately, having the enemy up close and vulnerable in the prison camps presents an opportunity to torture and kill the men who were shooting at them up in the sky. War is brutal and brings out the worst in people.

[Abdul-Malik Hassan]

I don't think there's such a thing as 'fair treatment of prisoners' whether at war or crime. POWs will always receive inhumane treatment based on the conditions they're in. I mean, for instance, look at what Ukraine is dealing with right now. Similarly, it makes no difference at all. However, I would suggest more emphasis to be put on this topics in terms of coming up with effective solutions to better serve those captives.