Taking prisoners in a SHTF situation

[themachenic,]

read them the act of smith-45.

[Big_Saw]

....What's a prisoner?.......

[hammer502]

no prisoners,no future threat from said prisoner(never have to worry about urniong your back)!!!!!!!!!!just my opinion(and we all know what opinions are like).

[InjOnly]

....What's a prisoner?.......

Nothing but trouble to answer your rhetorical question.
Avoid the situation.

[prkchp76]

i love how its my final warning i have been very supportive of this site ,but do not agree with this you ask a question that is loaded to past military people and its my final warning thanks for the support next time just pm me might be a litlle more professional than bringin me out or is that to make an example out of me sincerely confused and extremly disappointed p.s. never got back to me on the paintball gear either

[Diesel]

i love how its my final warning i have been very supportive of this site ,but do not agree with this you ask a question that is loaded to past military people and its my final warning thanks for the support next time just pm me might be a litlle more professional than bringin me out or is that to make an example out of me sincerely confused and extremly disappointed p.s. never got back to me on the paintball gear either

Buddy the rules are the rules period!

And this is being addressed in public for a reason.

Just follow the rules here and you will be fine.

This one rule is for your own good, as it could cause you to have LAW enforcement knocking on your door.

I did not ask you any question in this thread.

And I'm not sure what you are reffering to as far as getting back to you on paintball gear, did you message me? PM if you need to.

[prkchp76]

i do apoligize for what i said i still belive it is trully a loaded question about the prisoner's i have read the rules more than once and it does clearly state that as number one,but how are you suppose to answer that leagaly hostage or prisoner is still ilegal so you see where i am coming from pm will be on way

[Diesel]

No worries man..

[Big_Saw]

if they show harm you kill them imediatley

Don't see a problem with this logic, or its legality....self-defense is perfectly legal, and the threat of "harm" in any fashion perfectly justifies the use of mortal force.

[shadowwalker]

I have given it thought. I have about 200 of those big black plastic wire ties that mechanics use. Maybe not as good as the ones the law uses but just try to break one.
On taking a prisoner. You'll have to decide by yourself or as a group, will they be a hazard to the groups safety,if they get loose are they going to go back and tell your location,strengths,weaknesses,supplies, etc. Can they eventually be a asset?

[TheLastMountainMan]

Gettin information is a must, but absolutley NO prisoners. I'm going to run a prison during TSHTF.

[scafool]

I am treating this question as a hypothetical case. I don't expect there to be any prisoner taking by amateur warriors in any scenario I can imagine actually happening.
The reason is because I doubt if the ones talking about what to do with prisoners would likely never get the chance to take one.

So, are you talking about going on a raid to take prisoners or taking prisoners if they surrender to you in a fight they started?

If it is people who surrender in a fight you really have a choice between taking prisoners or deciding to become a cold blooded murderer.
That is really all there is to it.

I would say that if you are in any way able to take prisoners then you have to be part of a superior force. That seems obvious. If your force was inferior they would win and you would be the prisoners, if you were lucky and they were not a bunch of cut throat blackguards.
If they were the "No prisoners" type of gentlemen then you would just be dead in battle or executed afterwards.

If they surrendered and you execute them than you have become one of the lowest classes of criminal.

With prisoners as hostages you might be able to negotiate peace. Nobody wants to lose personnel.

If you murder the other people's relatives then any chances to negotiate are gone.
You would be locked into a war of extermination.
A small force that might have taken their lumps and decided to stop their attack and make a truce now become ready to wait you out and pick you off to slowly avenge their murdered dead.

If you are the ones under siege while they enjoy mobility then the odds are on their side.
If they are the ones under siege and they know you are going to kill them no matter what, then they will fight to the death. Even if you win many more of you will die trying to achieve your objective.
So I say take prisoners and treat them very well. If you have more than one, then send one back to start negotiations.
Once they know you are not going to kill or torture them they are less likely to face death before surrender.

By the way, you should be aware that the army of Imperial Rome was about 1/3 made up by foreign warriors that the Romans had defeated in battle, and offered the choice of being sold as slaves or enlisting.
Even Atilla the Hun took prisoners, but only if they surrendered before the battle started.
If they did that, then Atilla made them into citizens and their warriors fought for him in his front line in his next battle.

[waitnc]

Taking Prisoners

Of course there are many routes to go here people. Any one's route should be dependent upon your position. Meaning, your man power to devote to prisoners. Your food and water supplies, More important, what does your recon intel tell you...Is there a larger force moving about? Are they pilaging everyone and thing they come across? If you make contact they may decieve you into thinking all is good. Then turn on you. Your location is of the highest classifaction to you and yours safety in a lawless situation. I personally will interogate and then relieve them of the burden of living. Letting the law of my out post paramount not the law of a collapsed society.
With all this said, I make these statements on the basis the persons taken as temporary prisoners are armed and have been hostile. Poor soles lost or displaced are ot on the list to be relieved. Infact I will be looking for people with skills or abilities.

[TheLastMountainMan]

Sorry, I made a mistake, I ment to say, I'm NOT going to run a prison.

[TheUnboundOne]

Howdy, Scafool,

What you say is correct as far as conquerors go. However, I do not seek to conquer anyone, but only to live the life of a free, sovereign, self-reliant individual. Basically, I preach and practice "live-and-let-live" and I expect and insist others do the same.

Since criminals and tyrants have everything to gain from free individuals and free individuals have nothing to gain from criminals and tyrants, I am of the no-quarter-no-mercy "take no prisoners" and "don't be taken prisoner" schools of thought.

Life, Liberty, and Property are all of a single piece. The criminal or tyrant who seeks to take my property and my freedom had might as well be coming to take my life, so when that criminal or tyrant does so, I will respond as if my life is threatened.