The gullibility here is proof itself of what men like Barnes were like
It would be amazing in a sane environment to see so many people being gullible about Barnes (and people like Barnes) having "compassion for his men" and being a "noble savage".
Barnes was a homicidal maniac, and like other homicidal maniacs, he preyed on gullibility of his future victims. He even showed he meant to sacrifice the lieutenant and the brown nosing O'Neil eventually.
That's what guys like that are. If Barnes worked on a road crew in the states, he'd try to trick a co worker into holding a flag in the middle of the road around a dangerous curve, hoping a vehicle would swing around fast. He proved that with the way he cheated his mean any chance he had, and going out of his way to ensure a cycle of violence and death to innocent bystanders.
There just isn't another possible motivation.
Now, obviously when dealing with "grunts", you're dealing with men who are sold on bravado, and are easily fooled by homicidal maniacs just because the maniacs are "rough". Geronimo and Manson talked tough, and had such feather brains following them, and if you follow them long enough, they'll get around to making you a victim.
Stone himself appears to believe in the extra dimension of men like Barnes, as do most people here, but that's a delusion based on modern Psychiatry, which is based on "rationalizing useful maniacs".
Those who've been around danger long enough, and around maniacs long enough, know what Barnes was. Demonic. No other motivation. Sure, he said he cared, and that fooled the idiots.
The fact that so many people here buy into Barnes being motivated by some degree of concern is proof itself that there is always an ample supply of morons for homicidal maniacs to destroy.
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!