As maddening as this is, imagine the ENORMOUS propaganda and social pressure that these soldiers are fighting against. They’ve been told countless times that they’re defending both their religion and their homeland (and, by extension, their friends and family). For most of us, those are some of our biggest drivers. Honestly, I’m not sure that I would have the strength to maintain free will under those circumstances. We all like to think we’re incorruptible, but we’re not.
Judging from the outside is easy. Actually living through it is something else.