My dad told me of times where he had to witness the Koreans torturing the Viet Cong (at the time, I had little idea there were other nations besides the US and South Vietnam fighting against the North and Viet Cong), so this sort of thing I understand is a sad part of war. But yes, I agree with what you say.

And since you mentioned the power part, I can't help but think of a case that emerged last summer where a friend of my middle brother, a police officer, participated in a beatdown of a non-resisting potential DUI suspect (charges were dropped) that was captured on video and shown on local TV. Sometimes, the situations just get the better of people who otherwise wouldn't do such cruel things. Then again, some people are assholes in any situations.