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Hello, fellow abductees,

It has come to my attention that a number of you do not like Dr. Sweets. I did not like him either when I first met him, so this is understandable.

In an effort to help strengthen his standing within the community, I am requesting that you please state if you do or do not like Dr. Sweets, and why. Please also respond if you are indifferent on him, as more data will allow me to form a more complete and accurate conclusion.

Thank you for your assistance.

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Collaboration with foreign military forces is not the same as commanding troops, but I acknowledge the difficultly of operating efficiently within those parameters.

Do you utilize his proposed strategies in trapping these criminals or merely in identifying them?

Agreed. Human nature is faulty without the proper instruction.

Yes, that is true.

On many occasions, yes. His advice has many times helped expedite the process. He is also quite good at interrogating suspects.

"Proper instruction" is subjective. It varies across cultural, political, and religious lines, and even among individuals in the same social group. The best that can be hoped for is to instruct a person in universally accepted concepts of right and wrong, and that the person adheres to what they were taught. Even so, too many people place a high value on emotions over rational thought. The majority, however, will hold to the aforementioned universal concepts.

Would you regard his advice as successful concerning a subject not already in custody?

[His success rate would be good to know.]

I would argue that morality is the subjective concept, Doctor Brennan. Strategy, if well taught, can be applied across both cultural and situational borders. Emotions cloud an individual's judgement. Strategy relies upon logic and cold observation, which can be made to account for any number of variables.

Yes. I have many doubts about his profession as a whole, but his skill and intelligence cannot be questioned.

And yet, we are taught not to steal for the sake of stealing, not to kill unless a person is deemed irredeemably threatening and dangerous to society, not to lie about matters that would cause others harm if information is withheld or misrepresented, and so forth. The application of morality is highly subjective, yes, but society depends on the existence of and adherence to a set of norms and mores.

Strategy relies also on predicting your enemy's movements, or preying on their weaknesses. Logic and cold observation are extremely effective if all you intend to do is conquer, but morality demands that we consider the costs of any victory. Pure, unadultered reason and logic can far too easily lead one to believe one knows what is best above all else, and this evenif the logic is somehow flawed, or if it is different from another person's view. My work is guided by reason and logic, but to divorce myself completely from morality would render me no better than the serial killers I help stop.

[Pure, unadultered logic almost stole Zack from his family in Michigan and his family in DC, almost turned him into the next Gormogon and all that entailed. Brennan still believes in logic above all else, but it must be tempered by humanity Her hyperrational point of view was, after all, part of why so many people believed that she was capable of cruelly murdering a madman who had spoken delusional threats against her daughter.]

I thank you for your opinion.

[How curious.]

By definition, strategy also must consider the cost of victory and weigh it against the cost of surrender or loss. Even if an individual commits an objectionable act, by whatever rubric they are using to measure their morality, it can still benefit the larger community. Sometimes that act is even necessary for continued survival. It is foolish to act now, or in any place, as if we are not waging war to protect the community we serve.

Serial killers, I have been led to believe, operate solely for their own gratification.

[Murderers are boring, in Maketh's mind. She's met hundreds.]

I am not unaware of the cost of victory, Doctor Brennan. I was born in a prison camp. I simply deem it foolish to paint things in such sentimental terms.

You are welcome.

That is true. There is no victory without a cost, and sometimes, difficult decisions must be made for the greater good. The concern then becomes, who decides what that good is, and what it is worth? To leave such an enormous decision to a single individual is both unintelligent and cruel, though I am the first to concede that the latter is subjective. To a certain extent, we are always acting to protect ourselves and our community, but I am not certain I would utilize the word "war" for all of these instances.

You will have to ask Dr. Sweets about serial killers' motivations. I only know about the end result of their crimes.

[She has experienced the smug enjoyment a serial killer can derive from toying with their targets, but she still does not believe she is qualified to discuss their mental state.]

I see. That certainly explains why you approach the subject as you do. It is an extremely logical way for someone who has been in your situation to view the world. While I cannot say the same, I do agree that dressing these concepts in solely sentimental terms diminishes their weight and importance, although to some, adding at least one sentimental descriptor to them makes them heavier and more important.

Edited 2017-08-03 20:38 (UTC)

From your statement and what I have learned from Doctor Sweets, I would hazard that the circumstances in our worlds are quite different. You speak of survival as if it is a matter of course, something the universe will give you without question instead of demanding you fight to keep it.

[It was never so in the Empire.]

Indeed. I asked his opinion on psychopaths, where there is apparently some overlap. His information was accurate, though I found his advised course of action lacked a complete understanding of the situation.

To some, perhaps. I will even admit that some of these individuals are exceptional leaders in their own right.

That is only true for some of us. There are still large numbers of people who are born in war zones. There are countries where the national military trains child soldiers to commit atrocities on behalf of the nation. I have been to countries where I have identified the remains of young girls who were murdered simply because they were receiving an education. Our world is hardly idyllic, but yes, for some of us, it is a matter of course. For others, the battle is emotional and mental.

[Sweets knows that even better than Brennan does. It's written on his skin, and on his bones.]

I'm afraid I would need a substantial amount of contextual information before I verbalize an opinion on that, and even then I may be incapable of it.

Yes, some are, and the ones who do become such tend to be remembered for generations after their death.

What does that mean, "child soldier"?

[She doesn't recognize the term. The Empire - and indeed almost any known military organization - always recruits young. Children are an asset when properly cultivated, with their training beginning at a young age.]

I see. I suppose I was in a position where such things were an expected reality. The last war did not end gently for anyone involved, and the civilians suffered. But the true problem ran much deeper. A result of warlords and slavers being allowed to operate as they pleased, with no oversight or punishment. All in the name of maintaining neutrally. I'm sure it was a lofty sentiment, once. It only served those with the power to bend armies to their will. Perhaps some of that is simply human nature.

Noted.

Correct. Even their enemies remember their names.

[Brennan takes a deep breath before starting to type out her response.]

Some militaries and governments believe in recruiting children to fight on their behalf, or to train in espionage, or to use as human shields. Their brains have far from fully developed at the time they are recruited, so they are malleable and impressionable. They can be more easily indoctrinated to hav blind faith and believe that their superiors and leaders, or a supposed cause, are infallible and worth dying for.

Where Dr. Sweets and I are from, it is considered a crime to recruit underage individuals for the military. Enlisting is a choice granted to adults. It is a heavy responsibility and often an honor to enlist. Some enlist in order to obtain an education, but it is not forced upon them. Not in our time, at least.

I am relatively familiar with such destruction and chaos. I am sorry that was your reality. It could not have been easy to survive into adulthood.

this is a crime in your world

[Maketh, quite honestly, isn't sure what to say to that. Part of her wants to type out rationale and excuses - it's simply utilizing available resources! - but part of her, the part that's grown and spread since coming to Hadriel, knows better. Her response takes longer than before and she retypes it several times.]

I see.

[At least it wasn't slavery. She repeats it in her head like a mantra. At least she was never a slave.]

I do not want your sorrow, Doctor Brennan. I have no use for it. Moving forward, I expect we will speak again.

I hope it shall be enlightening.

[That is an interesting response, considering Maketh had until just now been quite willing to share details.

...and now Brennan purses her lips. What a proud and prickly woman.]

Written communication does not correctly convey intent. I was not offering you sorrow. You have survived a terrible situation. That merits respect. What I meant was to acknowledge the circumstances of your youth and express a degree of awe for the strength and tenacity it must have taken to live in such a world.

Yes, we likely will. It will surely be mentally stimulating.

The circumstances of my upbringing are hardly a concern beyond the training and experience they imparted upon me, experience that I can bring to bear in this situation.

[She should not have said so much. It was a mistake.]

I would hope so, Doctor Brennan. I do not have many opportunities for such conversations.

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text; cw child soldiers, massacres of children, allusions to child abuse

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