Fires: The Chinese treated all POWs the same regardless of rank. This resulted in the degradation of discipline among POWs. Do you think this was the intended outcome or just 2nd and 3rd order effects? In addition what would you do to combat the loss of morale among POWs?

I do not believe that the Chinese specifically intended for their POW policy to be used as a tool against the discipline of their own POW’s. However, I think that once the effects started to take place in the masses, then it furthered the Chinese resolve to keep the policy of equality among the prisoners.  History has many accounts of underdog success stories within POW camps and prisons. Many of them due to the prisoners having enough morale and will power to band together and rise up or outsmart their captors.  Though unintended, the Chinese POW policy served as a natural barrier to high morale. Degradation of discipline creates issues and frustration among the group, which makes it very difficult to work together.  Combating the loss of this morale, it would help to follow a de facto chain of command and have some way to enforce it behind closed doors when the Chinese weren’t paying attention.