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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

CT What motivates the Storm Troopers to fight? What's their cause?

Discussion in 'Classic Trilogy' started by Hey there, Jun 20, 2013.

  1. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Apparently, according to The Essential Guide to Warfare, female stormtroopers who see posters of that type, are more amused by them than anything else.
     
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  2. Hello_Fett

    Hello_Fett Jedi Master star 4

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    Oct 11, 2013
    Yeah, major armor flaws...
     
  3. darth-sinister

    darth-sinister Manager Emeritus star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 28, 2001
    LAMA SU: "You'll find they are totally obedient, taking any order without question. We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host."

    There's your motivation.
     
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  4. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
  5. Aaronaman

    Aaronaman Jedi Knight star 4

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    Mar 12, 2013
    On screen we only see the Troopers that have made the decision, be it theirs or one forced on them, to fight for the Imperial Army....we don't get to see how many go AWOL or even retire.

    Boba can't be the only Clone to pick a different line of work
     
  6. CT1138

    CT1138 Jedi Master star 4

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    Sep 4, 2013
    What motivated the Nazi soldier to carry out orders? What motivated the Japanese army to "victory or death"? A good mixture of brainwashing and fear goes a long way. The Empire controls the news, and so whenever a "Rebel raid" happens, one-sided imagery of Rebels slaying innocent Imperial soldiers never fails to get citizens riled up thinking that the Rebels are bad folk trying to ruin peace in the Galaxy. And fear always prevents people from speaking out against authority. It's the tactics used during the Salem Witch Hunts, the Red Scares and McCarthy Era, and the War on Terrorism. You keep people afraid, sprinkle in some "anybody who thinks otherwise is an enemy", then show a few propaganda films, and bam, you've got people lining up for Imperial Academy.
     
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  7. TX-20

    TX-20 Force Ghost star 4

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    Jun 21, 2013
    Just like any soldier, they do what the feel is right.
     
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  8. V-2

    V-2 Jedi Grand Master star 5

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    Dec 10, 2012
    Bobba had no genetic alterations, he was physically identical to Jango. The Clone troopers had been genetically altered to be obedient, as Darth-Sinister quoted above.

    TCW showed two or three deserters, which to me slightly contradicts the film continuity - but they also showed that the cloning process occasionally churns out a few duds. Maybe those who deserted (or even defected) were genetic rejects (and/or improperly socialised/brainwashed) who managed to sly their way through the system...
     
  9. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    I'd go with "brainwashing is never 100% reliable".

    Palpatine's hypothesis is "too much time spent with the Jedi".
     
  10. BOBA-FETT-82

    BOBA-FETT-82 Jedi Grand Master star 1

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    May 19, 2002
    I always wondered if this is touched on in any of the EU.

    Do Stormtroopers get paid? Can they have families? Do they get leave? All these things happen in the real world.
     
  11. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    The earliest source to touch on it- suggested that they were basically slaves:

    but I think other sources suggest that the volunteers at least live more like normal soldiers.
     
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  12. CT-867-5309

    CT-867-5309 Chosen One star 7

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    Jan 5, 2011
    On top of what has been said, once you get in, it's obedience or execution, and when you get thrown into the fire it's either fight or die.

    They don't really need any motivation other than survival once they get in.
     
  13. Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan

    Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan Jedi Knight star 3

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    Oct 22, 2013
    Okay - I'm going to preclude this by stating clearly that I never served in the armed forces... however this statement seems wrong to me. Are individual soldiers empowered to "do what they feel is right"... I didn' think that was the case - there is a generic code of conduct to follow - plus orders issued.... removing the majority of the confusion on ambiguous situations... Thoughts?
     
  14. Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan

    Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan Jedi Knight star 3

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    Oct 22, 2013
    True - but before they are in the heat of battle, that's where the stormtrooper theoretically has time to evaluate the orders that have been issued and whether or not they fall in line with their own personal "code of conduct". Question for me is whether or not the non-clone troopers rely on their training to help guide them, or are they acting based on fear of reprisal alone? Seems that execution of their own due to insubordination is not uncommon. (ESB - several)...
     
  15. topgoalscorer_no11

    topgoalscorer_no11 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Probably because it's a fun job.

    Considering the size of the galaxy, there must be a huge surfeit of trigger-happy morons only too eager for a chance to blast and disintegrate whatever, in the name of whomever.
     
  16. Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan

    Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan Jedi Knight star 3

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    Oct 22, 2013
    Imagine the fine ladies in the exotic ports of call!!!
     
  17. topgoalscorer_no11

    topgoalscorer_no11 Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Jul 23, 2001

    But there were no women on that whole Deathstar, apparently. Do you think clones would be attracted to each other?
     
  18. Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan

    Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan Jedi Knight star 3

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    Oct 22, 2013
    Well - let's think of it this way, if a clone thought other clones were repulsive, wouldn't that also follow that they had a very low opinion of themselves?!?!?! i.e. I can't scorn you without scorning myself.... to a dark place are we going....
     
  19. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    In the Death Star novel, one of the main characters is a woman running a cantina on the Death Star.
     
  20. Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan

    Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan Jedi Knight star 3

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    Oct 22, 2013
    One woman - an entire spacestation.... whew....
     
  21. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    I figure that with well over a million people, they will need more than one cantina. And while there's hints of discrimination in the EU against higher-ranking military women- how many of the Death Star's staff are officials, technicians etc rather than soldiers?
     
  22. topgoalscorer_no11

    topgoalscorer_no11 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 23, 2001
    That actually sounds like a great novel. She must have been very popular!

    I think it's an important issue and a timely discussion which probably warrants its own thread. Clone psycho-sexuality is going to be a burgeoning field in future, and I think we've made an important early analysis of the phenomenon. ​
     
  23. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012

    Quite probably.

    A bit more background:

    http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Memah_Roothes
     
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  24. Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan

    Vaapad Master Daeg Tynan Jedi Knight star 3

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    Oct 22, 2013
    For sure - I would suspect this becomes a very sensitive topic deserving of it's own thread.... it's certainly given me something new to think about today...
     
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  25. topgoalscorer_no11

    topgoalscorer_no11 Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Jul 23, 2001

    Yes I can see from that link that she has a very appealing personality, which no doubt explains her popularity. And - what a shocker - she somehow survived the station's destruction. I may have to read that novel.