Well, that can't be anything but BS based on your own personal anecdotes. Mine is not BS and is more than an anecdote. It was well-known and widespread.
Don't tell me you never had the blind-obedience discussion with anyone when you served, multiple times. There's a reason for that.
I don't even know what you are talking about, I never heard of the blind obedience thing, all I ever heard were instructions on not obeying unlawful orders no matter who they came from. We were taught to obey lawful orders of course, but at the same time we were taught that we had to understand that an unlawful order can be given also and that we must know the difference.
Please tell us your MOS and the units served. The officer told you about Times square where? In formation, a class, the orderly room, in the field, firing range?