you mean about brainwashing etc.?
"The Corps let each recruit know that if you came from typical selfish "nasty" America, it did not like you the way you were and would change you or break you."
> i'd agree with stannard. he's talking about a process that exists in
> _all_ groups. what you see as extreme is intentionally so, since the
idea is to
> build a cohesive group of people who are willing to die. the .mil just
> hones what goes on in ordinary life.
"change you or break you" is not in "all" groups. he gave good example of groups that don't require one to be changed or broken. i'm not convinced it's just an extreme example, seems to me a significant distinction.
> a better example of another "cult" group are the students at elite
> universities where rituals, etc. are indeed used to build up a
> sense--already there--to create an attitutde of superiority,
> entitlement, and an implicit sense that others who don't belong are
scum (that is,
> undeserving).
well yeah those behave in that respect like cults too then. Fraternities to be sure. but in many respects elite schools don't behave like cults (recruiting for example....harvard doesn't exactly go after people that have cause to be apprehensive about their future, no insecurities other than social satus are exploited etc)
~M.E.
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