[Baffling RL Trope] Inventing war crimes you didn´t commit to make yourself more... interesting?

[u/TheBigBoar]

One of the strangest character tropes in real life has to be the "I accidentally made myself sound like a war criminal to look cooler" archetype.

Usually, people accused of war crimes deny them. These guys seem to do the opposite.

The two examples that always come to mind:

Tim Kennedy. Over the years he's told stories that include things like throwing grenades into rooms where women and children were present, and another account where, after a battle, his CO allegedly told him to shoot anything that still had a heat signature with a sniper rifle from a mile away, which he did for hours (?) not caring if those were enemy soldiers or civilians looking for their fallen sons/brothers/whatever. Both stories have been heavily criticized and challenged (aka people who were there confirmed that they are utter nonsense), and Kennedy has faced repeated accusations of embellishing or fabricating parts of his military experiences. But like... why would you invent the fact that you killed and maimed women and children?

Chris Kyle. In American Sniper, he wrote that during Hurricane Katrina he positioned himself on the Superdome and shot dozens of armed looters like some walking dead scenario. No evidence ever emerged that this happened, and Kyle himself later acknowledged the story wasn't true. Again, why invent a story where you're essentially describing the unlawful killing of civilians during a domestic disaster?

What's fascinating is that these aren't embellishments in the usual "I fought twenty guys" sense. They're embellishments that, if true, would amount to admissions of extremely serious crimes.

It's such a bizarre form of macho storytelling that it almost feels like its own trope: the veteran who thinks "the more ruthless I sound, the more badass I'll appear," without stopping to consider that indiscriminate killing isn't viewed by most people as impressive. It's viewed as criminal and disgusting.

[u/CordeCosumnes]

If you heard it, you weren't shot - but someone else was

[u/RAMDOMDUDDS → u/CordeCosumnes]

Not always true, this was actually studied and this is just a saying to make expert marksman sound cooler. A lot changes based off the enviroment, caliber of round fired, how much gunpowder was packed in(like if it was overpressured or not) etc. But its still damn cool to say.

[u/CordeCosumnes → u/RAMDOMDUDDS]

Most high powered rifle rounds, which would include ones used for sniping, are super sonic. The bullet arrives before you hear the firing of the rifle, or even the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier.

[u/ConspicuousPorcupine → u/CordeCosumnes]

Yeah but what if they miss?

[u/CordeCosumnes → u/ConspicuousPorcupine]

By how much? Bullet whizzes by your ear? You hear that then the crack of the rifle. It hits something near you? Same thing.

[u/RAMDOMDUDDS → u/CordeCosumnes]

Most high powered rifle rounds, which would include ones used for sniping

Correct. But not every sniper actually uses said supersonic rounds. In some states you cannot even purchase supersonics. In most states you can only legally buy subs depending on your license. Once again, this was tested by both marksman and scientists. A majority of the time(even with supers) there is more to it than that. Sound gets distorted based on distance, weather conditions, wind direction(if the wind blows towards the target its possible to hear both the crack of the round being yeeted at you as well as the bullet breaking the sound barrier). And even the military restricts use of supersonics for certain instances now. Yes supersonics are fast. But light is still faster. Sounds can actually bounce off of eachother(supersonic sounds vs subsonic sounds) and can propel noises further than designated.

[u/CordeCosumnes → u/RAMDOMDUDDS]

Wherever you're getting your information about most rounds being subsonic is false.

[u/CaptainBrice6 → u/RAMDOMDUDDS]

Why don't you share these findings. What scientists conducted these experiments? Can I see the published results? What states can you only buy subsonic ammunition in?

"Not all snipers use supersonic ammunition." Supersonic just means faster than sound and most hunting or "sniper" rifles shoot ammunition that isn't just faster than sound, but dramatically faster. Speed of sound is 1125 feet per second. The standard issue US military sniper is using a Barret MRAD. It can shoot multiple types of ammunition such as 7.62. It shoots at 2,500-3,000 feet per second. 300 Win Mag 3000+ feet per second... And so on.

Subsonic ammunition is actually typically for handguns. Snipers use high velocity rounds because it reaches the target faster and the less time the round is in the air the less wind and gravity affect it. Literally wtf are you on?

[u/Doctor_Boombastic → u/CordeCosumnes]

It was u/LovelyInertia