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Current Events » in reply to Sorry MaryAnne Life Isn't That Simple

Trade-offs
Tom Brosz — (archived)

Mary Anne makes a valid point when she says we have to live up to higher standards than an enemy that hides in schools and houses of worship, uses children and other civilians as shields, shoots while under a flag of surrender, plants bombs on wounded people who are aided by Americans, plants bombs in ambulances, targets civilians specifically, and defies every other law of war.

On the other hand, if we're going to fight with one foot in a bucket of cement against someone with no scruples at all, can we get a bit of a break from those constantly bitching about how badly things are going? Maybe the war might last somewhat longer. Maybe we might take more casualties because of this. If we are going to fight Marquis of Queensbury against a street fighter, we are going to get cut a lot more than otherwise.

That's a valid point, too.

BTW, one of the original functions of the Geneva Convention was to make it worth an enemy's while to observe the rules of combat. If we treat murdering monsters exactly the same as we would treat a uniformed soldier who fought us according to the rules, what's the point?

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