hako wrote:

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Re Aussies - from what I've seen, only the SAS have faces blurred when on TV and others are not. Also this was not the fashion in previous wars so why the fashion now. I don't remember seeing Monty with a mask.
I have a feeling it has a deeper psychological message probably of power to the one with the gun. When the tactical response teams are used as in the recent Sydney attack they all wear masks - if it was to hide their identity it would not amount to much as all one needs to do to find out who works in tactical response teams would need to do is trace the number plates of vehicles parked at their base etc.

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 I don't remember TV being around when Monty was alive and active. TV and the ability to transmit photos via portable satellite phones puts the faces of these active duty chaps in lounge rooms the same day. There are mongrels out there that would just love to extract revenge on the trooper and or family. It's a lot different on the sharp end mate than sitting in a lounge chair trying to Analise the motives of men and women that are putting their lives on the line for us.

OK - I've done a bit of deeper digging and found some psycho stuff which indicated there is an advantage to wearing a mask.   Also re Monty - they had newsreels in WW2 and within a week you could watch it at the newsreel theatre in Australia and identify the troops if you wanted to harm their relatives.

Taken from http://psychablog.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/liberation-of-anonymity-part-ii.html

So how might this relate to superheroes (and supervillains) who wear masks? In addition to the utility of the maskit hides the "real" identity to of mask-wearerit can have some interesting psychological effects on the wearer. We can hypothesize that wearing a maskand being less self-awaremight confer a variety of advantages. If you're less self-aware, then you might:
Feel less pain
Feel less angry, sad, etc.
Be more aware of what is going on around you (because of being less aware of what's going on inside of you). This could be a very good thing to have happen during combat. And when fighting, you'll also be flooded with adrenaline, which will narrow your attention and further heighten your awareness of what's happening around them.

The down side, though, is that by being less self-aware, you're also more likely to have your anger, frustration, and aggressive impulses get out of control while you're fighting (and so you might inadvertently kill your enemy). For superheroes worried about not crossing the linenot being more violent than they need to be to apprehend the villainwearing a mask can make it harder to monitor that line.

Speaking of villains, wearing a mask--being anonymousmakes people more likely to break rules. (Think back to the kids wearing masks, who took more candy). This might advantage mask-wearing villains.

03_Troopy wrote:

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hako wrote:

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OK - I've done a bit of deeper digging and found some psycho stuff which indicated there is an advantage to wearing a mask.   Also re Monty - they had newsreels in WW2 and within a week you could watch it at the newsreel theatre in Australia and identify the troops if you wanted to harm their relatives.

Taken from http://psychablog.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/liberation-of-anonymity-part-ii.html

So how might this relate to superheroes (and supervillains) who wear masks? In addition to the utility of the maskit hides the "real" identity to of mask-wearerit can have some interesting psychological effects on the wearer. We can hypothesize that wearing a maskand being less self-awaremight confer a variety of advantages. If you're less self-aware, then you might:
Feel less pain
Feel less angry, sad, etc.
Be more aware of what is going on around you (because of being less aware of what's going on inside of you). This could be a very good thing to have happen during combat. And when fighting, you'll also be flooded with adrenaline, which will narrow your attention and further heighten your awareness of what's happening around them.

The down side, though, is that by being less self-aware, you're also more likely to have your anger, frustration, and aggressive impulses get out of control while you're fighting (and so you might inadvertently kill your enemy). For superheroes worried about not crossing the linenot being more violent than they need to be to apprehend the villainwearing a mask can make it harder to monitor that line.

Speaking of villains, wearing a mask--being anonymousmakes people more likely to break rules. (Think back to the kids wearing masks, who took more candy). This might advantage mask-wearing villains.

 

 

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 That may well be a consequence of wearing a mask, but it's not the reason they wear masks.. As for the bad guys wearing masks, it's so that when they eventually do get their *rses kicked, they stand a better chance of blending back in to the rest of the population to escape retribution.

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 snippet 1; Also re Monty - they had newsreels in WW2 and within a week you could watch it at the newsreel theatre in Australia and identify the troops if you wanted to harm their relatives.

Within a week! Daily now, even in real time via internet satellite TV from anywhere in the world, that is what IS utilises.

snippet 2; (and so you might inadvertently kill your enemy).

The whole idea is to kill your enemy and you don't need a "super hero mask" to do that.

Not sure whether your asking for knowledge or stirring the pot or a peacenik. There are a lot of ex-service people on here who did their bit and may take umbrage if they feel you are knocking them and their deeds.

hako wrote:

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Sorry if I've upset anybody - I like to question and really I think some are reading a different interpretation into my questions - we are allowed to ask why is this so - and this is the "I Digress" forum.
I can see this thread going way off tangent so I'm quitting it.
I'll watch my P's and Q's next time.
Regards
ps...I also defend others rights to say what they like.

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 You have every right to ask a question... At least you got some answers that might enlighten you a little..

And now you know, so don't you feel better for asking now?

DMaxer wrote:

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My aunty was in the army for nearly twenty years and she never wore a mask. Um hang on, sorry, that was the Salvation Army, that is a bit different!

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 Yup - my old man had no time for religion except for the Salvoes who were the only ones in the trenches alongside them.

Regards

Thanks Troopy and yes I did go to the link supplied which talks of our soldiers fearing retribution to their families back home.
But that is just a recent local happening and does not answer my question which asked if there was an tactical advantage to wearing a mask. Nobody answered that question simply stating that it was to avoid identification and that's it...end of story...happy now? But it's not the end of the story which I've discovered by looking deeper into the wearing of masks by aggressors and it has more to do with camouflage, deception and terror of the unknown - the Russians call it maskirovka meaning camouflage. Read about why the IS wear masks and it sure ain't about avoiding identification or robbing banks.
So sorry fellas, the logical reasons supplied are just a minor part of the story. I never expected the bad karma however.
I've learn't quite a bit from this thread, learn't a bit about different forms of aggression too.

Regards