horrors and atrocities

Ned Beatty is an actor who appears in two of my favorite films of all time:
>All The President's Men>, and
Charlie Wilson's War,
30 years apart.

In Redford's All-Pres, Beatty plays Mr. Ken Dardis,
and in Wilson's-War, he is Doc Long.

CIA guy: "All you really need are the Committee members."
Tom Hanks: "All I really need is the Committee Chairman!"
CIA guy: "Doc Long!"
Tom Hanks: "Doc Long!"
In one scene, after Doc Long is on board, he's making a speech -- spontaneous -- saying "a few words," to some Afghans determined to drive Soviet communists out of their (the Afghans') country.
Long (Beatty) says, [followed by a translator with his own microphone], "My son served in Vietnam. So I am no stranger -- no stranger at all -- to the horrors and atrocities of the communists!"
--------------------------
And when I thought about the phrase, "horrors and atrocities," I thought about two things:
1) it's a "twist" which I never thought of until last week when contemplating this stuff: the Hitlers, Osama bin Ladens, etc. of this world may not actually kill any people themselves, personally, with their own hands or bullets -- their rendition of evil is to get other people to do the killing, to commit the cruelty, to perpetuate whatever horrific injustice is current.
and
2) HOW does this stuff happen? How did Hitler get people to do such terrible things? (following orders) How did bin Laden get people to hijack planes and fly 'em into buildings? "Religious" inspiration / fanaticism.

-----------------------
Most of us aren't leaders, in a big way. We don't lead cities or countries, the majority of us. But if we, individually do not lead, someone will, and bin Laden, Hitler, et. al. are historical proof that we have to be damn careful who we let be the leaders.

-30-