And the odd suicide bomber in a mall can kill how many people compared to, say, 100 tanks rampaging through a town? How about 500 tanks?

What's proportionality? What's brutality?

Let's say you're standing in an elevator. Everyone has their space. A big guy starts crowding you into a corner. You ask him to move. Everyone else on the elevator asks him to move. He agrees to move. And he crowds you harder. You're smaller than he, not as strong, and don't have a club, as does he, but you can't take it any more, and push. He leans harder, you push harder.

Finally, he hauls out his club and beats you into a bloody pulp. Keeps pounding. You try to push him away, and he pounds you some more.

When does this process stop being rational and start being brutal?

Arf